Czech Christmas Cookies

Discussion in 'Food & Drink' started by Petronela, Oct 30, 2009.

  1. Petronela

    Petronela Well-Known Member

    Hi guys,
    I have (probably totally dumb) question (as usual lol).
    But could someone please tell me what would be longest possible time I can bake traditional Czech Christmas cookies ahead of Christmas? And would storing it in plastic containers with lids extent it’s life?
    Thank you so much.
     
  2. dzurisova

    dzurisova Well-Known Member

    Oh how I LOVE those Czech cookies. They wouldn't store long at all in our house. :)
     
  3. Dannae

    Dannae Well-Known Member

    My sister usually starts to bake them sometimes in November (next time I speak with her I will ask her). But I would not store them in plastic boxes; the way to do is (or at least everybody I know does so) to store them in paper boxes lined up with wax paper.
    P.S. I bake Christmas cookies right before Christmas because my kids eat the up sooo fast. It means if I start early, the would be gone by Christmas anyways.
     
  4. Jana

    Jana Well-Known Member

    Well, you can bake Xmas pastry anytime and freeze it (in plastic containers). I usually do it after Xmas with leftovers (if there are any) :wink: or with the pastry that will be later taken or sent to friends and relatives. Some of my friends bake so much that they have supplies for another three months :roll:. Anyway, early November is high time to start baking gingerbread (perníčky), it needs about six weeks to reach the right softness. I cannot wait to start baking - it is the best part of Xmas preparations with all those wonderful aromas of lemon rind, vanilla, cinnamon and ginger...
     
  5. Petronela

    Petronela Well-Known Member

    Thank you so much ladies!

    Dzurisova, yeah I know exactly what you mean about them not lasting too long that’s why I always threaten bodily harm to anyone who even looks at them prior to Christmas.

    Dannae, usually I bake right before Christmas too, but I just found out the management of company I work for went insane because I just seen the schedule of workload they want done before end of the year and want to cry. So if I want to get Christmas ready this year I’ll have to start lot earlier and do little at a time instead of crazy baking marathon I usually do.
    The reason I asked about plastic instead of paper boxes is because I live down south and the humidity here is unbelievable especially this time of a year.

    Jana, omg I didn’t even think of possibility to freeze. That definitely opens out so many new doors, now I just need to figure out what to do with all the stuff in the freezer already hehe. And I totally agree, baking is the best part of Christmas season!
     
  6. Ctyri koruny

    Ctyri koruny Well-Known Member

    That wouldn't stop me!
     
  7. dzurisova

    dzurisova Well-Known Member

    Everyone in my home is bigger than me so it wouldn't stop anyone. :D
     
  8. stepan

    stepan Well-Known Member

    I usually bake some Czech Cookies - and store them in tin cans lined with wax paper and put a slice of bread in to keep them fresh and moist.

    I usually make about 3 kinds, but I really need a good recipe for "pernicky". Would someone share that one. Any other "traditional" Christmas cookie recipes would be appreciated.
     
  9. meluzina

    meluzina Well-Known Member

    this is one i always liked - my mother had the recipe scribbled in pencil in the back of her cookbook


    rozinkové půlměsíčky - raisin half-moons (although they are more like crescent moons)

    50 grammes flour (the all-purpose kind in the states)
    140 grammes powdered sugar
    grated lemon peel
    very small pinch of cloves
    small pinch of cinnamon
    140 grammes ground blanched almonds
    70 grammes raisins chopped up very fine
    2 egg yolks


    Mix flour, sugar and lemon peel. Add spices, almonds and raisins. Add yolks to combine the dough. Roll out to be about 1/4 centimeter thick. Cut out using crescent moon shaped cookie cutter. Bake on waxed paper on cookie sheet at a lower temparature (added note says 325 degrees fahrenheit) until lightly golden and set.

    After they are cooled, coat with lemon icing (the type that turns hard when set - not creamy type of icing). I usually make the icing without measuring, but looked up the measures in other places - 120 grammes powdered sugar, juice of one lemon - blend the sugar and lemon juice with approx tablespoon of boiling water until smooth - you have to use it fairly quickly as it does start hardening...
     
  10. Irena M

    Irena M Well-Known Member

    Sounds like a very nice recipe! Thank you for sharing.
     
  11. Petronela

    Petronela Well-Known Member

    Meluzina that sounds delicious! I am so gonna try them.

    I guess since I started the tread I better add a recipe too. This is one I make every year.

