Hell's Czech Kitchen: Christmas Cookies

It is a big tradition in the Czech republic to start at least few weeks before the big Christmas celebration to bake Christmas cookies. Yes, Christmas cookies. Yes, few weeks before. Yes, they must bake all different types of cookies and yes, they usually bake a big amount for entire neighbourhood or family, acquaintances etc.
Some people even ask for days off at work to dedicate to flour, butter, sugar, spices and start the Christmas Baking Marathon.

If you are visiting the Czech republic in any pf the following weekd you will have the chance to taste these Christmas specialties almost everywhere, in cafes but also in street markets stands.

Starting from this, we know what you are actually thinking: well, let´s see what is then so special or delicious about this?

Talking as a non-Czech person - yes I am revealing my identity as editor of this blog - I must admit that Vánoční cukroví, this is the technical Czech name of them, are actually very tasty. So if you are a sweets lover or a spice lover - like cinammon, ginger, etc.- this is exactly what you were looking for to delight yor fine palate.

Here we go with 3  recipes. Three, two, one..go!

LINECKÉ PEČIVO - Foundation Cookies

This is the basic recipe for creating many different types of cookies. On the base of it, you can play with shapes, fillings, sandwiching them together with jam, on top sugar decoration, etc.
Use your fantasy, kids might be very helpful and it could be a fun family activity (apart from the cleaning after it).

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 280g softened butter
• 750g  sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 5g vanilla
• 900 g all-purpose flour
• Jam (optional)
• Water Icing (optional)
• Confectioners' sugar (optional)

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 180 degrees. In a bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until completely incorporated. Add flour and mix all.
   
2. Roll dough between pieces of parchment paper to 3/16-inch thickness if sandwiching cookies together or 1/8-inch thick for other kinds. Remove top piece of parchment paper and cut dough into various shapes. Since the dough doesn't expand much when baking, a 1/2-inch space between cookies is still ok.
   
3. If you are willing to make sandwiched cookies, prepare an even number of plain cookies and an even number of cookies of the same shape but cut a small "window" for the jam or any filling.
   
4. It is oven time already! Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown. Cool completely.
   
5. If you are now moving to work on the sandwiching cookies, here is how you need to proceed: sprinkle confectioners' sugar over cookies with a "window", then spread jam or filling on "window-less" cookies. Join them together. Sandwiching cookies are done!
   
6. If  you are decorating with water icing then you can sprinkle with coarse sugar, chocolate sprinkles, or whatever your heart desires.

PERNÍČKY  -  Gingerbread cookies

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes, 5 minutes. It depends how fast you are and how many zou have to

Ingredients:

• 450g all-purpose flour
• 230g  sugar
• 10g cinnamon
• 10g  ginger
• 5g allspice
• 5g  nutmeg
• 2,5g ground cloves
• 2,5g baking soda
• 10g warm honey
• 2 lightly beaten large eggs
• 15ml rum
• 5ml lemon zest
• Water Icing

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, spices and baking soda and mix all of them. Add honey, eggs, rum and zest and form a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic and keep it resting for 30 minutes.
   
2. Heat oven to 180 degrees. Roll dough 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick between two pieces of parchment paper. Remove top parchment paper and cut out various shapes, leaving 2 inches between cookies. 
3. Bake 15-20 minutes. Cool completely.
   
4. When cookies are completely cool, decorate with Water Icing. 

VANILKOVÉ ROHLÍČKY -  Vanilla Crescents 

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 200g  butter, softened
• 75g sugar
• 30g vanilla
• 15 ml water
• 300g all-purpose flour
• 8g salt
• 300g finely chopped almonds or filberts
• Confectioners' sugar

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 180 degrees. Cream butter and add sugar, vanilla and water. Mix together flour and salt, and add to creamed mixture, combining thoroughly. Add nuts until completely incorporated.
   
2. Form walnut-size pieces of dough into crescent shapes and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes.
   
3. While still warm, roll in confectioners' sugar or vanilla sugar. 

VOSÍ HNÍZDA

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Total time: it depends how fast you are

Ingredients for the dough:

• 300 g finely ground piškoty (very dry and hard cookies)
• 120 g powdered sugar
• 120 g butter
• 50ml milk
• 80ml rum (Tuzemák)
• 20g cocoa

Ingredients for the filling:

• 120g powdered sugar
• 120g butter
• 2 egg yolks
• rum for flavour

1. Prepare a smooth dough from the specified ingredients.
2. Press small pieces into the special forms - it is a littel cone - that have been coated inside with sugar.
3. Make an indentation in the dough and fill with the butter filling.
4. Cover with whole biscuit. Remove from form. Let them cool in the fridge.

There are many other ones, but step by step. Anyone willing to try this upcoming weekend?
The first three sweets can be púrepared with much advanced and kept and stored in an airtight container. Czechs like to "decorate" their balconies with colourful containers full of sweets.

Let us know how the experiment went and..dobrou chut!