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Delicate Styrian pumpkin seed meringues sandwiched with sharp Ribiselmarmelade, the Christmas cookie that proves Austria's best baking doesn't always start with flour.
Gretel always said the best Austrian baking isn't always about flour. Some of the finest Weihnachtsbäckerei, the Christmas cookies that fill every Austrian kitchen from late November onwards, don't use flour at all. Kürbiskernbusserl are proof. They're built on nothing more than egg whites, sugar, and ground Styrian pumpkin seeds, those dark green, almost black kernels that taste like earth and butter and something quietly wild. The meringue does the structural work. The seeds do everything else.
I first tasted these on a trip to Graz with Gretel and my grandmother Eva when I was maybe ten. A woman at the Bauernmarkt had them on a wooden board, sandwiched together with Ribiselmarmelade, red currant jam so tart it made my eyes water. Gretel bought a bag, ate two on the spot, and then spent the rest of the afternoon trying to get the woman to tell her the exact ratio of seeds to sugar. The woman laughed and told her to use her tongue. Gretel respected that.
The texture is what makes people stop mid-bite. The outside shatters into a thin, papery shell. Inside, the ground pumpkin seeds make the center dense and chewy, almost like a soft nougat. That chewiness is the whole point. If you bake them too long and they go crisp all the way through, you've lost what makes them special. Pull them from the oven when the surface is set and dry to the touch but the centers still give slightly when you press them. They firm up as they cool.
The Ribiselmarmelade between the two halves isn't decoration. Its sharp tartness cuts through the sweet meringue and the rich, oily seeds. Without it, the Busserl are pleasant. With it, they're something you can't stop eating.
Kürbiskernbusserl belong to Styria, where pumpkin seed cultivation dates to the 18th century and where Steirisches Kürbiskernöl (Styrian pumpkin seed oil) holds EU Protected Geographical Indication status. The seeds come from a specific hull-less pumpkin variety, the Cucurbita pepo var. styriaca, bred in Styria so the kernels grow without a hard shell. Busserl, meaning 'kisses' in Austrian dialect, describes a whole family of small meringue-based cookies found across Austria's Weihnachtsbäckerei tradition. The Styrian version uses the region's most prized ingredient where other provinces might use hazelnuts or walnuts, turning a simple meringue into a statement of local pride.
Quantity
200g
finely ground, plus 50 whole seeds for decorating
Quantity
3 large
at room temperature
Quantity
150g
Quantity
1 teaspoon
Quantity
pinch
Quantity
half
zested
Quantity
150g
for sandwiching
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Styrian pumpkin seeds (Steirische Kürbiskerne)finely ground, plus 50 whole seeds for decorating | 200g |
| egg whitesat room temperature | 3 large |
| caster sugar (Kristallzucker) | 150g |
| vanilla sugar (Vanillezucker) | 1 teaspoon |
| salt | pinch |
| lemonzested | half |
| red currant jam (Ribiselmarmelade)for sandwiching | 150g |
Spread the 200g of pumpkin seeds on a dry baking tray and toast them in a 150°C oven for about eight minutes, until they smell nutty and have started to pop. Let them cool completely. Toasting deepens the flavor considerably, turning them from pleasant to properly rich. Once cool, pulse them in a food processor until finely ground but still with a little texture. You want something like coarse almond meal, not a paste. If you grind too long, the oil releases and you'll end up with pumpkin seed butter. Pulse in short bursts and check often.
Turn the oven up to 160°C. Line two baking trays with parchment paper. If you have a piping bag and a round nozzle about one centimeter wide, set that up now. If not, two teaspoons work fine. These are farmhouse cookies, not Konditorei showpieces.
Put the egg whites and the pinch of salt into a spotlessly clean bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until they foam and turn white, then increase to high and add the caster sugar one tablespoon at a time. Wait ten seconds between each addition. Rushing the sugar in will collapse the structure you're building. Keep beating until the meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks and feels smooth when you rub a bit between your fingers. If it's grainy, the sugar hasn't dissolved. Keep going.
Add the Vanillezucker and lemon zest to the meringue. The lemon zest isn't there for lemon flavor. It's there to brighten the richness of the pumpkin seeds, the way a squeeze of lemon lifts a heavy dish. Now add the ground pumpkin seeds in three additions, folding gently with a large spatula or metal spoon. Cut down through the center, scoop along the bottom, fold over the top. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat. You want to keep as much air in the meringue as possible while distributing the seeds evenly. The batter will deflate somewhat. That's expected. Just don't stir it like you're making porridge.
Pipe or spoon rounds about three centimeters across onto the lined trays, leaving two centimeters between each one. They spread slightly but they're not dramatic about it. Press a single whole pumpkin seed gently into the top of each one. This is both decoration and a signal to anyone who picks one up: these are pumpkin seed cookies, and they're proud of it. You should get about 50 individual Busserl from this batch, which will become roughly 25 sandwiched pairs.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the surface is dry and set and the Busserl have turned a pale golden green. They should feel firm on the outside when you tap them lightly but still give a tiny bit in the center. This is the moment to trust your instincts. If you wait until they feel completely hard, they'll be crisp all the way through when cool and you'll have lost the chewy center that makes these worth making. Pull them five seconds before you think they're done. Let them cool completely on the tray. They set further as they sit.
Once the Busserl are completely cool, and I mean completely, not just warm-ish, turn half of them flat-side up. Spoon or pipe about a teaspoon of Ribiselmarmelade onto each one. Red currant jam is traditional and correct here. Its sharp, bright tartness is the counterpoint this cookie needs. Press a second Busserl gently on top, flat side down, until the jam just barely reaches the edges. Let them sit for an hour before serving. The jam needs time to soften the interior slightly and meld the two halves into one coherent bite. Mahlzeit!
1 serving (about 22g)
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