One of the most famous and beloved of all German Christmas cookies, Bethmännchen have been a favorite for almost 200 years. With a firm exterior and delightfully chewy interior, these almond-studded marzipan cookies will win your heart – or at least your palate. No German Christmas is complete without them.
And if you’re thinking, *groan* “Marzipan is hard to find and it’s so expensive!”, don’t worry – I’ve got you fully covered!
Today’s recipe originated in the city of Frankfurt, two hours north of where I grew up in Stuttgart. Let me tell you a little story of long ago.
Once upon a time in the village of Frankfurt, Germany lived the affluent Bethmann family. They had hired a Parisian pastry chef, Jean Jacques Gautenier, who held the position of head cook in their home. In 1838, their cook created a marzipan cookie with four almond halves decorating the sides of each cookie in honor of the family’s four sons, Karl, Moritz, Alexander and Heinrich (yes, very German names), and named them Bethmännchen (“little Bethmann’s”). The legend goes that Heinrich died a few years later and ever since then the cookies have been made with three almonds. Whether factual or not, one thing is certain: These wonderful cookies have stood the test of time for a reason and have remained unaltered for nearly two centuries.
Of course Frankfurt has changed quite a lot since 1838. Today it’s one of the most modern cities in Germany and a European financial mecca.
But many of the beautiful centuries-old structures still stand, mingled with the new.
Frankfurt is also home to one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany and the stats show that two years ago over 4.3 million tourists spent their holidays there.
All Frankfurt images courtesy Wikipedia, except Christmas market picture courtesy ©Tourismus+Congress GmbH Frankfurt am Main.
Bethmännchen marzipan cookies can be found in every bakery and in many homes throughout Frankfurt during the Christmas season and are popular throughout Germany. I grew up 2 hours south of Frankfurt in Stuttgart and every Christmas my mom and I would make these cookies. Simple, easy, delicious. Give them a try!
The central ingredient in Betmännchen is marzipan. It can be challenging to find and always comes with a hefty price tag, but you don’t have to worry about that because I’ll show you how to make your very own homemade marzipan that’s super easy and is much cheaper!
Check out my recipe for Easy Homemade Marzipan.
Okay, let’s get started!
How To Skin Almonds. First we’re going to blanch and skin the almonds.
In the meantime (or can be done well in advance), blanch the whole almonds. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add the almonds. Boil for exactly one minute, no longer or the nuts will become soft.
Drain the nuts and rinse with cold water.
Remove the skins by squeezing the nuts – they’ll slip right out! Cut the almonds in half along their natural seam.
Okay, we’re ready to proceed with the cookies.
Break up the marzipan into small pieces and place them in a mixing bowl.
Sift the powdered sugar on top of the marzipan.
Separate the egg and add the egg white to the marzipan mixture and reserve the yolk for later.
Add the ground blanched almonds and rose water.
Use your fingers to combine the ingredients.
The cookie dough will be somewhat sticky. If it’s too sticky to work with add some more ground almonds and powdered sugar. Note: The dough will firm up after it’s been refrigerated so a little sticky is fine.
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Form the dough into 3/4 to 1-inch balls and place them on a lined cookie sheet, spaced at least an inch apart. Rub your hands with a little powdered sugar if the dough is still a little too sticky.
Evenly spaced, press three almond halves around the sides of each cookie, pointed sides up.
Brush the cookies with the egg yolk that’s been mixed with 1 teaspoon water.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F and bake the cookies on the middle rack for about 15 minutes until the egg wash begins to turn golden. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container. These cookies will keep for at least 2 weeks.
Enjoy!
Hungry for more German Christmas cookies? Try these Traditional German Heidesand (Browned Butter Shortbread Cookies)!
Traditional German Bethmännchen (Marzipan Cookies)
Ingredients
- 8 oz Easy Homemade Marzipan (click link for recipe) SEE NOTE
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup ground blanched almonds/almond meal (for the sake of consistency and ensuring the almonds are dry and compact enough, I recommend using store-bought almond meal)
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 medium egg white
- 2 teaspoons rose water
- 1 medium egg yolk , mixed with 1 teaspoon water
- 3/4 cup blanched whole almonds split in half (see post for pictured instructions on how to blanch and skin almonds)
Instructions
- Preheat to 300 degrees F
- Break marzipan into small pieces in a mixing bowl. Sift the powdered sugar over the marzipan and add the ground almonds, flour, rose water and egg white. Use your hands to combine the ingredients in to a dough. The dough will be somewhat sticky but it will get firm after it's sat in the fridge. If too sticky, add some more ground almonds and powdered sugar.
- Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Roll the dough into small balls, no more than 1-inch in diameter. Sprinkle your hands with a little flour or powdered sugar if the dough is too sticky. Place the balls on a lined cookie sheet and press 3 almond halves evenly around each cookie, pointed side up. Brush each cookie with the egg yolk mixture and bake for about 15 minutes until the egg wash turns golden in color.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to several weeks.
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Anonymous says
13 December, 2014 at 9:31 amAh…marzipan…now that’s something I can get in abundance here in munich:)
Candace says
25 December, 2014 at 7:53 amThese were a total hit! They look pretty unassuming in appearance but once you bite into them, oh my! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
25 December, 2014 at 7:57 amFantastic, Candace! So glad they were a hit!
Carol says
14 February, 2015 at 4:56 amOMG – I just joined your website… I will be revisiting regularly – today I am going to make the Marzipan and then the cookies. Thank you so much for the lovely excursion via pictures.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
14 February, 2015 at 8:18 amHi, Carol, and welcome! Once you’ve tried the homemade marzipan you won’t be able to stop making it :) Happy baking!
Anonymous says
23 April, 2015 at 3:27 pmGreat site, recipes and wonderful pictures! Thank you so much
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
23 April, 2015 at 3:31 pmThank you very much! :)
Vega says
20 August, 2015 at 1:39 amYou’re an amazing chef, and the coolest teacher ever! Marzipan is my all time favorite. Tastes like heaven :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
20 August, 2015 at 7:40 amThank you, Vega :) I agree, marzipan is thoroughly heavenly!
Eadlyn says
8 November, 2015 at 9:36 pmOh my gosh! I am praying these turn out amazing!! In the oven right now!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
8 November, 2015 at 10:01 pmEadlyn, awesome, let us know what you think! It’s recommended to store them in an airtight container and to wait at least a day or two before eating them, they develop a better texture and flavor.
Rachel says
3 December, 2015 at 5:36 amHow many cookies does this make? We have a large family, and a very large extended family that always gathers for Christmas. This year we are having “Christmas Around The World” and I chose to represent Germany, since about 98% of my ancestors are German.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
4 December, 2015 at 11:17 amHi Rachel, this recipe makes about 35 cookies. Your tradition sounds wonderful and I’m glad you chose Germany for your Christmas theme this year! :)
Hadara says
6 December, 2015 at 12:25 pmHey, I wanted to make these cookies, but I really don’t need 34. Do I still have to bake it for the same amount of time, and at the same temperature, if I cut it down to around 11 cookies. (A third of the recipe)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
6 December, 2015 at 3:04 pmHi Hadara, yes, the oven temperature and baking time will remain the same.
Sherri says
21 December, 2015 at 4:25 pmIs the baking temperature 300 or 325? In the pictures it said 325 but the recipe said 300…
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
21 December, 2015 at 4:52 pmHi Sherri, thanks for catching that. It’s 300 F. Happy baking!
Alison says
5 January, 2016 at 3:41 amMine baked a little flatter than yours in the picture (they’re about 1cm high in the middle). Do you think I might need to add more ground almonds / icing sugar / flour for a firmer mixture?
(They’re still amazingly delicious though.)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
5 January, 2016 at 7:47 amHi Alison, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! are you at a very high altitude? Chilling the dough first for at least one hour (and if your fridge is not at a high chill setting you’ll need to refrigerate longer) and then working quickly with the dough after you remove it from the fridge is key so that it’s baked while still cold.
Marina Burwitz says
8 October, 2016 at 5:30 amDELICIOUS! loved them!
WHAT SUPER RECIPES!
Do you have a recipe for a real STOLLEN with marizapan? FOR A FAMILY OF 10 !