    Buttons (knoflicky)

    Bottom layer:
    200 g. flour (the actual recipe calls for "hladkou mouku" but I had no issues with all-purpose)
    30 g powder sugar
    140 g butter (of course the "real" recipe calls for Heru, again no issues with unsalted butter)
    3 egg yolks

    Top layer:
    3 egg whites
    200 g ground pecans
    200 g powder sugar

    Mix together all ingredients for bottom layer and roll it out about 3 mm thick, cut out shapes (I use shot glass so they end up nice bite-size). Place on the cookie sheet lined with baking paper.

    For the top layer beet egg whites till stiff and gently mix in sugar and nuts. Spoon into pastry bag or just plain plastic bag (don’t have to wash it then :) ) and squeeze out small dollop in the middle of each bottom layer shape.
    Keep in mind that as it bakes the bottom layer will not expand but the top one will, that’s why only a dollop in the middle.

    Bake in preheated oven at 300F for about 15 mins.

    I usually just zig-zag melted chocolate on them for decoration once they cool, but you can get as creative as you want in making them pretty. Also if you want you can decorate them with pecan pieces before putting them in the oven.

    They are good to eat the next day so no need to prebake ahead.
     
  12. meluzina

    meluzina Well-Known Member

    i make something almost like yours - same basic dough and same process - but with hazelnuts instead of pecans and add a dash of cinnamon to the eggwhite mixture...

    and butter is always better than hera - and more or less interchangeable in any recipe i think...
     
  13. dzurisova

    dzurisova Well-Known Member

     
  14. Petronela

    Petronela Well-Known Member

    Unfortunately hazelnuts are non existent in my area :( , however I may try with almonds. But I’m going to try a batch with cinnamon, that does sound delicious. Thank you for the ideas :)
     
  15. Jana

    Jana Well-Known Member

    - and what about filberts? I can easily find them in stores here (Abingdon, VA or Bristol, TN) and they taste almost the same as hazelnuts.
     
  16. Petronela

    Petronela Well-Known Member

    Jana, I’ll try that. Thanks. :lol:
    However I really do live in the boondocks so am not holding my breath, biggest grocery store in area is super walmart (gods help us) and it’s not even the largest model. But there is hope for us yet, next year Publix is coming to the area so we may actually get more selection.
     
  17. GlennInFlorida

    GlennInFlorida Well-Known Member

    I know Alabama is a big state but, if you are anywhere near Pensacola Florida, they have Publix markets now - just got them about half a year ago or so.
     
  18. Petronela

    Petronela Well-Known Member

    I’m on the SE end so it’s usually the one in Panama City I go to whenever we go down to the beach. But good to know Pensacola has one too, will check it out when visiting friends in that end. Been to the one in Navarre also, that’s why I’m so gung-ho about getting one in our area too. :D (there should be an emoticon for "happy dance")
     
  19. Duludka

    Duludka Member

    I usually bake two kinds of gingerbread. Here they are:

    1) 600 g flour (if you use 1/3 of rye flour, it will be even better), 300g powdered sugar, 4 eggs, 4 spoons honey, 1 tea spoon bicarbonate, 1 spoon milled spice: roseapple, chinese anise, cinnamon. I use to add more spice than is written in the recipe - if the dought smells good, it is exactly the right quantity of spice in it. Let the dought lie in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Spread the cored gingerbread(s?...I don´t know if it has plural) with whipped egg and bake. If you need to have gingerbread soft earlier than in six weeks, put some water into a pot, than a smaller pot filled of the gingerbread, cover it with a pot lid and let lie about one day. Then you can decorate it with the white glaze made of egg white and sugar (it has to be dense enoug). My gingerbread loos like that: http://duludka.rajce.idnes.cz/nastenka/#IMG_3150.jpg

    2) 450 g flour (also you can use 1/3 of rye flour), 200 g powdered sugar, 150 g honey, 90 g butter, 105 g milled nuts or almonds, 3 youls of eggs, 1,5 white egg, 3/2 tea spoon of bicarbonate, spice: anise, chinese anise, roseapple, cinnamon. Don´t spread with egg. Join done gingerbread with farcing (made of milled sponge biscuites or gingerbread, milled nuts (more than 100 g), rum (the czech type, if you don´t have it, use some aromatic brandy) and jam (preferably redcurrant or cherry). Joined gingerbread spread with chocolate. I decorate it also with small hearts made of marzipan. It isn´t necessary to let it get soft, because it is soft always. http://duludka.rajce.idnes.cz/nastenka/#Img_2674.jpg
     
  20. Irena M

    Irena M Well-Known Member

    Duludka,
    What is roseapple?
     

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