Brunsli

Swiss Chocolate Cookies

"I often used to go on holiday in Switzerland when I was living back home in Germany, and we always had these typical Swiss chocolate cookies, which are a traditional Christmas treat. No visit to Switzerland is complete without sampling its famous chocolate in a variety of forms!"

Submitted by: Kerstin Kegel, HomeAway.co.uk

Ingredients (Makes approximately 50 cookies):

150g sugar
Pinch of salt
250g ground almonds
¼ tsp cinnamon
Pinch of clove powder
2 tbsp of cocoa powder
2 tbsp of flour
2 egg whites
100g bitter chocolate
2 tsp of kirsch

How to cook this dish:

1. Mix the sugar, salt, almonds, cinnamon, clove powder, cocoa powder and flour in a bowl.

2. Add the egg whites and stir well.

3. Melt the chocolate and stir in to the mixture with the kirsch.

4. Knead the mixture in to a soft dough and then roll out to approximately 1cm thick.

5. Cut in to different shapes either manually or with cookie cutters, and then place on a greased baking tray, or one lined with baking paper.

6. Let them rest for about 5 to 6 hours or overnight in a dry place.

7. Bake for about 4 to 6 minutes in the centre of the pre-heated oven at 250°C.

8. Let cool completely before serving.

Serve with:

Coffee or Ovomaltine (more commonly known as Ovaltine outside of Switzerland).

Kerstin loves: Property 96538, a beautiful lakeside apartment in Champex, Valais, with breathtaking panoramic views. Comfortable and well furnished, the apartment provides a home from home feel and there is a real open fire in the living room. A perfect base for skiing and activity breaks year-round, and within easy access of the Rhone Valley vineyards, natural mineral spas, plus many Roman sites and museums.