YOUR RECIPES ARE SOOOOO REAL! THANKS A MILLION
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
9 October, 2016 at 11:15 amThanks, Marina! I’m planning on publishing my recipe for Marzipan Stollen as we approach the holidays so stay tuned :)
Ann Torke says
19 December, 2016 at 8:33 amMy cookies turned out amazing!! Working with the cold dough must be key they came out perfect its 80 degrees here. My Husband loves marzipan!! Thank you so much for sharing! Merry Christmas from Florida! Ann
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
19 December, 2016 at 10:22 amI’m so happy to hear that, Ann, thank you so much and Merry Christmas!
Ash says
27 October, 2016 at 4:00 pmI followed the recipe to the letter, put the dough in the fridge for about 5 hours, put them in the oven within 10 minutes of removing them from the fridge and they just went completely flat and sticky and took around half an hour to brown. Tasted good though.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
20 December, 2016 at 11:42 pmHi Ash, I don’t know how I missed your comment and I apologize for my delayed response. 30 minutes is way too long, baking time is only about 15 minutes. The cookies shouldn’t be brown, they turn just barely a golden color. Egg cooks very fast so after 15 minutes the cookies will be done. I’ve never heard of these cookies going flat and sticky before, that is so odd. Did you buy marzipan or use my homemade recipe? I suppose it could be some odd variation with the brand of marzipan, I don’t know. Two other possibilities are that the dough didn’t chill long enough or you used too large of an egg for the egg white. In any case, even despite being flat, I’m glad to hear they tasted good!
Doris Murdoch says
20 November, 2016 at 7:42 amI grew up in Rhinebach which is not far from Frankfurt. My school and church are still standing . But there are changes. Love your recipes doris
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
20 November, 2016 at 8:33 pmThanks so much, Doris! That’s wonderful that those buildings are still intact and that you can go back and visit them.
Gerri hamer says
3 December, 2016 at 6:12 amI have just made these with left over marzipan from the Christmas cake and they are probably the best biscuits I’ve ever made
A huge hit
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
3 December, 2016 at 11:05 amI am so thrilled to hear that, Gerri, thanks so much!
Sarina says
5 December, 2016 at 4:43 pmHi there, these look delicious and I’m looking forward to trying them. Are these soft cookies or hard? Also, have you ever tried replacing the rose water with orange blossom water? Do you think it would taste ok?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
5 December, 2016 at 6:06 pmHi Sarina, they’re firm cookies but definitely not crunchy-hard, and towards the center they’re more on the chewy side. I use orange blossom water regularly in Middle Eastern cooking and am very familiar with it – I would not recommend it for these cookies. The flavor of rose water is the traditional – and best – flavor profile for marzipan.
Cindy says
10 December, 2016 at 7:56 amI can’t get the cookies to stay as a ball. I have tried a few times and the balls flatten out to cookies. What am I doing wrong?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
12 December, 2016 at 3:56 pmHi Cindy, that’s the first time I’ve heard of that happening and I’m really not sure why it did. Provided the marzipan was made correctly, the only thing I can think of is that the dough wasn’t chilled long enough.
Cindy says
12 December, 2016 at 6:41 pmJust an FYI, my husband loves these cookies and has made multiple batches with the same result. I thought I would show him up and use your recipe. But, same result. I also chilled the dough overnight and after rolling into balls, chilled again. Guess this just us not our cookie to make ourselves. 😂 They flattened out in the oven.
Cori Landon says
12 December, 2016 at 7:27 pmI’ve made these three times already (once last year, twice this year) and they’ve turned out great each time, not flat at all. Maybe try adding more ground almonds? I followed the recipe exactly though.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
12 December, 2016 at 7:30 pmThat’s awesome, Cori, so glad you enjoyed them, thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
12 December, 2016 at 7:28 pmHi Cindy, your husband used this recipe with the same results or another recipe?
Jen says
19 December, 2016 at 10:03 amI can’t get Rose Water in time to make these before Christmas. Is there any substitute for this?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
19 December, 2016 at 10:21 amHi Jen, no there’s no substitute for that flavor. That said, these cookies will taste great even without it. For a little extra flavor you can add 1/2 teaspoon or so of almond extract.
Jeanne Hunter says
21 December, 2016 at 11:34 amHi Kimberly. I so enjoyed your intro. wife of one, mother of 2, cook to many… I’m from South Africa. I’ve just Googled for a easy marzipan recipe as its quite expensive to buy. (I’m a young 64 yr old granny of 5 who loves baking)
Where can I get your Stollen recipe. I do have another in an Anchor yeast recipe book, but yet to try it.
