This is my Grandma Schatz’s cookie recipe she made when she worked at a bakery in Germany before WWII. She moved to the US after the war and passed this cherished recipe on to her children and grandchildren.
Make dough
Combine flour, yeast, water, salt, vanilla, sugar, eggs, baking powder and butter by kneading by hand or in a Kitchenaid mixer. Grandma always did this by hand, adding all the ingredients into a heap of flour and kneading by hand.
I’m a fan of modern technology and use my Kitchenaid with the paddle blade. First cream together the butter and sugar. Then mix in the eggs and vanilla. Whisk together the dry ingredients, weighing out the flour (750 g) for consistency. Then add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternating with water. This always gives me a perfectly mixed dough.
Chill dough for ~30 minutes to make it easier to work with.
Roll out dough
Roll a portion of the dough (~one fourth) out on to the counter to 1/8″ thickness. You want it to be very thin to ensure the cookies aren’t cakey. Be sure to keep the remaining dough in the fridge between batches.
Cut dough into squares
Trim dough to a square – or as close to a square. I very rarely get them exactly into a perfect square 🙂
Cut dough into 3×3 inch squares using a pizza/dough cutter. I use my fondant mat to make it easier to get even squares.
Add chocolate chips
Place 3+ chocolate chips in the middle of reach square. More is always better 🙂
Roll into crescent shape
Roll dough from a corner. Cookie should look like a crescent roll. Make sure to pinch the dough together so they don’t unroll when cooking.
Bake
Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for ~10 minutes.
Roll in Powdered Sugar
Make sure cookies are completely cool then roll in powdered sugar using a zip lock bag.
Transfer cookies into a container/ziplock and store in the freezer for best taste. Grandma always had cookies in the freezer ready for all us ravenous grandkids 🙂

Prep Time | 45 minutes |
Cook Time | 10 minutes |
Servings |
cookies
|
- 6 cups all-purpose flour ~750 g
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast 1 pkg
- 1/2 cup lukewarm water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 lb butter 4 sticks
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 12 ounces chocolate chips
- powdered sugar optional
Ingredients
|
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- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Put flour on counter.
- Make hole in the middle to put other ingredients.
- Add yeast, water, salt, vanilla, sugar, eggs, baking powder and butter to middle of flour.
- Knead dough until all ingredients are mixed. (Alternatively, use Kitchenaid with paddle blade to combine ingredients. First cream together butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla; whisk together dry ingredients and add to wet alternating with water).
- Chill dough for ~30 minutes to make it easier to work with. Chill dough between batches.
- Roll a fourth of the dough out on to the counter to 1/8" thickiness (Make sure the dough is rolled very thin).
- Cut dough into 3x3 inch squares using a pizza/dough cutter.
- Put 3+ chocolate chips in the middle.
- Roll dough from corner. Cookie should look like a crescent roll. Make sure to pinch the dough together so they don't unroll when cooking.
- Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
- Let cool for ~10 minutes.
- Roll in powdered sugar using a ziplock bag.
- Put cookies in container/ziplock and store in the freezer for best taste.
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