Leipziger Lerchen (Leipzig Marzipan and Cherry Jam Tartlets)

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pies tarts Medium

Leipziger Lerchen (Leipzig Marzipan and Cherry Jam Tartlets)

Little shortcrust cups filled with a light marzipan-almond batter over a spoon of cherry jam, topped with a cross of pastry strips. Makes 12 tartlets in about 1 hr 30 min.

Prep 40 min

Cook 20 min

Cooling 30 min

Total 1 hr 30 min

Yield 12 tartlets

Ingredients

Adjust yield

tartlets

2 cups (250 g)all-purpose flour, for the dough
1 (50 g)egg
⅓ cup (70 g)granulated sugar
½ cup (125 g)butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp (5 ml)brandy or rum
1 pinchsalt
6 tbsp (125 g)cherry jam
¼ cup (60 g)soft butter
⅔ cup (75 g)powdered sugar
3 ½ oz (100 g)marzipan, softened
2 (66 g)egg whites
1 (18 g)egg yolk
¼ cup (35 g)all-purpose flour, for the filling
1 tbsp (8 g)cornstarch
¼ tsp (1 ml)almond extract

Fresh ingredient guides

Baking tools for this recipe

Convert to grams Scale it Change the pan

Instructions

Mix the flour, egg, sugar, brandy, salt and melted butter into a smooth dough. Wrap and chill 30 minutes.
Beat the soft butter until creamy. Beat in the marzipan, powdered sugar and yolk until smooth, then stir in the flour, cornstarch and almond extract.
Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold gently into the marzipan mixture.
Heat the oven to 390 F (200 C). Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
Roll the dough 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick and cut 12 rounds to line the cups. Re-roll scraps and cut thin strips.
Put 1 teaspoon of cherry jam in each cup, then fill about 3/4 full with the marzipan batter. Lay two dough strips across the top in a cross.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until golden. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then lift out.

Tips

Soften the marzipan with the butter so no lumps remain.
Fold the whites in gently to keep the filling light.
Do not overfill; the batter puffs.
Good with coffee.

Made this?

Log it to keep your bakes, ratings and notes together in My Kitchen.

Be the first to share one.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make leipziger lerchen (leipzig marzipan and cherry jam tartlets)?

Plan on 40 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking, plus 30 minutes to chill. The recipe makes 12 tartlets.

How should I store leipziger lerchen (leipzig marzipan and cherry jam tartlets)?

Store airtight up to 3 days at room temperature or freeze up to 2 months.

Can I make leipziger lerchen (leipzig marzipan and cherry jam tartlets) ahead?

It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.

Leipziger Lerchen are small shortcrust tartlets from Leipzig, made after the 1720s ban on hunting larks ended the local lark pie; they are crossed with two dough strips. Serve it with coffee.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

327 Calories / serving

15.4g Fat

43.0g Carbs

4.6g Protein

21.4g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~3924 cal · 185g fat · 516g carbs · 55g protein · 257g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.