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Brunsli
Chocolate almond biscuits
Basler Brunsli: chewy Basel chocolate almond Christmas biscuits
Brunsli are the dark, chewy Christmas biscuits of Basel, one of the 'Basler Weihnachtsguetzli' along with Läckerli and Zimtsterne: ground almonds, sugar, dark chocolate, cinnamon and cloves bound with egg white, rolled out on sugar and cut into hearts, stars and clovers, then dried overnight and baked briefly so they stay soft inside. They are flourless. A common mistake is baking them too long, which turns them hard. Chef's tip: leave the cut shapes to dry overnight at room temperature; they form a thin crust and keep their sharp shape in the oven. Use a dairy-free chocolate to keep them dairy-free.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the dough
- 9 oz ground almonds
- 7 oz sugarplus extra for rolling
- 3 ½ oz dark chocolatemelted, dairy-free
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 9 oz ground almonds, 7 oz sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and ¼ tsp ground cloves. Add 3 ½ oz dark chocolate and 2 egg whites and knead into a firm dough.
Step 2: Sprinkle a board with sugar and roll the dough 1 cm thick. Cut into shapes and lay on lined trays.
Step 3: Leave uncovered at room temperature overnight to dry.
Step 4: Heat the oven to 475°F (fan 450°F). Bake for 4–5 minutes only, until risen slightly and the surface is dry. Common mistake: baking longer; they go hard.
5 minStep 5: Cool on the tray. Keeps in a tin for 3 weeks.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 100 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does brunsli take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground almonds?
- Ground cashews, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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