Cooking Around the Calendar

A yummy layered cookie featuring raspberry jam and almonds.

These Viennese Triangles were one of the many holiday cookies we made every year when I was growing up. Mum and I would spend most of a weekend, togther in the kitchen churning out batch after batch of homemade sweetness. If memory serves me, I think we had a core list of nine or ten different cookies, and usually would tryout a new one every once in a while.

A little research showed me that there are some variations of this particular cookie bar. I’m not even sure why our recipe suggests cutting into triangles, when most other recipes seem to use squares. I suspect at some point the triangle shape was copied from the Viennese Hamantaschen cookies. These are a cookie typically served for the Jewish holiday Purim. Other than both being Viennese and shape in a triangle, I don’t see that they are in anyway related.

Other common variations include the use pecans rather than almonds. Some recipes add a handful of chocolate chips. A variation I’ve added to our recipe is a sprinkle of white chocolate chips along with the almonds. However you choose to make them, they are a festive addition to any holiday cookie platter.

Viennese Triangels

A delightful cookie with layers of shortbread, jam, almonds

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Austrian, Holiday

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Bottom Crust

• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping Layer

• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup white chocolate chips optional
• 5 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons unbleached flour
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Method

 

Bottom Crust

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream softened butter with sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt. Beat well. Slowly add the flour 1/2 cup at a time. Mix gently until just combined.
3. Transfer the dough to a 9×13-inch baking dish. Using your hands, press into an even layer. Refridgerate for about one hour to let the pastry set.
4. Bake crust for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden around the edges. Let cool.

Topping Layer

1. Once the bottom crust is cool to the touch, spread the raspberry jam over the entire surface. Sprinkle the sliced almonds and white chocolate chips evenly across the jam layer. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until stiff peaks form.
3. Gently fold in the flour, corn syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and baking powder.
4. Pour the mixture over the crust in an even layer.
5. Bake at 350 degrees 12 to 14 minutes, or until topping is slightly golden.
6. Allow to cool, then carefully slice into triangles. Store in an airtight container.

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