• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Helen
    • About Helen
    • Contact
    • Press
  • Virtual Baking Classes
  • My Books
    • Baking as a Business
    • The New Pastry Cook
  • Recipe Index
  • Baking Information
    • Baking Information Index
  • Follow Helen
  • Subscribe

Pastries Like a Pro logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About Helen
  • Summertime
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About Helen
    • Summertime
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home > Cookies

    Published: Nov 27, 2014 · Modified: May 8, 2023 by Helen S Fletcher · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

    Murbteig Pastry

    Finished photoMurbteig cookies  were one of my favorite Christmas cookies made by my mother. The basic pastry is German or Viennese depending upon what book you are reading.  It is extremely easy to put together. Mother made this in a mixer but I find it easier in the food processor. Both versions are included.

    In addition to these cookies, Murbteig has many applications in the pastry world.  In my book, "The New Pastry Cook", I devoted a chapter and many more recipes to this marvelous pastry.

    I still remember my mother rolling out gobs of these cookies every year. We also had Murbteig cookies at Easter which I suppose explains the chicken. The basic cookie was always made with a set of cutters in the shape of the four suits of cards. I still have the small cutters that came from Penny’s for twenty nine cents. Box of cuttersShe also included a small little chicken. I have no idea why the chicken or the card cutters but they are a dainty cookie and look just beautiful on a cookie tray.

    how to bake better custard
    Baking gets better when you subscribe

    Baking gets better when you subscribe to receive this PDF on getting the most out of baking including information on equipment, ingredients and baking equipment.

    The Murbteig  cookies have an unusual topping that I have never seen anywhere else. Sugar cubes are broken up and combined with coarsely chopped pecans. The cookies are brushed with egg white and covered with the topping.

    If chopped pecans cannot be bought, coarsely cut the pecans by hand, not in the processor. You can control the size cutting by hand more easily.

    As with most European cookies, this is full of flavor but is not as sweet as American cookies are.  There is no leavening but the cookies are light and literally melt in your mouth.  Successive re-rolls of Murbteig are a bit heavier but no less delicious.  Butter is necessary to the taste of the cookies.

    If the Murbteig is too soft to cleanly cut the cookies out, place the dough in the refrigerator or freezer until firmed up.  If the cookies are too soft to pick up after cutting, again place them in the refrigerator or freezer.  Murbteig has a high butter content and as such will become soft in a warmer room.  However, a few minutes of chilling makes it a dream to work with.

    Preheat the oven to 325°F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.   double pan 18 to 22 minutes, depending on size.

    German cookies are always special and here are a couple more you might enjoy.  Zimsterne or German Cinnamon Stars are meringue based with a snow white frosting.   Pfeffernusse is possibly one of their best known cookies with its spices and powdered sugar finish.

    Basic Murbteig PastryIngredients

    2 cups flour (285 grams or 10 ounces)
    2 sticks unsalted butter, refrigerated (225 grams or 8 ounces or 1 cup)
    ½ cup sugar (100 grams or 3 ½ ounces)
    1 medium lemon, zested
    3 egg yolks

    Place the flour in the bowl of the processor.  Flour in processor

    Cut each stick of butter into small pieces and place butter in a circle over the flour.  butter in

    Process for about 20 seconds until the butter is cut in so finely it is indistinguishable but the whole remains light and powdery.
    Butter cut in

    Add the sugar and lemon zest.Lemon-sugar in

    Process to mix.Lemon-sugar processed

    Add the egg yolks in a circle and process for 20 or 30 seconds until a ball forms. Process 10 seconds longer. Egg yolks inProcess until the Murbteig comes together in a ball and rides the blade.Dough Balled up

    Yield:  650 grams or 23 ounces.

    Murbteig Cookies
    ½ cup sugar cubes
    ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans (60 grams or 2 ounces)
    1 recipe Basic Murbteig Pastry
    1 egg white

    Place the sugar cubesSugar cube boSingle sugar cube loosely in a plastic bag and pound lightly with a heavy pan, meat pounder or hammer. Crushed sugarSieve to remove the fine sugar, keeping the coarsely broken pieces.Sifted sugarsugar in sifter If large pieces of sugar remain, place them in the bag again and pound. If chopping the pecans, sieve them to remove any powdery residue. Mix the sugar and pecans together. Set aside.Pecans and sugarPecans and sugar mixed

    Divide the Murbteig pastry in half (325 grams or 11 ½ ounces), refrigerating one piece.Murbteig divided Roll the remaining piece between two sheets of waxed paper to a thickness of ¼ inch.  From time to time, remove the top piece of waxed paper, then replace it.  Flip the dough over and repeat removing the waxed paper and replacing it.  This facilitates rolling the dough smoothly without any marring of the dough caused by the paper scrunching up.  It also helps the dough roll out better.On waxed paperCovered with waxed paperRemove the top piece of waxed paper and removing waxed papercut into the desired shapes with small cookie cutters.  If you are using multiple cutters as I am here, place them touching each other for the best use of the dough.  Cutter in dough If the dough is too soft to get the cookies out, place in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.cutters on tray Transfer the cookies to a parchment lined baking sheet.  I  do this with a pancake turner to prevent softening the butter laden dough.Cookies on turner If the cookies are too soft to transfer, slide the waxed paper with the cookies onto a cookie sheet and freeze for 5 to 10 minutes to firm before transferring to the baking sheet. Re-roll the scraps of dough as necessary.

    Beat the egg white with a fork until foamy. Brush the cookies with the egg white but do not let it slide down the sides. Painting with egg white Cover well with the sugar-pecan mixture. Topping the cookiesDouble pan the cookies.  (Place the tray with the cookies on top of another one.)  See  Double panning.

