These delicate Bienenstich cookies are our absolute favorite new Christmas cookie discovery! While classic treats like grandma's Linzer cookies will always remain the highlight of the holiday season, I love trying something new. And from now on, Bienenstich cookies are officially among our all-time favorites!
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Why You’ll Love Bienenstich Cookies
Bienenstich cookies are simply irresistible. These buttery cookies are topped with a caramelized almond-honey crust, similar to Florentine cookies, and filled with a creamy vanilla pudding layer. If you’re familiar with the beloved German Bienenstich cake, you’ll know how delightful this combination is: caramel-like and vanilla-infused, crispy and creamy at the same time. While they do take some time to prepare (since there are multiple layers), the recipe can easily be broken into steps for better organization. Plus, let’s face it—aren’t they just gorgeous?
Ingredients Overview
Bienenstich cookies are made up of three main components: the cookie dough, the Florentine topping, and the vanilla filling.
The buttery shortcrust dough for these cookies is made with simple ingredients: butter for flavor, a room-temperature egg, white sugar, and all-purpose flour (similar to Germany’s Type 405). A small amount of vanilla pudding mix is also added, which not only enhances the vanilla flavor but, thanks to its cornstarch content, makes the cookies extra tender. The almond topping, reminiscent of caramel, is made with butter, heavy cream, and sugar, with a touch of honey added for consistency and flavor, while plenty of sliced almonds complete the mixture. The filling consists of a creamy blend of vanilla pudding and whipped cream. For convenience, I recommend using store-bought chilled vanilla pudding, as it has the perfect consistency and saves time, though you can make your own from scratch if preferred. To ensure the cream holds its shape, whipped cream stabilizer is used.
How to Make Bienenstich Cookies in 5 Steps
The preparation process does take some time, but it can be broken into manageable stages:
Make the Dough: Prepare the dough with softened butter and a room-temperature egg to create a smooth and even texture. Chill the dough before rolling it out to ensure all the ingredients bind well.
Prepare the Almond Topping: In a pan, cook butter, cream, and sugar until it turns into a quick caramel. Stir in the honey and sliced almonds to create a sticky and delicious mixture.
Bake the Cookies: Divide the dough into two portions. Roll out one half to make the cookie bases and bake them plain. Use a fluted or scalloped cookie cutter for the best presentation. Roll out the second half of the dough and top it with the almond mixture before baking to create the cookie “lids.”
Prepare the Filling: Whip the cream with whipped cream stabilizer until semi-stiff. Fold in the vanilla pudding and briefly beat until stiff. Chill the filling briefly so it’s firm enough to pipe.
Assemble the Cookies: Ensure the cookies are completely cool before assembling. Pipe small mounds of the vanilla cream onto the cookie bases using a piping bag. Top each base with an almond-covered cookie lid, and your Bienenstich cookies are ready to enjoy!
Tips for Perfect Bienenstich Cookies
Almond Topping: Use just the right amount of almond mixture, spreading it thinly and avoiding the edges to prevent it from overflowing during baking. It’s a good idea to bake the plain cookie bases first and test a few cookies with the almond topping on the same tray to gauge the right amount for the second batch. Baking Time: Almond-topped cookies may bake faster than the plain bases, so keep an eye on them to avoid over-browning.
Storage Tips for Bienenstich Cookies
Unlike classic dry Christmas cookies like vanilla crescents, Bienenstich cookies have a shorter shelf life due to the cream filling. Here’s how to manage their storage:
Prepare in Advance: The cookie dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the refrigerator or frozen for longer storage. Bake the plain and almond-topped cookies 1-2 weeks in advance and store them in an airtight container. Once filled, the cookies must be stored in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for about one week, slightly longer if you use store-bought pudding instead of homemade. Over time, the texture may change as the cookies absorb moisture from the filling, but they remain delicious!
Enjoy these festive and elegant cookies at your next holiday gathering! They’re sure to be a hit. 😊
Recipe Card
Bienenstich Cookies
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 80 g (3 ⅔ cups) vanilla pudding mix
- 230 g (1 cups) softened butter
- 120 g (⅔ cups) sugar
- 1 medium egg, room temperature
For the Almond Topping:
- 70 g (⅓ cup) butter
- 35 g (2 ⅓ tablespoons) heavy cream
- 70 g (⅓ cup) sugar
- 20 g (1 tablespoon) honey
- 140 g (1 ½ cups) sliced almonds
For the Vanilla Cream:
- 180 g (1 cup) heavy cream
- 1 pack bourbon vanilla sugar, about 8 g or 2 tsp
- 3 packs whipped cream stabilizer, about 24 g total
- 150 g (7 cups) vanilla pudding, see notes
Instructions
Prepare and Chill the Dough
- Beat softened butter and sugar together for several minutes until creamy. Add the room-temperature egg and mix until smooth.
- Combine the flour and vanilla pudding mix in a separate bowl. Add the dry mixture to the butter-egg mixture and knead briefly into a smooth dough. If necessary, use your hands to finish combining.
- Divide the dough into two portions, shape them into discs, and flatten slightly. Wrap each in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Prepare the Almond Topping
- Melt the butter in a pan. Add cream, sugar, and honey, and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir for about 30 seconds until the mixture becomes smoother.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sliced almonds, ensuring they are evenly coated. Let the topping cool to at least room temperature while you work on the dough.
Bake the Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) top and bottom heat. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Take one portion of dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature. Roll it out on a silicone mat or between two pieces of plastic wrap. Cut out about 40 round or scalloped cookies (approximately 2 inches in diameter).
- For the Cookie Bases:
- Place the plain cookies on the parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving some space between them. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on their size and thickness.
- For the Cookie Tops:
- Roll out the second portion of dough and cut out another 40 cookies. Top each with a small amount of the almond mixture (¾-1 teaspoon per cookie), spreading it carefully without reaching the edges to prevent overflow during baking.
- Bake these cookies for about 9-11 minutes, keeping a close eye on them to ensure the almond topping doesn’t overbrown.
- Let all cookies cool completely before assembling.
Prepare the Vanilla Filling
- Beat the heavy cream until semi-stiff, gradually adding the vanilla sugar and whipped cream stabilizer. Be cautious, as the large amount of stabilizer will thicken the cream very quickly!
- Gently fold in the vanilla pudding, then beat the mixture briefly until stiff. Chill the cream for at least 5 minutes before piping.
Assemble the Cookies
- Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a small star tip. Pipe small mounds of cream onto the plain cookie bases, leaving some space around the edges. Each cookie uses about 8 g of cream.
- Carefully place an almond-topped cookie on top of the cream and press lightly. Store the assembled cookies in the refrigerator.
Notes
Pudding Tips:
- The vanilla pudding mix in the dough is essentially just cornstarch with vanilla flavor. It can be replaced with regular flour if needed, but it does add a tender texture to the cookies.
- For the filling, store-bought chilled vanilla pudding works perfectly. It’s already cooked, cooled, and free of the skin that forms on homemade pudding. If you prefer, you can make your own pudding from scratch (refer to your favorite recipe or my Bienenstich cake instructions).
Cookie Size:
- I use cookie cutters about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. The resulting double-decker cookies are substantial, but you can opt for smaller cutters (around 1.5 inches or 4 cm) to make more, smaller cookies.
Almond Topping Amount:
- To gauge the correct amount of almond topping, you can test a few cookies on the first baking sheet and adjust the topping quantity for the second batch as needed. If you have leftover almond mixture, you can bake it on its own like Florentine cookies.
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