• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cook Like Czechs
  • Recipes
  • Czech Republic
  • About
  • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Czech Republic
  • About
  • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Czech Christmas Cookies

    Crispy Hollow Cookies (Czech Krehulky)

    Published: Dec 15, 2022 by Petra Kupská

    Jump to Recipe
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Email
    • 5shares

    These are traditional but lesser-known Czech Christmas cookies called "křehulky." They are distinguished by their amazing delicacy and crispness. To make them, you need only two basic ingredients: eggs and sugar.

    Czech crispy hollow cookies, served on a plate.
    Table of Contents hide
    ➜ What can you expect
    ➜ Ingredients
    ➜ Instructions with photos
    ➜ Storage
    ➜ Equipment
    ➜ Useful tips
    Crispy Hollow Cookies (Czech Krehulky)

    ➜ What can you expect

    These crispy cookies are prepared from whisked egg yolks combined with a whole egg and fine icing sugar, flavored with a little vanilla paste and lemon juice. You will need an electric mixer to beat the eggs and other ingredients properly.

    The well-beaten egg mass is poured into metal molds, previously greased with fat. The cookies are first baked at 300°F (150°C), and once they puff up, the oven temperature is lowered to 220°F (100°C), where they are let slowly finish for about 30 minutes.

    This method yields cookies that are incredibly crisp on the outside and hollow on the inside, with a tasty burst of lemon flavor in every bite. They taste very similar to "rakvicky" (little coffins), a Czech delicacy served with a cap of whipped cream.

    MY TIP: Try Czech Masaryk’s Christmas cookies, which got their name after the 1st Czech president!

    ➜ Ingredients

    Ingredients for crispy hollow cookies, with captions.

    To make crispy hollow cookies, you will need:

    • Egg yolks + whole egg; get them out of the fridge for about 30 minutes before baking. The eggs will whisk better if you allow them to warm up at room temperature rather than taking them out of the fridge cold.
    • Powdered sugar
    • Lemon juice; freshly pressed
    • Vanilla paste; for a better aroma. Substitute a few drops of vanilla essence if you don't have vanilla paste at home.
    • Fat; to grease the cookie molds

    Alternatively, you can omit the lemon juice and vanilla altogether.

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    ➜ Instructions with photos

    STEP 1: Start preparing the molds. Grease them thoroughly, ideally with solid fat and not liquid oil. You see Czech lard in the photo, which I love for cooking!

    Cookie molds greased with fat.

    STEP 2: Place the egg yolks and whole egg, including the white, in a large mixing bowl. Add the icing sugar.

    Using a hand mixer, beat to a fluffy and creamy mass. Be patient; it takes about 15 minutes, at least that's how long I whipped the mixture.

    Whipped eggs with sugar in a light gray bowl, using a handheld electric mixer.

    STEP 3: Pour the mixture into the prepared molds until it fills about ⅔ of their volume. Don't fill them to the brim, as the cookies will puff up during baking.

    Cookie molds filled with cookie batter, set on a baking tray.

    STEP 4: Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and place the baking sheet with the filled molds. The cookies will rise in 5–10 minutes. At that point, turn the oven temperature down to 220°F (100°C) and bake for another 30 minutes.

    Cookies in molds, set on a baking tray.

    STEP 5: Towards the end of the baking time, remove one mold, let it cool for a while, and carefully remove the cookie from the mold. Cut it in half and check whether it is baked on the inside, i.e., if there are no wet parts. 

    If the cookie is dry and crispy, remove the baking sheet with the other pieces and let it cool for a bit.

    STEP 6: Carefully remove the cookies from the molds. You don't need to tap the mold on the table; just gently twist the top of the cookie sticking out of the mold and release it.

    If you greased the molds thoroughly beforehand, the cookie would easily come loose.

    Crispy cookies, removing them form molds after baking.

    ➜ Storage

    To keep these hollow cookies crisp for as long as possible, it is recommended to store them well-sealed in an airtight container. A metal or plastic cookie box lined with foil is ideal.

    Store in a cool, dry place.

    How long do the cookies last? From my experience, the cookies last for a week without any problems. If I'm making them for Christmas, I bake them a few days before the holidays as one of the last Christmas cookies.

    Can I freeze the cookies? I don't recommend freezing these cookies because they lose their crisp texture when thawed. In addition, they may collapse due to moisture.

    Czech crispy hollow cookies, served on a plate.

    ➜ Equipment

    For these crispy hollow cookies, I used metal molds with a diameter of 2–2.½ inches. You will need about 20-30 pieces.