    Double trayedBake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly colored. Cool the cookies slightly before removing to a cooling rack.

    The number of cookies depends upon the size of your cutters.  The cutters shown here are 2 to 2 ½ inches.  I got 48 cookies with re-rolls.

    These cookies improve with age, so be sure to make them a week or more ahead. Store them in an airtight container where they will keep well for weeks. They may be frozen unbaked and undecorated with the sugar and pecans. Thaw, decorate and bake as above.Finished photo 2

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    More Cookies

    • Red and White glazed heart shaped Viennese Lemon Valentines Cookies on a white plate with blue edges.
      Viennese Lemon Valentines Cookies
    • The featured picture shows a two rows on the diagonal of the Neapolitan cookies cut in bars some in the background cut in half and a cup of tea on the side.
      Italian Neapolitan Cookies
    • Rows of plain and powdered sugar Serbian Walnut Cookies on the diagonal are shown
      Serbian Walnut Cookies Recipe
    • A round doilie covered tray holds large and mini Apricot Pistachio Biscotti.
      Apricot Pistachio Italian Biscotti Recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Kathy Parathyras says

      July 01, 2023 at 6:41 am

      Hi Helen,

      This week I will be making these as test cookies for my Christmas Cookie platter. Would Swedish Pearl Sugar be the correct size for this cookie?

      Thank you and Happy Fourth!!
      Kathy

      Reply
      • Helen S Fletcher says

        July 01, 2023 at 9:02 am

        Hi Kathy - I would suggest using Belgian sugar which is used for Liege Waffles. It is bigger and closer in size to smashed sugar cubes I use. You want the sugar and pecans on the larger size. These are perfect for a Christmas platter. They were a special occasion cookie at home. Happy 4th to you also.

        Reply
    2. Evelyn says

      December 02, 2014 at 5:01 pm

      The egg yolks were undoubtedly left from your mother's having made mushkatzoni?!

      Reply
      • hfletcher says

        December 02, 2014 at 8:15 pm

        Absolutely they were. Are you making them this year?

        Reply
    3. Alanna Kellogg says

      November 29, 2014 at 5:40 pm

      Would they ship well? That “make at least a week ahead of time” has me intrigued.

      Reply
      • hfletcher says

        November 29, 2014 at 6:09 pm

        They ship very well Alanna. Used to ship them to my relatives. Pack them with parchment or waxed paper between the layers and pack them tightly.

        Reply
    4. Deb L. says

      November 29, 2014 at 10:25 am

      LOVE LOVE LOVE your Murbteig dough! I have used it so many times through the years. We even used this cookie (albeit baked plain and then glazed with a simple lemon icing) at my daughter's wedding. Our "cookie girl" (vs. flower girl) handed out treat bags of these to guests as she walked down the aisle before my daughter. These really do just melt in your mouth. Yummy buttery goodness! (And one of the best parts? That little line about improving with age...they really truly do! Bakers Win Win!)

      Reply
      • hfletcher says

        November 29, 2014 at 10:54 am

        Thank you so much Deb. I was lucky to have a mother and grandmother who were such good bakers. While I really didn't appreciate baking until after I was married, I was happy they were both still with me so they could teach me. I am really thankful I had enough brains to figure out they were special and had a lot to teach me. I am always grateful to them.

        Reply
    5. manisha says

      November 27, 2014 at 2:23 am

      Thanx...finally I shall give them a try. It has been in planning only till now :).

      Reply
      • hfletcher says

        November 29, 2014 at 10:13 am

        These are not too sweet Manisha. I think you'll like them.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Helen! Being a self-taught baker and owning a bakery for over 25 years, I found many ways to make baking more successful and less intimidating. Even busy people can bake as in many cases, recipes can be done over days. The goal is to make your baking life easier, more enjoyable, with great outcomes on a consistent basis.

    More about me →

    Subscribe to receive our free ebook

    SUBSCRIBE

    Summertime

    • Chocolate Truffle Raspberry Curd Tart
      Chocolate Truffle Raspberry Curd Tart
    • Nutella Ice Cream for No Churn Nutella Ice Cream
      No Churn Nutella Ice Cream
    • A slice of No Bake Strawberry Pie finished with whipped cream, sits on a white plate with a yellow gingham background.
      (Almost) No Bake Strawberry Pie
    • A slice of Pina Colada cheesecake with caramelized pineapple sits on a tan plate.
      Easy Pina Colada No Bake Cheesecake
    • A slice of the S'more Tart with it's browned marshmallow topping sits on a brown rimmed plate with a fork and napkin in the background.
      How to Make A S'mores Tart
    • Scoops of Caramel Brickle ice cream in a white dish on a gray plate.
      No Churn Caramel Brickle Ice Cream

    Popular Recipes

    • This Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cake features a pineapple slice with a cherry in the middle on top of a yellow cake sitting on a blue and white plate.
      Mini Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
    • A plate of Cuccidati, fig and nut filled Italian Cookies sprinkled with multi-colored nonpariels.
      Cuccidati - Italy's Finest Cookie
    • This picture shows a slice of the coffee cake on a white, lace edged plate on a marble counter.
      Apricot Crumb Coffee Cake
    • Langue de Chat cookies in a bowl.
      Langue de Chat
    • Angel food Cake
      Perfectly Easy Angel Food Cake
    • Large nut pieces for Chopping Nuts
      Chopping Nuts - A Quicker Way

    Available Now

    Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, as well as other sites and in book stores.
    AUTOGRAPHED COPIES ARE AVAILABLE
    Click here to purchase an autographed copy.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Helen
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Press
    • FAQ
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Flickr
    • Instagram

    COPYRIGHT © 2025 PASTRIES LIKE A PRO