🍪 Tirggel
Tirggel are thin, very hard Swiss honey biscuits from Zurich made from flour, honey, sugar and warm spices. The dough is pressed into carved moulds showing scenes and figures, then baked briefly at high heat so the top stays pale while the underside caramelises. They are crisp and sweet, and are often broken into small pieces or left to soften slowly in the mouth.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g honey
- 100 g sugar
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp each ground ginger, cloves and nutmeg
- 400 g wheat flour
Method
- Warm the honey, sugar and water until the sugar dissolves, then cool slightly.
- Stir in the spices and flour to a firm dough; rest it for a few hours.
- Roll out about 2 mm thick and press into floured moulds or cut into shapes.
- Let the pieces dry for a few hours at room temperature.
- Bake at 220 °C for 3–5 minutes until the base is golden but the top stays pale.
How to make it lighter
- Count them: the biscuits are thin but sugar-dense, so break off a piece rather than eating several.
- Pair one with unsweetened tea instead of a sweet drink.
- Make smaller shapes so a portion feels like more.
History
Tirggel have been made in Zurich for centuries and are a traditional Christmas biscuit there, with the carved wooden moulds themselves treasured as folk art. Today they are still sold in Zurich bakeries, especially in winter.
Count it in one photo
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →