Delicate and crisp, these traditional Zwickerbusserl pair light meringue with biscuit and jam for a classic Austrian bake.
There’s something quietly special about a biscuit that balances both texture and flavour in such a simple way. Zwickerbusserl do exactly that. Light meringue tops crisp biscuit rounds, which are then sandwiched together with a layer of jam that adds just enough sweetness without overpowering. They feel refined, but not complicated, making them a bake you can return to without overthinking it.
Rooted in Austrian baking traditions, these sandwich biscuits often appear during festive moments, but they don’t need a specific occasion. Their delicate texture and light sweetness make them feel quietly special. Yet they remain easy enough to make throughout the year.
If you’re exploring European-inspired bakes, perhaps inspired by this year’s Eurovision host country, then Zwickerbusserl fit naturally into that space. They carry a balance of elegance and comfort, with a style of baking that feels both traditional and approachable.
Star Ingredient
Meringue gives Zwickerbusserl their distinctive finish. Whisked egg whites create the light texture that defines the meringue topping, bringing a gentle sweetness and contrast to the crisp biscuit beneath.
As the biscuits bake, the meringue sets into a delicate shell while keeping the overall texture light rather than heavy. It’s this contrast that gives Zwickerbusserl their character and makes them stand out from other sandwich biscuits.
How to Purchase Ingredients to be Conscious to the Planet
When it comes to shopping for these ingredients refill shops can be a great choice. flour, sugar and salts are staples within the food section of these shops. Some shops will also have fresh produce which could in eggs. I have also seen some that have local jams as options to pick up and even seen one that had jams and curds as refill themselves.
Alternative for these items check out farmers’ markets, farm shops or food halls. These tend to stock produce that is local to the area and thereby supporting the local businesses.
Something else that you may want to consider when it comes to shopping for flour; how it is produced. Regenerative farming in a process that helps look after the land that is being grown on. You can source flour is made with this process. Some of my favourite producers are Cotswold Flour and Wildfarmed.
Ingredients you can buy Plastic Free
- Plain Flour
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs
- Salt
- Apricot Jam
Ingredients you can Make
- Butter – homemade recipe here
- Apricot Jam
Equipment You Will Need
- Mixing Bowl
- Freestanding Mixer with Whisk Attachment or Bowl with Handheld Mixer
- Measuring Spoons
- Baking Sheets
- Silicone Baking Mats or Baking Parchment Paper
- Rolling Pin
- 3cm Round Cookie Cutter
- Spoon
- Piping Bag
- Large Round Piping Nozzle
- Palette Knife or Table Knife
Tips and Tricks when Baking Zwickerbusserl
Vanilla Powder Alternatives
In the traditional recipe for zwickerbusserl, they call for vanilla sugar. This seems more readily available in Europe compared to here in the UK. Therefore, I find that using vanilla powder is a good swap to use alongside caster sugar. Alternatively, you can make your own vanilla sugar. To make this you will require some caster sugar and vanilla pods. Pop both into a jar and leave for a few weeks to infuse. The longer you leave it, the stronger the vanilla flavour. If you make your own, use 1 ½ teaspoons of the vanilla sugar within the recipe.
Whisking up your Egg Whites
With some freestanding mixers, sometimes small quantities can take a bit longer to beat/whisk up. This is due to the surface area contact. If I have this issue with my Kitchenaid, I carefully tip it to a side and hold, to increase the contact of the whisk and egg white. This can be when a handheld mixer can be more helpful. This is as it allows you to move the whisks around creating more contact.
Using up Spare Meringue
This recipe will produce more meringue than you require to top the biscuit bases. Using one egg is white isn’t quite enough. The rest of the meringue can still be baked up and repurposed with other recipes. Spare meringue can be piped into various size or styles. My lemon meringue pie fudge and ice cream both require small meringue pieces.
Zwickerbusserl
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Freestanding Mixer with Whisk Attachment or Bowl with Handheld Mixer
- Measuring Spoons
- Baking Sheets
- Silicone Baking Mat or Baking Parchment Paper
- Rolling Pin
- 3cm Round Cookie Cutter
- Spoon
- Piping Bag
- Large Round Piping Nozzle
- Palette Knife or Table Knife
Ingredients
Biscuit Base
- 150 g Plain Flour
- 120 g Cold Butter / Plant Butter / Margarine cubed
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Caster Sugar
- ¼ Teaspoon Vanilla Powder
- 1 Egg Yolk
Meringue
- 2 Egg Whites
- 100 g Granulated Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
Filling
- Apricot Jam
Instructions
- In a bowl mix the flour, caster sugar and vanilla powder together and then rub in the butter to form breadcrumbs.
- Add in the egg yolk and mix together to bring into a dough.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for an hour.
- Once chilled, rough the dough out to about 3mm thick.
- Using your cookie cutter, cut out 70 rounds, rerolling the dough as required.
- Place the rounds on the lined baking sheets.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
- In a bowl add the egg whites and the pinch of salt.
- Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add in the granulated sugar while still whisking and then continue until stiff peaks form.
- Pop the meringue into a piping bag fitted with an open round nozzle.
- Pipe a meringue kiss onto each biscuit round.
- Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Once the biscuits have cooled, spread some apricot jam onto a biscuit base and then sandwich it together with another biscuit.
- Repeat this process with the rest of the biscuits.
Other Austrian Bakes that may Interest You
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