Hungarian Christmas cookie recipes

It is that time of the year again! For many of us, the holidays are synonymous with an endless food parade. It is no different in Hungary either where baking Christmas munchies is a beloved tradition. It is not only fun but also brings the family together. Since many of you requested earlier, now we have gathered 5 local recipes for you. These yummy Hungarian Christmas cookie recipes are easy to make, you do not need to hold a black belt in the kitchen. Your friends and family will absolutely love them!

Linzer 

There are no holidays without these sweet buttery cookies that are made of light shortbread and fruit jam. To make them look even more festive, you can use Christmas cookie cutters. The combination of the soft dough and the creamy apricot or plum jam will literally melt in your mouth. Just be patient and wait until they cool down after baking!

Ingredients:

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 356 Fahrenheit

2. To make the dough: Beat the margarine, sugar, and zest until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl as needed, about 3 minutes. Add the yolk and vanilla and beat until combined.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and the salt. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix until just combined. Do not over-beat.

4. Let the dough rest for an hour in the fridge
5. To assemble: Remove the dough from the fridge, and let it soften for a couple of minutes, until it feels soft enough to roll. It should still feel cold, but should not feel rock-hard. On a floured surface, roll one disc of dough out about 4 millimetres. Using a Christmas cookie cutter, cut out different shapes. Use a smaller round cookie cutter to cut windows in half the cookies, if desired. Mix the eggwhites and the yolk and then apply a glaze on top with a brush. the Transfer rounds to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather the scrap dough, roll, and repeat. 
6. Bake the cookies on 180 degrees celsius / 356 Fahrenheit for 8 minutes.
7. Once they cooled down, dust the window cookies with powdered sugar. Spread a dollop of jam on the other cookies and gently place the window cookies on top to form cute little cookie sandwiches. Enjoy!

   

   Read more: 3 traditional Hungarian desserts you need to try with a twist

Hókifli 

My grandma’s hókifli (snowy crescent) was famous in her village. Once you tried them, you just could not get them out of your mind. They came back to you even in your dreams with that irresistible wintery walnut-vanilla flavour. In my family, everyone likes to participate in the cookie making, both adults and children. Baking hókifli can be a fun holiday program that brings together you and your loved ones. 

Ingredients:

[one_second] 33 dkg all-purpose flour 

13.5 dkg icing sugar

2 packets of vanilla sugar[/one_second]

[one_second] 25 dkg unsalted butter or margarine

12 dkg grounded walnut or almond

pinch of salt[/one_second]

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius / 347 Fahrenheit
2. To make the dough: In a mixing bowl, add the grounded walnut, the icing sugar, the vanilla sugar, the pinch of salt, and the all-purpose flower. Beat in the room-temperature margarine or butter. 
3. Knead the dough until it becomes completely smooth without any margarine crumbs. 
4. Wrap the ready dough in a transparent foil and place it in the fridge for an hour. It is better if you flatten the dough out a little so it will cool down faster.
5. To assemble: Once you haven taken out the dough from the fridge, form little balls that weigh approximately 20 grams each. 
6. With hands, curve each cookie dough portion into a crescent moon shape.
7. Place them on a baking sheet in a trail and off they go to the oven.
8. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes. 
9. Once they are done, remove them from the oven and cool for 10-15 minutes, or until only slightly warm to touch before coating them with icing sugar or vanilla sugar (depends on your preference) to get their signature snowy look.

   

Zserbó

Zserbó is a real classic when it comes to Hungarian Christmas cookie recipes! It cannot be missed from the Hungarian homes during the festive season. What is the secret of a good zserbó? The more filling you put between the layers, the happier you make everyone in your family. You also should not be thrifty with the chocolate sauce you drizzle on top. 

Ingredients:

[one_second]50 dkg all-purpose flour

25dkg margarine

10 dkg icing sugar

2dkg vanilla sugar

1 large egg yolk[/one_second]

[one_second] 1 packet og baking powder

2.5 dkg yeast

pinch of salt

1.5 dl sourcream or milk

[/one_second]

For the filling:

45 dkg grounded walnut

zest of 2 lemons

60dkg peach or apricot jam

For the chocolate cover: 

20 dkg dark chocolate

2 tbsp. cooking oil

0.3 dl milk or sour cream

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius / 356 Fahrenheit
2. To make the dough: Take a smaller pan and warm up the milk or the sour cream until it becomes lukewarm. It is easier to dissolve the yeast in it. Also mix the egg yolk in it. 
3. Mix the flour with the margarine and than add the baking powder, salt, vanilla sugar, icing sugar, and finally the milk and yeast mixture. It will be a bit crumbly, but do not worry! 
4. Knead the dough and divide it into 4 balls. 
5. Cover them up and let them rest in room temperature for 40-45 minutes. 
6. To assemble: Butter and flour your baking tin. On a floured surface roll out one part of the dough to the size of the baking tin, then lay it in.
7. Brush the dough with the jam and sprinkle a good amount of grounded walnuts and some lemon zest on top. Roll out another portion and place it on top. Repeat the previous procedure with the filling. 
8. Once you placed the last layer on top, transfer the cake into the oven and bake it for 25-30 minutes. Let it cool down before the last touch. 
9. For the chocolate cover: Melt the dark chocolate over steam, and then stir in the the oil and the milk. Cover your zserbó with the chocolate sauce and place it in the fridge for a while. The chocolate cover will give the cake a glassy elegant look. Once the cover has cooled, cut the cake into rectangles and serve.