Speck Plätzchen (German Bacon Cookies)
Smoky bacon and caramelized onions bring these savory German bacon cookies to life. This recipe is a perfect appetizer or small bite for a cocktail party.
When you think of cookies, you don't typically think of savory bites. And, if it suits you better, you could call these little appetizer bites bacon and onion crackers. But whatever you call them, they are worth trying.
These little gems come from German cuisine. They are a popular snack called speck plätzchen (pronounced SCH-pek PLEHT-schyun) literally "bacon cookies".
German bacon cookies
These savory cookies might not be what you typically think about when you hear the word 'cookie', but they are perfect little bites full of bacon and caramelized onions.
They are crispy, but not crumbly. Tender, with just the right amount of firmness. We could snack on them all day long!
They would make a fun appetizer for a party. Right alongside some deviled eggs or little sausages.
But you know, they would even make a fun addition to a cookie platter. It would give those who aren't big on eating sweets something to nibble on!
Other appetizer bites from around the world
If you like the idea of making these bacon and onion cookies as a crispy addition to your appetizer spread, you may also like these homemade sourdough cheese crackers.
For other appetizer bites, we like these Paraguan cheese breads and these Greek cheese hand pies.
Speck Plätzchen (German Bacon Cookies)
These savory bacon cookies are perfect for an appetizer spread.
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon, diced
- ½ onion, finely diced
- 2 c unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds, ground
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ c water
- 1 egg + 1 yolk, divided
- ¼ teaspoon cumin (for dusting)
Instructions
- Saute bacon in a small saute pan over medium-high heat until nearly crispy, 2-3 min. Reduce the heat to medium and add the diced onion. Saute until the onion is soft, 2-3 min. Using a spatula, transfer the mixture to bowl (including any extra bacon fat) and let it cool completely.
- Place the flour, baking powder, ground caraway, salt, and black pepper into the bowl of your food processor. Pulse a few times on low to combine. Add the water and beaten egg. Pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand. Add the cooled bacon mixture and pulse to combine. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and knead it together with your hands to form a very stiff dough.
- Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a log, roughly 1 ½ inches in diameter and 6 ½ inches long. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or place it in a sealed bag. Place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (up to overnight) to let the flavors develop.
- When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat your oven to 400F.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and slice it into rounds, ¼ inch thick. Place the cookie rounds onto a baking sheet, spaced ½ inch apart.
- Brush the sliced cookies with a little egg yolk and dust them with cumin.
- Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until set (until they are starting to turn golden brown around the edges).
- Let the cookies cool on the pan for 1-2 minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store the cookies in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
3Amount Per Serving: Calories: 32
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Mine came out tough and dry. I reduced the cook time to 10min, and they were chewier, but flour was a little raw tasting. Almost wonder if I should add a little butter? Thoughts?
Hi JJ. These cookies are definitely crispy and more like a thick cracker than a cookie. So, it's quite possible you achieved nearly the right texture on your first try. If you baked them for 15 minutes the first time, and 10 minutes the second time, removing 1/3 of the cooking time would most likely cause them to be under-cooked. Did you transfer the bacon fat from sauteeing the bacon to your batter as well? The bacon grease from the sauteed bacon acts in place of butter in these cookies, and if your bacon didn't release much fat, it is possible that adding some extra melted butter would help.
Must try these for my son's annual home brew party. This year the theme is Bavarian. Some folks are vegan and will try making these with vegan "bacon" too. Thanks!
Wonderful idea! We hope you enjoy them!
These savory cookies look delicious! You can't go wrong bacon and onions. :0) I think I might include these in my Christmas brunch menu this year. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks Juliet! We hope you enjoy them! Merry Christmas!