Spitzbuben

Spitzbuben are the most labor intensive Christmas cookies I make. However, they look really neat and are worth the trouble! Just plan enough time to make them.

250g butter (or margarine), soft
125g confectioners' sugar
2 t. vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract)
1 pinch of salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten
350g all purpose flour

Filling/decoration:
Jam, preferably of red color (raspberry, cranberry, red currant etc.)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Work butter, confectioner's sugar, vanilla and salt until bright and fluffy. Add egg white, then flour and mix into a soft dough. Wrap up in cling foil and put in fridge for approx. 1h. The dough should harden but not be too hard to roll out. If you store it for a longer time in the fridge, take it out 30min before you work with it.
Work dough in portions, roll out on floured surface to 2mm thickness. Cut out desired forms in pairs, make sure the top ones have a hole in the middle, so you will see the jam filling later.
Put on a baking tray you lined with a baking sheet. Put in fridge for 15min, then bake for approx. 7min at 200°C. Let cool.

Dust the top parts with some confectioners' sugar.

Heat up two good spoons full of jam in a little pot. Stir until the jam becomes spreadable. Add a dot of jam filling onto the bottom cookies. Immediately and carefully press on the top cookie part.