Mailänderli Cookies Recipe: Swiss Christmas Butter Cookies 2026

Mailänderli are traditional Swiss butter cookies that show up in homes across Switzerland every Christmas. They are simple to make, lightly sweetened, and scented with a touch of lemon zest that keeps them from tasting flat. The dough comes together in minutes and the finished cookies are tender, golden at the edges, and perfect with a glass of cold milk.

These little cookies are ideal for baking with children during the Christmas holidays, always with adult supervision. Kids love pressing the cookie cutters into the rolled dough and arranging the shapes on the baking tray. Once baked, they make a wonderful holiday snack or a homemade gift packed into a tin.

Ingredients for Mailänderli Cookies

This recipe yields about 35 cookies, enough for a generous holiday platter or several small gift boxes.

• 125 g butter, at room temperature
• 125 g sugar
• 1 medium egg
• 250 g wheat flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 medium egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water

How to Make Mailänderli Cookies Step by Step

1. Beat the Butter and Sugar

Using a whisk, beat 125 g of room-temperature butter together with 125 g of sugar until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Room-temperature butter blends much more easily, so take it out of the fridge ahead of time.

2. Add the Egg

Add the egg to the butter and sugar mixture and beat again until it is fully incorporated. The dough should look glossy and even at this point.

3. Add the Flour, Salt, and Lemon Zest

Add 250 g of wheat flour along with 1 pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. Beat only until the ingredients come together into a homogeneous dough, being careful not to overwork it.

4. Chill the Dough

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Chilling firms up the butter so the dough rolls out neatly and holds its shape.

5. Roll Out the Dough

Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin between parchment paper and plastic wrap until you get a rectangle about 5 mm thick. Rolling between the two sheets keeps the dough from sticking and makes cleanup easy.

6. Cut Out the Shapes

Use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the dough. Gather the scraps, knead them together, roll them out again, and repeat the process. Place the cut cookies in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking.

7. Brush with Egg Wash

Brush the Mailänderli with 1 medium egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon of water. This gives the cookies their characteristic shiny golden finish.

8. Bake the Cookies

Bake at 180 °C with top and bottom heat for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges just begin to take on color. Remove the tray from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack.

9. Serve or Store

Once the cookies are cool, they are ready to serve. Alternatively, store them in a metal cookie tin or an airtight container until you are ready to enjoy them.

Tips for the Best Mailänderli Cookies

Keep the Butter at Room Temperature

Soft butter creams smoothly with the sugar and gives the cookies a tender crumb. If the butter is cold, it will clump and the dough will be uneven.

Chill Before Baking

Chilling the dough for an hour and then the cut shapes for another 15 minutes keeps the cookies from spreading in the oven. This is what preserves those crisp, defined edges.

Watch the Edges in the Oven

Mailänderli are done as soon as the edges start to color. Pull them out at that moment, because a minute or two too long turns them dry and hard instead of tender.

30 Go-To Recipes I Keep Coming Back to in My Own Kitchen

Like a lot of home cooks, I like having a rotation that covers cozy classics, dishes from around the world, and sweets that make everyone happy.

Some nights I want something luxuriously rich, and that's when I reach for this La Viña Molten Cheesecake recipe, this refined Original French Crème Brûlée recipe, or a truly indulgent Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe. And on days when I'm after something fruity and soothing, this timeless French Tarte Tatin recipe is my reliable pick.

For mornings that call for something easy and for lighter plates, I'll whip up these airy Oatmeal and Banana Pancakes recipe, a hearty Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe, or these bright Eggs Stuffed with Avocado and Salmon recipe. And whenever I need a gluten-free staple for the pantry, this straightforward Gluten-Free Rice Flour recipe does the job.

When tapas and Mediterranean cooking are calling, I tend to cycle through this punchy Basque Tuna with Tomato recipe, crispy Patatas Bravas Air Fryer recipe, silky Tirokafteri Greek Dip Sauce recipe, and a cool Burrata Salad with Tomato and Pesto recipe. This crisp Italian Vitello Tonnato recipe is another one I love to serve when the occasion feels a bit more special.

Hearty midday meals and comforting suppers? These are the ones I'm always recommending: this warming Meatballs in Spanish Sauce recipe, traditional Meatballs in Almond Sauce recipe, deeply savory Italian Bolognese Sauce recipe, and velvety Chicken Croquettes in Thermomix recipe. When I'm after something more substantial, I'll bake up this Greek Pastitsio Pie recipe, rustic Potatoes and Squid Stew recipe, or the deeply comforting French Boeuf Bourguignon recipe.

