I am back in Sydney and want to try and bring the Christmas atmosphere I experienced in Zurich back here.
My first thought is, the smell of freshly baked biscuits.
The only problem is in this climate you really have to choose which biscuits to make. The  Spekulatius of the previous blog are too difficult to make here, as there is so much butter and the heat and humidity in Sydney makes it a very time consuming and frustrating exercise.
So please try these ‘Spitzbuben’ they are irresistible and really easy and quick to make. They also keep their shape. You will need a special cutter with removable centre.

• to make about 40 double biscuits

• preheat oven 180˚

• 400 gr unbleached plain flour
• 250 gr unsalted butter at room temperature
• 80 gr caster sugar
• one pinch of salt

• in your mixer mix everything together
• shape the dough into a ball
• between 2 sheets of baking paper, roll out the pastry to 1/2 cm
• cut out plane round shapes
• then the same amount of shaped with design in the middle
• I used hearts and stars
• bake for 7 minutes in the oven, until pale in colour
• let the biscuits cool
• spread apricot jam on some of the biscuits bottoms
• top with the star cut out biscuits
• use raspberry or strawberry jam on the other ones
• cover with the heart biscuits
• arrange them in an airtight container
• keep in fridge until needed.