German Sugar Twist Cookies.
German Sour Cream Twist Cookies. Some people call them Swedish cookies so it is safe to say they are a European style cookie found in Northern and Central European countries. Many people brought the recipe with them when they came to the United States of America and it has been passed down from mother to daughter through the years.
Some photos of the process:
You have to mix up the dough then let it chill in the fridge for 2 hours. The dough has no sugar in it so you press the sugar into the dough when you roll it out and fold it in over and over again. When you cut the dough into strips and twist it you can see the layers of sugar in it.
Recipe makes about 24 cookies. You can cut the recipe in half if you don’t need a large batch. A half batch will make one cookie sheet of twists.
These cookies are unique with the yeast in it, they are more of a pastry. They turn out soft and tender. I twisted them and formed them into circles but you can leave them straight and twist them or do horseshoe shapes.
- 1 (2¼ teaspoons) package instant dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm water
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted cold butter, sliced
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For rolling out dough:
- 1 cup white sugar, you may need more or less
- Add yeast and water to a bowl.
- Put flour and salt into a food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter slices and pulse until butter is mixed into the flour and it looks crumbly. (If you don't have a food processor you can use an electric mixer, pastry cutter, or forks to cut the butter into the flour (like when making biscuits).
- Add sour cream, egg, egg yolks, and vanilla together in bowl with the yeast/water mixture and whisk together with a fork or whisk.
- Pour mixture into food processor. Pulse until the dough starts to hold together (don't over mix). Remove dough from food processor and divide in half.
- Flatten each half into a thick circle, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Take one of the dough circles and roll it out a surface sprinkles with sugar. Roll to about 8x16" rectangle.
- Sprinkle top of dough with sugar. Fold the dough over in thirds, like a letter, and roll out again to 8x16".
- Fold in thirds again and sprinkle top with sugar.
- Roll out one last time (3 times total), sprinkling dough with sugar.
- Fold in thirds and roll dough into a 5x12" rectangle, about ¼" thick.
- Cut strips from the short side of the dough rectangles, making them ½" to ¾" wide.
- Place strips on baking sheets, twist and make circles or leave them straight, whichever you prefer.
- Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges are just starting to turn light golden brown.
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