Hungarian Christmas Cookies Recipe (2024)

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These traditional Hungarian Christmas Cookies from nagyanya (grandma) are simply delicious. Each bite reminds you of the old country, a time of good food and fond memories. If you are looking for old-fashioned Christmas cookies, try this Hungarian Christmas Cookies Recipe.

Hungarian Christmas Cookies Recipe

My sister-in-law, Shelley, is an excellent baker and cook. I have shared a number of her recipes here in the past, including these Cranberry Noels Cookie Recipe and Rum Logs Recipe holiday cookies (Christmas cookies). When she brought these over for Christmas Eve, I knew I simply had to have the recipe to share! And since Shelley is such a good sport, she gave it to me and allowed me to share it with all of you.

These Hungarian Christmas Cookies are simply delicious. Shelley said they are quick to make, too, the prep time being only 30 minutes (for Christmas cookies, that is fast!). If you like traditional Christmas cookies, give these a go!

Hungarian Christmas Cookies Recipe Ingredients:

● 3 cups All-purpose Flour
● 16 TBSP Butter (½ pound or 2 sticks)
● 1 packet Rapid Rise Yeast (¼ oz envelope)
● 2 TBSP Sugar
● 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
● ½ cup Light Cream
● 3 Egg Yolks
● 1 cup Powdered Sugar

Hungarian Christmas Cookies Mise en Place:

Measuring CupHungarian Christmas Cookies Recipe (2)
Measuring Spoons
● Spatula
Stand MixerHungarian Christmas Cookies Recipe (3)
Rolling PinHungarian Christmas Cookies Recipe (4)
Baking SheetsHungarian Christmas Cookies Recipe (5)

● Preheat oven to 325°.
● For dough:
● Using a stand mixer, mix together all-purpose flour and butter; cream together.
● In a medium bowl, add 1 packet of rapid rise yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar; allow to soften.
● Add vanilla extract, light cream, and egg yolks to the yeast mixture; mix together well.
● Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture; mix well until a dough is formed.
● Place dough on a board, cut in half.
● Cut each half of the dough into 3 pieces.
● Roll each piece into a small ball.
● Place a small amount of powdered sugar on the board, and roll out a small ball into a thin, round shape.
● Cut pieces like you were cutting a pie, 8 pieces from each ball.
● Place 1 teaspoon of filling on the dough spread out.

● Bake in preheated 325° oven for 20 minutes or until slightly brown at the edges.
● Roll in powdered sugar.
● Allow the cookies to cool.
● Store in a container lined with waxed paper.
● Date Filling directions:
● In a pot on the stove, combine stoned and cut dates, ½ cup sugar, and ¾ cup water. Cook for 10 minutes.
● Cool mixture and then add ¼ tsp and 1 teaspoon of vanilla; mix well.
● Add ¼ cup ground walnuts; mix well.
● Nut Filling directions:
● Combine 1 pound of shelled and ground walnuts with ¼ cup sugar; mix well.
● Add 1 tablespoon of milk, mix, add a second tablespoon of milk, mix. You want this moist, not wet. You may need more or less milk than what is listed.

Yield: 1

Hungarian Christmas Cookies Recipe

Hungarian Christmas Cookies Recipe (8)

Hungarian Christmas Cookies Recipe. These traditional Hungarian Christmas Cookies from nagyanya (grandma) are simply delicious. Each bite reminds you of the old country; a time of good food and fond memories. If you are looking for old-fashioned Christmas cookies, try this Hungarian Christmas Cookies Recipe!

Prep Time30 minutes

Cook Time20 minutes

Additional Time5 minutes

Total Time55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups All-purpose Flour
  • 16 TBSP Butter
  • 1 packet Rapid Rise Yeast (¼ oz envelope)
  • 2 TBSP Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • ½ cup Light Cream
  • 3 Egg Yolks
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar

Instructions

    1. preheat oven to 325°.
    2. For the dough:
    3. Using a stand mixer, mix together all-purpose flour and butter; cream together.
    4. In a medium bowl, add 1 packet of rapid rise yeast and 2 tablespoons of sugar; allow to soften.
    5. Add vanilla extract, light cream, and egg yolks to the yeast mixture; mix together well.
    6. Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture; mix well until a dough is formed.
    7. Place dough on a board, cut in half.
    8. Cut each half of the dough into 3 pieces.
    9. Roll each piece into a small ball.
    10. Place a small amount of powdered sugar on the board, and roll out a small ball into a thin, round shape.
    11. Cut pieces like you were cutting a pie, 8 pieces from each ball.
    12. Place 1 teaspoon of filling on the dough spread out.
    13. Bake in preheated 325° oven for 20 minutes or until slightly brown at the edges.
    14. Roll in powdered sugar.
    15. Allow the cookies to cool.
    16. Store in a container lined with waxed paper.
    17. Date Filling directions:
    18. In a pot on the stove, combine stoned and cut dates, ½ cup sugar, and ¾ cup water. Cook for 10 minutes.
    19. Cool mixture and then add ¼ tsp and 1 teaspoon of vanilla; mix well.
    20. Add ¼ cup ground walnuts; mix well.
    21. Nut Filling directions:
    22. Combine 1 pound of shelled and ground walnuts with ¼ cup sugar; mix well.
    23. Add one tablespoon of milk, mix, add another tablespoon of milk, mix. You want this moist, not wet. You may need more or less milk than what is listed.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

48

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 82Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 33mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g

Note: for exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information provided is simply a guideline.