Thanks and Blessings this CHRISTmas. Jeanne (pronounced French way)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
21 December, 2016 at 12:22 pmHi Jeanne, thanks so much for your note. I was really hoping to get my Stollen recipe posted and finish the photo shoot in time for this Christmas but time slipped away from me so it’s going to have to wait a while now. Merry CHRISTmas to you and your family, too! :)
kathryn says
11 May, 2017 at 4:37 pmThis recipe looks really delicious. I love German (and all European) baking, but have a big lemon allergy…. and many of the German baking recipes today have lemon and lemon peel in it. I feel like there must be older recipes out there, before the arrival of the lemon (1800’s) to northern Europe… but I haven’t been able to find them. Anyways, this recipe is a real keeper for me! In all honesty I am going to make it tomorrow… a little Christmas flavour in May is okay I think :-)
ps. I loved the bit of history you included with this recipe, somehow knowing the story behind a recipe adds a little bit of magic and makes it more delicious. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
13 May, 2017 at 10:07 pmThanks, Kathryn, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :) Yes, lemon zest is commonly added to a lot of German baked goods but you can simply omit it, no need to find another version of the recipe. Omitting it won’t change the texture of the baked good and in most cases nor will omitting a tablespoon or two of lemon juice if it’s called for. Happy baking! :)
Natalie Loftus says
22 November, 2017 at 2:14 pmI love these cookies and they turned out PERFECTLY! Thank you, Kimberly!
Mary says
4 December, 2017 at 2:49 pmThis recipe sounds wonderful! Can’t wait to try it. Can I used almond flour in place of ground almonds?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
4 December, 2017 at 4:00 pmHi Mary! Yes, they’re one and the same.
Annie L. says
5 December, 2017 at 11:35 pmThese are SO delicious!! This was my first time making them and I LOVE the flavor and texture, I’ve never had anything quite like it. Thank you for this wonderful recipe and excellent instructions!
Pepper's Mom says
10 December, 2017 at 5:17 amI have just finished baking these for the first time. I ended up with 28 pieces and they took 30 minutes to get that golden brown color. They were black at the bottom though. I checked at 10 minutes and every 5 minutes after that. I thought it would only take 10 minutes because I used a dark pan that I lined with parchment paper. They held their shape well, they didn’t flatten. I did refrigerate the dough to harden a bit for less than an hour, maybe 35-45 minutes only coz’ I can’t wait to bake them. I used my homemade marzipan from this site as well. They taste good. It doesn’t really blow me away and yet I can’t stop eating. They are hard cookies but soft and chewy inside which is kinda weird but they taste good. Thank you so much for teaching us how to make this cookie. I will definitely make these again.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
10 December, 2017 at 10:00 amI’m glad you enjoyed them, burnt bottoms and all! :) You don’t want these “golden brown” just “golden” and it’s a very subtle golden on the egg glaze. 15 minutes, 20 max, is really all these cookies need to be done so I would still aim for 15 minutes next time.
Claudia says
14 December, 2017 at 11:03 amI did not read all the comments, so forgive me if this is a question that has already been asked.
Are there metrics for this recipe? I made the marzipan and there was a button in the recipe where it could be switched to metrics, could not find it here.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
14 December, 2017 at 5:15 pmHi Claudia, I’ve just updated it so the metric conversion feature is now available. Happy baking!
Anna Beta says
20 February, 2018 at 12:52 pmHi, I just finished making these last night, and they turned out nice and round like the photos. 2tsp of rosewater is a bit too much for my taste, though. I’ll reduce it to 1 next time. Delightful the next day, too!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
20 February, 2018 at 10:35 pmWonderful, Anna, I’m so glad you enjoyed them, thank you!
Michelle says
17 August, 2018 at 8:57 amHi tried these yesterday and they turned out quite flat but taste lovely. Think the problem was the shop bought marzipan which only has 25% almonds so I think if you make your own marzipan or buy a 50/50 one they probably won’t go flat . Thanks for a lovely recipe though.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
17 August, 2018 at 9:16 amHi Michelle, yes that is exactly the reason. They will hold their shape with the higher almond content.
Schatzi Beckman says
31 August, 2018 at 2:49 pmHi Kimberley – my husband and I have been sugar and gluten free for three years and I’ve been learning to adapt many recipes for us. I’m going to try these using Lakanto monkfruit blend powdered sugar (superior to Swerve), and corn starch for the flour (reduce to half). I may have to adapt a little more for texture.
