Variation of the Frankfurt Bethmännchen

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 500 g pitted dates
• 500 g almonds, whole, peeled
• 2 tbsp rose water
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 chili pepper(s), dried, approx. 1.5 cm long
• 3 cloves
• 1 cardamom pod(s)
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp condensed milk or cream

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 3 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 4 hours 20 minutes

based on dates and almonds

Put the dates through a meat grinder to form a homogenous mass. Refrigerate until ready to use. Finely grind the chili pepper, cloves, cardamom pod, cinnamon, and about 10 almonds. (The almonds will serve as a filling, as it’s difficult to grind such a small amount of spices otherwise.) Add the rose water and lime juice and mix. Of course, you can also use pre-ground spices; I think a sparing seasoning is important here, as the idea is that these are still supposed to be Bethmännchen, with only a hint of Christmas flavor. And of course, you can vary the flavors. I could also imagine a version with bitter almonds, ginger, gingerbread spice, and many other things. Just let your nose decide. Split the whole almonds to create 180 half almonds, and finely grind the remaining almonds. (I first made my almond halves and then ground the rest, as not every almond can be easily split in half and I wanted to have nice almond halves for decoration.) Divide the date mixture into large pieces with sides measuring 1-2 cm and mix them with the ground almonds. Gradually add this mixture to the spice mixture, kneading well over and over again to ensure the spices are evenly distributed throughout the dough. Divide the finished mixture into 10 pieces, then form each piece into 6 small balls. Press 3 almond halves into each ball by pressing the narrow side into the mixture and then pressing down slightly so that the dough holds the almond halves together. This creates a tetrahedron with rounded corners and edges and an almond half on each side. Let the Bethmännchen dry for a few hours (they work without, but 3-12 hours are better). Next, whisk the egg yolk with cream or condensed milk and dip the Bethmännchen in the mixture or brush on the mixture. Place the Bethmännchen on a baking sheet. Bake at 140°C (284°F) for about 15-20 minutes. The color of the almonds determines the baking time. Remove when they start to brown. Let them cool (important!), then transfer to the tin or gift bag.