First Published: November 30, 2016

Last Updated: December 20, 2020

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Hungarian Christmas Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Are kiffles and kolaches the same? ›

Kiffles are similar to Polish Kolacky or Czech Kolache (small, sweet yeast buns with fruit filling poked into its side) but use a different dough.

What is the secret to making good cookies? ›

The key is to always use top-quality ingredients as they'll result in a better cookie; it really is that simple.
  1. Always use butter.
  2. Choose the right sugar.
  3. Choose the right flour.
  4. Check your flour is in date.
  5. Choose the right kind of chocolate.
  6. Cream the butter and sugar.
  7. Beat in the eggs.
  8. Fold in the flour.

Why do my kolaches pop open? ›

Kolacky pop open in the oven when they have too much filling, the dough was chilled before baking, or they are not properly sealed.

What is the number one cookie in the world? ›

Oreo is the best-selling cookie in the world. It is now sold in over 100 countries. Oreo was first produced in 1912 by the National Biscuit Company, now known as Na-Bis-Co.

What is the number one holiday cookie? ›

Peanut Butter Blossoms are America's favorite Christmas cookie, based both on total number of pageviews from the U.S. population as a whole, and number of states that ranked it as their top cookie (which is six, by the way).

Are kiffles Polish or Hungarian? ›

Originally, the kolaczki is said to be from Poland (though its exact origin is unknown), and are popularly seen around the holidays. They seem to be just as popular in Cleveland, where we learned that they are known as Kiffles in Hungarian.

What does kifli mean in hungarian? ›

Kifli, kiflice, kifle, or kipferl is a traditional yeast bread roll that is rolled and formed into a crescent before baking.

What does kolache mean in hungarian? ›

A Kolach (singular; kolache is plural) is an individual, round pastry filled with fruit, cream or cottage sweetened cheese, or poppy seed.

What is the best flour for chewy cookies? ›

Bread flour contains a higher protein content (around 12-14%), leading to more gluten development. This makes it ideal for bakers seeking a chewier texture in their cookies. The extra gluten can help retain gas and moisture, producing a denser and chewier result.

Do you flatten cookie dough before baking? ›

If the dough is chilled before baking then the cookies will be slightly more rounded, so if you want slightly flatter cookies then bake them as soon as you have mixed up the dough. But we would not recommend flattening the cookies completely as this will affect the texture.

What are 4 tips to keep in mind while making cookies? ›

Tips for Baking Better Cookies
  1. Bake Better Cookies. ...
  2. Soften Your Butter. ...
  3. Creaming Butter. ...
  4. Measure Your Flour Correctly. ...
  5. Line Your Pans With Parchment Paper. ...
  6. Add Eggs One at a Time. ...
  7. Add Flour or Dry Ingredients in Batches. ...
  8. Fold in Chocolate Chips by Hand.

Are kolaches Polish or Czech or Polish? ›

In fact, this staple of Central Texan gastronomy actually hails from Czech Republic, where a koláček (the diminutive form of koláč, pronounced kolach; plural koláčky) is a round yeast pastry with a sweet filling in the center!

Are kolaches Polish or Czech? ›

A kolach, from the Czech and Slovak koláč (plural koláče, diminutive koláčky, meaning "cake/pie") is a type of sweet pastry that holds a portion of fruit surrounded by puffy yeast dough. Common filling flavors include tvaroh (a type of cottage cheese), fruit jam, poppy seeds, or povidla (prune jam).

Is kolache German or Polish? ›

Kolaches are Czech pastries made of a yeast dough and usually filled with fruit, but sometimes cheese.

What is the most Googled Christmas cookie? ›

Italian Christmas Cookies grow as top cookie

Zoom in: Italian Christmas Cookies were the top cookie in 13 states, more than double the six states from 2022, Google Trends curator Katie Seaton told Axios. Seaton said the Italian cookies dominated the East Coast both this year and last year.

What is the least popular Christmas cookie? ›

On the naughty list of cookies, Americans gave the lowest win records to anise cookies, which only won 29% of its matchups.

What is Santa's second favorite cookie? ›

2. Holiday Candy Cookie Bites – Number two on the list of Santa's favorite cookies is Holiday Candy Cookie Bites, which is a holiday version of the year-round favorite, Chocolate Chip Cookies. Instead of traditional chocolate chips, these cookies are studded with red and green candies and white baking chips.

What is Santa Claus's favorite cookie? ›

Chocolate Chip cookies

Santa himself lists these as his favorites, and he prefers them soft and gooey with lots of chocolate chips. If you decide to leave these out for him, make sure there's a glass of cold milk nearby!

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