Tradition Upheld -- A Great-Aunt's Artistry
By Lucie Lehmann Snodgrass
Special to The Washington
Post
Wednesday, December 4, 2002; Page F01
Even in my admittedly eccentric family, my great-aunt, Tante Clarli, stood out. She lived by herself in an enormous Victorian mansion in Aarau, Switzerland; maintained a fully stocked bomb shelter complete with World War II-era gas masks; built a better wine cellar than many fine restaurants; and embraced Catholicism with an ecstatic fervor, much to her Protestant family's dismay.
A spinsterish woman with a plain face, square jaw, orthopedic shoes and substantial girth, Tante Clarli's physical ungainliness was offset by her enormous talent as an artist. Among other things, she was an exquisite porcelain painter, creating gorgeous, intricate patterns for tea and coffee services, lamps, vases and dinnerware. She was also, unlike her sister, my grandmother, a fabulous cook and baker.
My grandmother and I often dined at Tante Clarli's on Sundays, where a formal lunch was served at exactly noon. Invariably, at two minutes past the hour, just as the sisters were dipping into their soup, my great-uncle Hans also joined us at the table. He liked to create a stir by arriving late, but Onkel Hans never thought to leave early: Dessert was the highlight of any meal that Tante Clarli cooked. Chocolate mousse was often on the menu, ladled with a silver spoon from one of my great-aunt's hand-painted bowls, dusted lightly with bitter chocolate shavings and surrounded with a rim of piped whipped cream. As accompaniment there were always ethereally light cookies: buttery Mailanderli or vanilla crescents and, as the year marched toward Christmas, a full complement of holiday cookies: Leckerlis, Brunsli and jam-filled Spitzbuben, my favorite.
It's hard to say what gained Tante Clarli greater fame: her unparalleled cookies or her fearsome reputation in the kitchen. A chemist's daughter and a former teacher, she approached baking as science, not art. Her recipes, refined over years, were tested in secrecy until they were foolproof. If they weren't flawless, no one ever saw, much less tasted, them. Her meticulously hand-written recipes included notations like: "Roll out to a thickness of exactly five millimeters" or "Beat by hand for precisely two and a half minutes." No one was ever invited to work with Tante Clarli in her kitchen and, certainly, no one ever asked to.
I panicked, then, when I overheard my grandmother talking to her sister one December morning when I was 8. She told her that she was going out of town for a wedding and asked whether I could stay the night in Aarau. After a pause I heard Tante Clarli reply carefully that she had planned to bake Spitzbuben that day. But after another pause she reluctantly agreed, saying that she supposed if I were going to be there anyway, I could help her make the cookies.
The night I spent at Tante Clarli's I lay awake for hours, worrying that I would fail miserably in meeting her exacting standards.
The next day started early. Tante Clarli rose unfailingly at 5 each morning, and by 7, when I came downstairs, she was waiting with a crisply starched white apron that she instructed me to put on. Wooden spoons, spatulas and bowls were laid out in neat rows.
"You must follow my directions precisely," Tante Clarli said as we got started.
Soon, under her tutelage, I began carefully measuring the ingredients, starting with the butter, which we cut into fine pieces, continuing with the sugar and moving on to the velvety flour. I measured out the ground almonds, which she left in their skins -- one of her secrets, she confided, that gave the cookies their pleasantly ruddy complexion. (Even my grandmother hadn't been told what went into the Spitzbuben.) Eventually, I even relaxed a little, creaming the butter and sugar to my great-aunt's satisfaction, a fact that nearly made up for my tired arms that she had whisking around the bowl in endless, concentric circles.
Electric mixers, evidently, were verboten.
We took a brief break while the dough chilled, sitting together cozily over homemade hot chocolate and a flaky croissant. When the dough was pronounced sufficiently firm, Tante Clarli gave me my own lump and rolling pin, a heavy wooden one that had belonged to her mother. I dusted the countertop lightly with flour, rolling out the flecked dough, as she did, neither too thick nor too thin. Then we selected small round, fluted cookie cutters -- one to cut out the bottoms and tops and another, smaller one to cut out three small holes in each top layer. Soon the cookies were in the oven, filling the kitchen with the tantalizing smells of ground almonds, butter and sugar.
