MAILÄNDERLI - XMAS COOKIES

As 25th of Decembers is soon here, I have decided to talk a little about Switzerland's traditional festive cookies. Today, I am presenting you the most popular Christmas treat in our land: Mailänderli (see link, pronounce: my-lend'rrlee) Milanais (in French) or Milan cookies (in English)...

Those rich shortbread cookies are very basic and simple, but ever so refined and gorgeously delightful taste-wise with their tinge of lemon and divine buttery flavor. For me, it is the quintessential end of year cookie, the one which symbolizes the Christmas celebrations on it's own. Mailänderli (see link for more infos) were always baked at my home and generally, they were extremely successful.

They behold the spirit of my childhood. Now, every time I eat one of those little biscuits, I am transported back in time when I still believed Santa Claus existed and I used to enquire on the morning of the 25th to see if he (Mr. Santa) had drunken the small glass of Sherry which I had left for him along with a few cookies. I can remember how excited I was, because I saw shoemarks on the floor, the consumed offerings on the living room table and the proof that he had been sitting on the settee! Then, my joyful was even bigger when I discovered my presents lying under a wonderfully fragrant tree!! It was a heavenly feeling!

~ Mailänderli Cookies ~
Recipe by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums

Makes around 40 cookies.

Ingredients:
250g Unsalted butter
240g Castor sugar
1/2 Tsp Salt
3 Eggs (~53g), at room temperature
The zest of 1 - 1 1/3 lemons
500g Plain white flour, sifted
Ingredients for the glazing:
1 Egg yolk
1 Tsp water

Method:
1. Cream the butter with the sugar.
2. Incorporate the eggs one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth in consistency.
2. Add the salt and the lemon zest.
3. Incorporate the flour until you get a soft dough.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic cellophane and refrigerate for a few hours (2-3 hours).
5. Get the dough out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before rolling it.
6. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
7. Roll out the dough (5-6 mm thickness) on a lightly floured surface.
8. Cut out shapes with the cookie cutters of your choice.
9. Place cut out shapes on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
10. Brush the tops with the egg yolk and water mixture.
11. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden in color.

Remarks:
Do not knead the dough, otherwise the biscuits would be too hard. You have to work the dough delicately, a bit like shortcrust pastry (see the shortcrust recipe).
The “Mailänderli Cookies” should not be rolled out too thinly nor too thickly, therefore you should rigorously respect the instructions.
If you wish you can cut out biscuits with a hole in the center so that you can hang them on the Christmas tree or use them as gift decorations/ornaments.

Serving suggestions:
Eat your "Mailäanderli Cookies" with a good cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate.
Keeps in a metallic tin for up to a month.

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~ Milanais ~

Recette par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums

Pour environ 40 biscuits.

Ingrédients:
250g de Beurre non-salé
240g de Sucre cristallisé
1/2 CC de Sel
3 Oeufs (~53g), à température ambiante
Le zeste de 1 - 1 1/3 citrons
500g de Farine fleur, tamisée
Ingrédients pour badigeonner les biscuits:
1 Jaune d'oeuf
1 CC d'Eau

Méthode:
1. Battre le beurre en crème avec le sucre jusqu'à ce que l'appareil blanchisse.
2. Incorporer les oeufs un à un en mélangeant bien après chaque ajout afin d'obtenir une pommade légère et homogène.
2. Ajouter le sel et le zeste.
3. Incorporer toute la farine afin d'obtenir une boule de pâte.
4. Emballer la pâte dans une feuille de plastique alimentaire et la mettre au frigo pour quelques heures (2-3 heures).
5. Sortir la pâte du frigo au moins 30 minutes avant de la travailler/l'abaisser.
6. Préchauffer le four à 200°C (400°F).
7. Sur un plan fariné, abaisser la pâte sur 5-6mm d'épaisseur.
8. Découper la pâte abaissée avec les emporte-pièces de votre choix.

9. Déposer les biscuits (non-cuits) sur une plaque recouverte de papier sulfurisé.
10. Badigeonner avec le mélange jaune d'oeuf/eau.
11. Cuire au milieu du four pendant environ 10 minutes, jusqu'à ce que les biscuits deviennent dorés.

Remarques:
Ne pétrissez pas la pâte autrement les biscuits seront durs. Travaillez-là délicatement telle une pâte à tarte (voir ma recette de pâte à tarte).
Les "Milanais" ne doivent pas être trop abaissés/minces ni trop épais.
Vous pouvez découper des biscuits avec un trou au centre afin de les accrocher au sapin ou de les utiliser comme élément de décoration pour vos emballage-cadeaux.

Idées de présentation:
Il n'y a rien de meilleur que d'accompagner ces biscuits d'une bonne tasse de thé, de café ou de chocolat chaud.
Vous pouvez les garder au maximum un mois dans une boite à biscuits.