In my former life I was a cook, now I’m a scientist! I know there’s little difference but I really have to rework recipes for our needs.
I’m so glad to find your blog, there’s so much here to explore!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
1 September, 2018 at 10:43 amHi Schatzi, I admire your dedication to reworking recipes to fit your lifestyle. Please let us know how these cookies turn out with those substitutions!
David & Sally Zerr says
2 December, 2018 at 11:11 amI am thinking about trying this recipe this weekend at the Christmas cookie baking weekend at our daughters farm, but what i find very interesting is the story behind the recipe. Here in the United States, I went to grade school with several Bethmann’s who live in St Peters Missouri. Like myself, most of them have a farming background.
Dana says
10 December, 2018 at 7:34 amI love your recipes — they remind me of my German grandma! May I substitute a package of almond paste for the marzipan? thank you — and Merry Christmas!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
10 December, 2018 at 8:54 amHi Dana, thank you! The consistency is a bit softer but it should work just fine. Happy baking!
Chrissie Stevens says
15 December, 2018 at 11:14 amMy cookies baked up either flat or puffed but hollow. I was having issues getting 3 almonds to fit & stick onto the balls of dough. I rolled it into 1” balls & pressed an almond on top of each then brushed with yolk wash. I don’t know why the cookies were so airy? They taste fantastic though & im going to make another batch.
Elaine Bertville says
19 December, 2018 at 2:57 pmI adore marzipan, and decided to make these little buggers as another cookie choice among this year’s Christmas cookies. They look so cute and nicely golden brown in your photos, but despite me following your directions to the “T”, the end colors of mine were not so appealing. A while beyond the recommended time for baking (at 300 F), they looked more raw dough than golden brown, despite the yolk wash. I turned up the heat to try to brown them quickly more, and they looked more yellow than golden brown. I didn’t want to bake them further, so gave up. I ended up dusting them with confectioner’s sugar. That really helped their appearance a lot, but I’m assuming that’s not traditional to do.
The cookie center was perfectly done, but I think the rose water flavor was more dominant than I like. I definitely had culinary rose water (from Lebanon) purchased in Whole Foods market’s baking section. If I were to make them again with the same rose water, I’d cut the amounts by 50% in both your marzipan recipe and the Marzipan cookies recipe here. I’m not very experienced using rose water, so don’t know if different brands have different potencies.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
19 December, 2018 at 11:22 pmHi Elaine, thanks for your feedback. I’m a little stumped on the challenge with the color. Just to confirm, you did brush them with egg yolk, not egg white, correct? Also, were you by chance using the convection setting, i.e., was your oven fan on while baking? That could impact it as well. If so, I’d recommend turning the fan off. Alternatively try placing the cookies on the top rack for the final few minutes. Rose water: Yes, the strength absolutely varies from brand to brand.
Elaine Bertville says
22 December, 2018 at 4:40 pmHi Kimberly. I definitely used egg yolk with the little bit of water beaten in, as directed. I don’t have a convection oven, and there’s no fan involved. I have a typical gas oven range. I baked some at the 300 F, as directed, and the next batch at 325 F hoping that might brown them better.
Unlike some of the previous commentors, my marzipan balls were perfectly shaped after baking (looking exactly like yours), and the cookies’ insides were perfect. Perhaps because I used the marzipan recipe you recommended? It was easy to make. I used a product called Bob’s Red Mill very fine almond meal. I recommend it. The only issue I had was the outside color. As stated, my personal preference would be to cut down on the rose water a bit, but my native Czech husband totally disagreed with me. He thought the amount was perfect. I guess it’s just a matter of taste. I gave the recipe 4 stars, but think it can definitely be 5, in my book, with less rose water and solving the color issue. Really, they are quite pretty dusted with confectioner’s sugar. That solved my batchs’ color issue. I wonder if my egg yolk itself was a factor. Their colors do vary slightly. Maybe due to diet?
I do think this is a lovely little cookie. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
22 December, 2018 at 5:39 pmHi Elaine, thanks for the feedback. I doubt the egg yolk itself is the issue. The mystery remains unsolved! :) I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed the cookies, thanks again and Merry Christmas!