While the cookies cooled, Tante Clarli prepared the confectionary sugar and lemon glaze that we applied to the tops with pastry brushes. I was charged with breaking the paraffin seal on a homemade jar of red currant jelly and scooping out a small amount to melt and then brush on the bottom rounds. Finally, we sandwiched the cookie layers together, allowing the red jelly to peek through the three small circles.
Tante Clarli and I each reached for two of the flawless Spitzbuben. Silently, we bit into them, savoring the delicate melding of nutty, sweet, and slightly tart flavors.
"Well," Tante Clarli said brightly, and with relief, "they turned out well, didn't they?"
I agreed. In celebration we both ate another cookie, never letting on just how pleasantly surprised each of us had been.
Tante Clarli's Spitzbuben
(Makes about 24 cookies)
For the cookies:
1 cup (4 ounces) slivered or sliced almonds, with skins
12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature, plus additional for the baking sheets
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Scant 2 cups flour
For the glaze:
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
For the filling:
1/4 cup of red currant jelly or raspberry jam
In a food processor or nut grinder, pulse the almonds until finely ground. Do not grind into a paste. Set aside.
In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until lightened in color and texture. Add the granulated sugar and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour, mixing just until completely incorporated.
Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Working with 1 portion at a time, place it between 2 large sheets of wax paper and, using a rolling pin, roll it to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining dough. Refrigerate the 2 pieces of dough for 15 minutes.
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter 2 baking sheets.
Remove 1 piece of dough from the refrigerator. Remove both layers of wax paper and place the dough on a work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour or confectioners' sugar. Using a 13/4-inch scalloped or smooth round cutter, cut out cookies and transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Combine and reroll any scraps of dough to make additional cookies.
Repeat with the second piece of dough.
Set aside one half of the cut-out dough; these will be the cookie bottoms.
For the other half, which will be the cookie tops, use a very small cookie cutter to cut out decorative shapes. For example, use a very small star cutter to cut out a star center; or cut out three small circles with a miniature round cookie cutter (an apple corer works well for this). These decorative cutouts will allow the filling to show through when the cookie tops and bottoms are sandwiched together.
Place the tops on a separate prepared baking sheet.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.
For the glaze: In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar to make a smooth glaze. While the cooled cookie tops (with the decorative cutouts) are on the wire rack, use a clean pastry brush to brush the tops with the glaze, allowing any excess glaze to drip through the racks. Set aside to dry before assembling cookies.
For the filling: If using jelly, in a small pan over low heat, melt the jelly. Remove from the heat; set aside to cool. Using a pastry brush, spread the jelly evenly over the center portion of the plain cookie bottoms.
If using jam, do not melt it first; merely place a dollop in the center of the plain cookie bottoms.
To assemble the cookies: Gently place an glazed cookie top on a jelly- or jam-spread cookie bottom and press gently to stick. (Once the cookies have been assembled, they are best eaten that day. Cookies may be stored, unassembled, in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)
Per cookie: 156 calories, 2 gm protein, 18 gm carbohydrates, 9 gm fat, 16 mg cholesterol, 4 gm saturated fat, 3 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber
Mailanderli
(Makes about 24 cookies)
These thick, crisp roll-out cookies are sweet, as sugar cookies should be, but with a slight hint of lemon. Mailanderli can be decorated with a confectioners' sugar glaze and edible decorations, such as candied fruit, nuts or sprinkles, pressed into the glaze. If glazing, you may wish to reduce the sugar in the dough to 3/4 cup.
Mailänderli make wonderful tree ornaments. To use them that way, prick a small hole in each cookie with a knitting needle or metal skewer before baking.
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
Pinch salt
3 eggs
Grated or minced zest from 1 lemon
3 cups flour, plus additional for the work surface
Coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional)
In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter until lightened in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar, salt, eggs and lemon zest and beat until pale and smooth. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour, mixing until completely incorporated.
Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and shape each into a thick disk. Wrap each portion tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled through, at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes and transfer to the prepared sheets. Combine and reroll any scraps of dough.
If desired, sprinkle sugar lightly on top of the cookies. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden around the edge. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly.
Per cookie: 169 calories, 2 gm protein, 20 gm carbohydrates, 9 gm fat, 48 mg cholesterol, 5 gm saturated fat, 17 mg sodium, trace dietary fiber
Basler Leckerlis
(Makes about 24 cookies)
Note: This dough must be prepared at least 24 hours ahead of baking and the cookies are best aged for at least 48 hours after baking.
For the cookies:
11/4 cups mild honey
1/3 cup kirsch* or Williams (pear) eau de vie
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup candied orange peel, very finely chopped
1/4 cup candied lemon peel, very finely chopped
3 to 31/2 cups flour, as needed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch salt
1 cup (about 4 ounces) coarsely ground or finely chopped blanched almonds
Grated zest from 1 lemon (reserve juice for glaze)
Butter for the baking sheet
For the glaze:
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
In a medium pan over low heat, heat the honey until runny. Remove from the heat; add the Kirsch and granulated sugar and stir to combine. Return the pan to low heat and cook, constantly stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
Remove from the heat and stir in the candied orange and lemon peels, scraping down the side of the pan. Set aside to cool until lukewarm.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and salt and stir to combine. Set aside.
Add the almonds and lemon zest to the cooled honey mixture and stir to combine. Using a wooden spoon or with the dough hook attachment on a standing mixer, gradually stir the honey mixture into the flour mixture, mixing until the dough is stiff but smooth. The dough should be very stiff, like bread dough.
Lightly butter a rimmed 11-by-16-inch baking sheet. Using your hands, press the dough evenly into the pan. Cover loosely with a clean towel and set in a cool, dry place to rest for at least 1 day and up to 3 days. (You may refrigerate the dough if you have space, but it is not critical to do so.)
To bake: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Remove the towel from the sheet of dough and transfer the sheet to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, until slightly puffed and golden. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. The cookie will deflate slightly upon cooling.
Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar and stir until smooth and no lumps remain.
Using a very sharp knife, cut into individual bars and transfer to a wire rack. While the separated bars are still warm to the touch, brush the tops with the glaze. Set aside to cool completely.
Leckerlis are best when allowed to mellow for at least 2 days before eating. To store, place layers of bars in an airtight tin lined with parchment paper, being careful to separate layers with sheets of parchment paper. (Properly stored, Leckerlis will keep for at least a month, gradually growing chewier.)
Per cookie: 204 calories, 3 gm protein, 42 gm carbohydrates, 3 gm fat, 0 mg cholesterol, trace saturated fat, 57 mg sodium, 1 gm dietary fiber
Basler Brunsli
(Makes about 30 cookies)
2 large egg whites
11/4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups (about 12 ounces) ground blanched almonds*
100 grams (3.5 ounces) Lindt Excellence or comparable quality bittersweet chocolate, finely grated**
1 teaspoon kirsch*** or other cherry liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch of salt
3 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons flour
Confectioners' sugar or flour for the work surface
In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the egg whites and sugar until they are fluffy and hold very soft peaks. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the ground almonds, mixing just until combined. Using a rubber spatula, add the chocolate, kirsch, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, salt, cocoa and flour, mixing just until blended.
Place the dough on a work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour or confectioners' sugar. (If the dough is sticky, refrigerate it for a few minutes, then try again.) Using a lightly sugared or floured rolling pin, roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness.
Have ready 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Using cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes and transfer to the prepared sheets. Combine and reroll any scraps of dough. Set the sheets aside at room temperature to dry for 1 to 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
Bake the cookies for 15 minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool for just 1 minute, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. (May store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.)
Per cookie: 122 calories, 3 gm protein, 12 gm carbohydrates, 7 gm fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 gm saturated fat, 11 mg sodium, 2 gm dietary fiber
Lucie Lehmann Snodgrass is a writer who left Washington for a farm in Street, Md. She still bakes her Tante Clarli's Spitzbuben.