    ➜ Useful tips

    • Pay attention to the cookie molds before baking. Grease them carefully so that the crispy cookies are easy to remove after baking.
    • Do not underestimate the time it takes to whisk the eggs with sugar. I recommend whisking for 15 minutes until the egg mixture is light and fluffy.
    • The name of the cookies, "křehulky," comes from the Czech word "křehký," which means brittle.
    • The cookies don't have any gluten or dairy in them, so people with celiac disease or who can't have dairy can eat them.

    More Czech Christmas cookies:

    • Podvodnice – raised under cold water
    • Linzer cookies – linecke cukrovi
    • Heavy cream cookies – slehackove cukrovi

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest. Subscribe to my newsletter. Send me any question about Czech cuisine to my e-mail. I love hearing your feedback!

    Czech crispy hollow cookies, served on a plate.

    Crispy Hollow Cookies (Czech Krehulky)

    These are traditional but lesser-known Czech Christmas cookies called "křehulky." Their amazing delicacy and crispness distinguish them. To make cookies, you need only two basic ingredients: eggs and sugar.
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 24 cookies
    Calories: 37kcal
    Author: Petra Kupská
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: cookies
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Czech Christmas

    Ingredients

    • 2 egg yolks at room temperature
    • 1 whole egg at room temperature
    • 1 and ½ cups powdered sugar (180 g)
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla essence
    • ½ teaspoon lemon juice freshly pressed

    Instructions

    • Start preparing the molds. Grease them thoroughly, ideally with solid fat and not liquid oil.
    • Place the egg yolks and whole egg, including the white, in a large mixing bowl. Add the icing sugar.
    • Using a hand mixer, beat to a fluffy and creamy mass. Be patient; it takes about 15 minutes, at least that's how long I whipped the mixture.
    • Pour the mixture into the prepared molds until it fills about ⅔ of their volume. Don't fill them to the brim, as the cookies will puff up during baking.
    • Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and place the baking sheet with the filled molds. The cookies will rise in 5–10 minutes. At that point, turn the oven temperature down to 220°F (100°C) and bake for another 30 minutes.
    • Towards the end of the baking time, remove one mold, let it cool for a while, and carefully remove the cookie from the mold. Cut it in half and check whether it is baked on the inside, i.e., if there are no wet parts. 
    • If the cookie is dry and crispy, remove the baking sheet with the other pieces and let it cool for a bit.
    • Carefully remove the cookies from the molds. You don't need to tap the mold on the table; just gently twist the top of the cookie sticking out of the mold and release it.

    Notes

    • Makes about 20-25 cookies.
    • STORAGE: To keep these hollow cookies crisp for as long as possible, it is recommended to store them well-sealed in an airtight container. A metal or plastic cookie box lined with foil is ideal.
    • EQUIPMENT: For these crispy hollow cookies, I used metal molds with a diameter of 2–2.½ inches. You will need about 20-30 pieces.
    • Can I freeze the cookies? I don't recommend freezing these cookies because they lose their crisp texture when thawed. In addition, they may collapse due to moisture.

    DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:

    Conversion chart

    Nutritional Estimate pro portion

    Calories: 37kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 4mg | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 32IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.1mg
    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Email
    • 5shares

    More Czech Christmas Cookies (Cukroví)

    • Heavy Cream Cookies (Czech Slehackove cukrovi)
    • No-bake Mushroom Cookies
    • Spiced Wine (Czech Svařák)
    • Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Icing (Perníčky)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rachael

      December 17, 2022 at 2:26 am

      where are the moulds from? it looks great

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        December 17, 2022 at 3:22 am

        These are made of metal and have a diameter of about 6-7 cm (2 and 1/2 inches). If you have metal molds of another shape, don't be afraid to use them. However, they will always come out better if the shape of the molds is not too complicated. Also, don't forget to grease them before you pour the batter into them. Good luck and happy holidays!

        Reply

    Leave a star rating and review or ask a question! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi there, I’m Petra, a self-taught home cook and a Czech mom of two teen boys with more than 20 years of cooking experience. I am here to share traditional recipes from the Czech Republic, a small country in the very heart of Europe.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Pork Liver with Gravy (Onion and Bacon Included)
    • Sweet Cabbage Filling
    • How to Quickly Make Dough Rise Inside an Oven
    • Yeast Bundt Cake with Poppy Seed Filling

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    All Things Czech

    • Czech Recipes
    • Czech Republic
    • Conversions U.S. to metric

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for new recipes, stories and more Czech stuff

    Useful Links

    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 CookLikeCzechs.com