Filled almond cookies in the air fryer are my version of Dutch gevulde koeken: two round discs of cold shortcrust dough made from butter, flour and sugar that enclose a soft almond filling. Each cookie is brushed with egg, topped with half an almond and baked golden at 160 °C. The result is a cookie that is tender and crisp at the edge and soft and moist in the middle.
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In the Netherlands, the filling is made from amandelspijs, a paste of ground almonds, sugar, egg and lemon zest. Here I use pure raw marzipan stirred with egg and finely grated lemon zest – it is close to the original and easy to get hold of. The recipe makes 8 filled cookies, and the only thing you really need to watch out for is sealing the edges completely.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love filled almond cookies in the air fryer
The best thing about these cookies is the contrast. The shortcrust dough is buttery and crisp, while the filling of marzipan, egg and lemon zest is soft and moist. The lemon zest lifts the almond flavour, so the cookie tastes fresh and not just sweet. And because the recipe only makes 8 cookies, it makes good sense to use the air fryer instead of heating up a whole oven.
The difference between an air fryer and an oven
In the oven you would bake all 8 on one baking tray. In the air fryer you bake 4 at a time while the rest wait in the fridge, and that is actually an advantage: shortcrust dough that is cold when it meets the heat holds its shape better. The circulating hot air gives an even, golden surface on the egg-brushed top. On the other hand, the top sits closer to the heating element than in an oven, so keep an eye on the colour as they bake.
My kitchen test of filled almond cookies
I baked the filled almond cookies in my Cosori Dual Blaze, which has one basket with heating elements both above and below, so the bottom gets heat from underneath and bakes just as evenly as the top. The cookies should not be turned during baking, because they are fragile while they are warm. At 160 °C a batch of 4 cookies takes 15 minutes. I check the colour after 10 minutes and turn the temperature down to 150 °C if the top gets dark too quickly.
The whole recipe takes 90 minutes from start to finish: 30 minutes of preparation, 30 minutes of chilling for the dough and 30 minutes in the air fryer spread over two batches. When a batch is done, the cookies cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Do not skip that step, because the filling only sets as it cools.
Leave at least 1 cm of the edge completely free of filling, and press the lid down firmly all the way around. If there is even a small crack, the soft almond filling will leak out during baking.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is dough that has become too warm. If it gets soft while you roll it out and cut out the discs, put it in the fridge for 10 minutes before you continue. The second mistake is leaky edges: if any filling gets onto the edge, the egg cannot stick the discs together, and the filling runs out into the basket. Keep the edge clean, and patch a cracked lid with a small piece of dough. The third mistake is baking paper that blows up into the heating element. So only put the paper in the basket once the cookies are lying on it and holding it down.
How to serve filled almond cookies
In the Netherlands, gevulde koeken are eaten as an afternoon treat. They taste best on the same day, warm or completely cooled, and here are my suggestions for serving:
- With a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon
- Warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a simple dessert
- With fresh berries, which add a little acidity to the sweet almond filling
- On a cake plate alongside other cookies when guests come over
- Packed in a cookie tin as a small hostess gift
Storage and reheating
Store the cookies in an airtight cookie tin at room temperature, where they keep for up to 4 days. If you want them warm again, give them 2-3 minutes in the air fryer at 150 °C. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thawed at room temperature.
Filled almond cookies take a little patience with the cold dough, but the work itself is simple. Seal the edges tightly, bake 4 at a time and let them cool on the rack, and you have 8 golden cookies with a soft almond centre.
FAQ
Yes. Stir 65 g ground almonds with 65 g sugar, the lemon zest and 2 tbsp beaten egg, and you have Dutch almond paste (amandelspijs). A few drops of almond extract give extra almond flavour.
It happens when the edges are not completely sealed. Leave at least 1 cm of the edge free of filling, brush it with egg, and press the discs tightly together all the way around before you bake.
The recipe bakes 4 cookies at a time with a couple of centimetres between them, so the hot air can circulate around them. If you have a smaller air fryer, you can bake them in three batches of 2-3 at a time.
Recipe
Filled almond cookies in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Grater - Coarse side for the marzipan, fine side for the lemon zest
- 1 Small knife
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Round cutter - About 7 cm – or a glass of the same size
- 1 Pastry brush
- 1 Parchment paper (for air fryer)
- 1 Cooling rack
Shopping list
Ingredients
How to make it
Preparation
- Add 1 tbsp water, which must be ice cold, and quickly bring the dough together with your hands. Knead only until it just holds together, so the shortcrust dough turns out crisp and not tough.
- Press the dough flat into a square about 2 cm thick, wrap it in cling film and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Lightly beat 1 pcs egg in a small bowl.
- Coarsely grate 125 g marzipan into a bowl. Add 1 tsp lemon zest and 2 tbsp of the beaten egg, and stir with a spoon until the filling is soft and smooth. Set the rest of the egg aside for brushing.
Assembly
- Roll out the cold dough on a lightly floured work surface to a thickness of 3-4 mm. Cut out 16 discs with a round cutter or a glass about 7 cm in diameter – gather the dough scraps and roll them out again as you go.
- Spoon the almond filling onto the centre of 8 of the discs, using a generous teaspoonful on each. Leave at least 1 cm of the edge completely free of filling.
- Brush the free edge with a little of the beaten egg and place the remaining 8 discs on top as lids. Press the edges tightly together all the way around with your fingertips, so there are no cracks where the filling can leak out.
- Brush the tops of the cookies thinly with the rest of the egg and gently press an almond half into the centre of each.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C fan. Put the cookies in the fridge in the meantime.
- Place 4 cookies on a piece of air fryer baking paper and put them in the basket with a couple of centimetres between them. Leave the remaining 4 in the fridge.
- Bake the cookies at 160 °C for 15 minutes, until they are golden brown on top and firm at the edges. Do not turn them, but check the colour after 10 minutes and turn the temperature down to 150 °C if they are getting dark too quickly.
- Lift the baking paper with the cookies out of the basket and let them cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. They are fragile while they are warm, and the filling only sets as it cools.
- Bake the last 4 cookies in the same way at 160 °C for 15 minutes, and let them cool on the rack.
Our notes for the recipe
Keep the dough cold all the way through. If it gets soft while you roll it out and cut the discs, put it in the fridge for 10 minutes – cold shortcrust dough keeps its shape and turns tender in the air fryer. Only put the baking paper in the basket once the cookies are on it, so it does not blow up into the heating element. Seal the edges tightly:
The filling is soft and finds its way out through even small cracks. Keep the edge free of filling, brush it with egg and press the discs together all the way around. If the lid cracks, you can patch it with a small piece of dough. Variation:
If you want to make the filling from scratch as Dutch almond paste (amandelspijs), stir 65 g ground almonds with 65 g sugar, the lemon zest and 2 tbsp beaten egg instead of the marzipan. A few drops of almond extract give extra almond flavour. Serving suggestion:
The cookies taste best on the same day, warm or cooled, with coffee or tea. In the Netherlands they are called gevulde koeken and are eaten as an afternoon treat. Portion size:
The recipe makes 8 filled cookies, i.e. 2 per serving. If your air fryer is smaller, you can bake them in three batches of 2-3 at a time.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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