Street-food cravings and party spreads usually lead me to this juicy Homemade Chicken Doner Kebab recipe, crispy Salchipapas recipe, punchy Mexican Pork Carnitas recipe, or these crackly Korean Hobak Jeon recipe. These effortless Air Fryer Zucchini Rings recipe are another favorite of mine for a quick appetizer or snack.

And when I'm hosting and putting together drinks alongside a full menu, I'll often serve dinner with this refreshing Original Cuban Mojito recipe, this potent Long Island Iced Tea recipe, or a pitcher of this fruity Bleeding Spanish Sangria recipe. To bring the whole table together, I like setting out this zesty French Remoulade Sauce recipe on the side, or finishing things off with this eye-catching Mediterranean Black Rice with Squid recipe.

Even More Tasty Recipes to Cook for Your Family

After years of cooking, testing, and tweaking in my own kitchen, I've come to believe the greatest dishes boil down to three things: straightforward methods, techniques you can trust, and serious flavor.

Every recipe gathered here is one I genuinely cook over and over—whether it's a fast meal just for me or something a little more celebratory for friends and family.

On the sweet side, the rich, silky Orange Chocolate Mousse Recipe is a go-to when I want something that feels fancy yet comes together without fuss. Another dessert I adore is the caramelized Trdelnik Slavic Pastry Recipe, modeled on the well-known Central European chimney cake. If baking is your thing, knowing how to make syrup for better dessert texture helps a lot, and my Inverted Sugar Recipe walks through exactly how I do it at home.

When something light and uncomplicated is what I'm after, I'll usually make the classic Italian Caprese Salad Recipe or a flawlessly cooked Simple Poached Egg Recipe. For cozier, more filling meals, I frequently point people to the satisfying Meatball Sandwich Recipe, the creamy Russian Stroganoff Beef Recipe, and the fast weeknight winner One Pot Pasta Recipe.

I'm also a big fan of sharing dishes with roots in other countries, such as the authentic Sorropotún de Bonito Fish Stew Recipe, crispy Chilean Pumpkin Sopaipillas Recipe, and the traditional Spanish Cochifrito Segovian Fried Pig Recipe.

Air fryer cooking is another category I turn to often, since it cuts down on time without sacrificing texture. The ones I make most include Air Fryer Pork Ribs Recipe, Air Fryer Chicken Thighs Recipe, Air Fryer Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Recipe, Air Fryer Peppers Recipe, Air Fryer Mixed Sandwich Recipe, Air Fryer Toasted Bread Recipe, and Air Fryer Hard-Boiled Eggs Recipe.

And for those steering clear of wheat, my cozy Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe shows that a classic baked pasta can still be rich, cheesy, and deeply satisfying without any gluten.

Gluten free Empanada Dough Recipe 🍕 Fluffy Apple Cake Recipe 🍔 Langos Hungarian Fried Bread Recipe 🌭 Gluten Free French Brioche Recipe 🍟 Madeira British Sponge Cake Recipe 🌮 Chocolate Argentinian Cookies Alfajores Recipe 🌯 Barmbrack Irish Sweet Bread Recipe 🥙 Gluten free Cookies Recipe 🥗 Homemade cream Maruxas Galician Biscuit Recipe 🍝 Japanese Dumplings Gyoza Dough Recipe

American Gluten Free Cookies Recipe 🍜 Gluten Free King Cake Recipe 🍲 Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Recipe 🍛 Extremadura Style Chard Recipe 🍣 Keto Sliced Sandwich Bread Recipe 🍱 Gluten Free Waffles Recipe 🍤 Low Carb Keto Pizza Recipe 🍗 Gluten Free Bread Rolls Recipe 🍖 Flourless Gluten Free Bread Buns Recipe 🥓 Protein Ice Cream Recipe 🥞 Chia Pudding Dessert with Seeds Recipe

Fluffy Cloud Bread Pan Nube Recipe 🧇 Quinoa Bread Recipe 🍞 Schiacciata Tuscan Focaccia Flat Bread Recipe 🥐 Shokupan Japanese Milk Bread Recipe 🥨 Potato Sandwich Bread Recipe 🧀 Homemade Breadsticks Recipe 🍳 Stollen German Dried Fruits Cake Recipe 🥚 French Gingerbread Spiced Cake Recipe 🍰 Gluten Free Pancakes Recipe

🥔 Potato-omelet-in-Thermomix 🍓 Smores-Sandwich-Dessert 🍰 Womens-Day-Mimosa-cake ☕ Coffee-Sorbet 🍆 Eggplant-pizza 🍋 Ciambella-Italian-Lemon-Cake 🥖 Zapiekanka-Polish-Snack 🌰 Dukkah-Egyptian-Nuts-Mix 🧆 Best-Hummus 🥑 Best-Avocado

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