With a single bite, the cookies made in the mountains of South Tyrol have the power to transport us to romantic mountain markets or Christmas villages, transforming even the biggest grinches into Santa’s most zealous elf.
Lebkuchen, soft and spiced
Lebkuchen are large, soft, spiced Christmas cookies. The most famous come from the German city of Nuremberg, but other German-speaking populations – such as the one in South Tyrol – also enjoy this holiday delight, so much so that they’ve become one of the typical Christmas sweets of South Tyrol. And the ingredients? It doesn’t get much more Christmasy than this: dried fruit, candied citrus fruits, honey, eggs, sugar, flour and a cascade of spices like cinnamon, anise, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. Those with a sweet tooth simply can’t miss out on these cookies covered in sugar or chocolate icing.
Zimtsterne, cinnamon stars
Zimtsterne cookies are made with almonds, very little flour, sugar, egg whites and cinnamon (hence the name). The distinctive feature is the typical, crisp white icing made with egg whites and sugar (known as royal icing in Italian), which contrasts with the doughiness of the cookie. They are widespread in Trentino before the holidays and as a homemade gift.
Vanillekipferl, a very simple cookie
While all those consonants put together translate to “vanilla cones,” these are actually very simple cookies made with sugar, flour, butter, chopped almonds and vanilla. Though likely the simplest Christmas sweets in South Tyrol, this takes nothing away from their delicate goodness. Today, variants also include hazelnut flour in place of almond flour, but all feature a thick layer of powdered sugar sprinkled on top.