Londoner Schnitten

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Rectangular baking tin (30x20cm)
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Offset spatula or palette knife
• •Sharp knife for cutting

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the Mürbteig

   Put the flour, cold butter cubes, powdered sugar, Vanillezucker, salt, and lemon zest into a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. You want flat little shards of butter disappearing into the flour, not one greasy mass. Add the two egg yolks and bring the dough together quickly with your hands. The moment it holds in a ball, stop. Mürbteig gets tough if you overwork it. Flatten the dough into a thick disc, wrap it in cling film, and put it in the fridge for thirty minutes. The butter needs to firm up again and the gluten needs to relax, or the base will shrink in the oven and fight you all afternoon.

   Save the two leftover egg yolks from separating your four whites, then separate two more eggs for the yolks in the dough. That gives you exactly two yolks for the base and four whites for the meringue. No waste.
2. 2

   Press and blind bake

   Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Butter a 30x20cm rectangular baking tin and dust it lightly with flour, tapping out the excess. Take the chilled dough and press it evenly across the bottom of the tin with your fingers. Don't roll it: Mürbteig this short is easier to press than to roll, and you'll get a more even result. Push it right into the corners and up the sides about one centimeter to create a small rim. This rim holds the jam and meringue in place. Prick the base all over with a fork so it doesn't puff up, then bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the surface looks dry and is just beginning to turn the palest gold at the edges. Pull it out and let it cool for ten minutes. The base should be set but not fully baked. It's going back in the oven.

   If the dough cracks as you press it, just push the edges together with your fingertips. Nobody will see the base once the jam and meringue go on. Mürbteig is forgiving this way.
3. 3

   Spread the jam

   Stir the Ribiselmarmelade to loosen it, then spread it in a thin, even layer over the partially baked base. Use the back of a spoon and work gently so you don't drag the shortcrust apart. The layer should be about three millimeters thick. Thin enough to let the walnut meringue be the star, thick enough that you taste its sharpness in every bite. That tartness is doing essential work here. Without it, the Schnitten would be nothing but sweet on sweet. The jam is the bridge between the buttery base and the nutty topping.

4. 4

   Make the walnut meringue

   Lower your oven to 170°C (150°C fan). In a very clean bowl, whip the four egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks. Add the caster sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Take your time with this. Rushing the sugar in will knock the air out and you'll end up with a flat, dense topping instead of a light, crisp one. Once all the sugar is in and the meringue is thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks, fold in the ground walnuts and the teaspoon of Vanillezucker with a large metal spoon. Fold gently, turning the bowl as you go, cutting through the centre and scooping up from the bottom. You want the nuts distributed evenly without deflating the whites.

   Grind your own walnuts if you can. Buy halves and pulse them in a food processor until fine but not oily. The pre-ground bags from the supermarket are often stale. Fresh-ground walnuts smell like autumn and taste like it too.
5. 5

   Top and bake

   Spoon the walnut meringue over the jam layer and spread it carefully to the edges with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Try to keep the thickness even. The meringue will set exactly as you shape it, so take a moment to get it right. Bake at 170°C for 22 to 25 minutes. The meringue should turn a warm golden brown on top and feel firm when you press it lightly with your fingertip. It will still have a slight give underneath, that's the chewy layer you want. If the surface starts browning too fast, lay a sheet of baking parchment loosely over the top for the last few minutes.

6. 6

   Cool completely and cut

   Let the Schnitten cool in the tin on a wire rack. This is the hardest part and I mean it: do not cut them warm. The meringue will crack unevenly, the jam will smear, and the base will crumble. Wait until they are completely cool, at least an hour, two is better. Then use a sharp knife dipped in hot water to cut them into small rectangles, about 4 by 6 centimeters. Wipe the blade between cuts. The slices should come out clean, showing all three layers in cross-section: golden base, ruby jam, pale nutty meringue. Dust the tops with a little powdered sugar if you like, though they're beautiful without it. Mahlzeit!

Chef Tips

• •Use Ribiselmarmelade (red currant jam) if you can find it. The tartness is the whole point of the middle layer. Redcurrant jelly from a British supermarket works well, or a sharp seedless raspberry jam in a pinch. Avoid strawberry or apricot here: too sweet, not enough bite.
• •Londoner Schnitten actually improve after a day in a tin. The meringue softens just slightly where it meets the jam, the flavours settle into each other, and the whole thing becomes more unified. Bake them two days before you need them and you'll be rewarded for your patience.
• •Cut them small. I know it's tempting to slice generous bars, but these are rich, three layers of butter, sugar, eggs, and nuts. A small rectangle with coffee is a complete experience. Cutting them too large is how people eat one and then feel too full to try anything else on the Christmas plate.
• •Store in a single layer in an airtight tin with baking parchment between layers. They'll keep beautifully for a week at room temperature, which makes them one of the best Weihnachtsbäckerei for baking ahead.

Advance Preparation

• •The Mürbteig dough can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for a month. Let it sit at room temperature for ten minutes before pressing into the tin.
• •Londoner Schnitten keep for up to a week stored in an airtight tin at room temperature, layered between sheets of baking parchment. They travel well and can be posted in a gift box without falling apart.
• •The walnuts can be ground ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to three days. Don't grind them further than a week in advance or the oils will turn stale.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 45g)