Czechs typically bake these cookies around Christmas, but if you use a universal-shaped cookie cutter, you can make them any time of year. The texture of cookies made with heavy cream is incredibly tender right after baking, and it doesn't change over the following days.
➜ What can you expect
These shortbread cookies are made from a soft dough rolled out and cut into different shapes. The dough doesn't have any added sugar, but when the cookies are baked, they get a thick coating of powdered sugar.
The recipe is simple and only requires a few ingredients to produce soft, flaky, and delicious cookies every time. I'm sure it will become a family favorite!
Because the dough uses heavy cream, I called this delectable treat "heavy cream cookies," which is a literal translation of its Czech name, meaning "šlehačkové cukroví."
MY TIP: Try vanilla crescents, another traditional Czech Christmas cookie known as "vanilkove rohlicky."
➜ Ingredients you need
To make the cookies with heavy cream, you will need:
- Heavy cream; with a fat content of about 33% – the special ingredient in this recipe!
- Unsalted butter; softened at room temperature
- All-purpose flour; or plain flour if you are based in the UK (in Czech, it is called "hladká mouka")
- Egg yolk; for richness and better dough texture
- Powdered sugar; for more flavor, I used my homemade vanilla sugar, which is a sealable glass jar filled with powdered sugar containing a vanilla pod.
✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
➜ Instructions with photos
STEP 1: Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
First, use a fork to combine the wet ingredients, i.e., the egg yolk and heavy cream, with the flour. Then use your fingers to process the dough into crumbs. Turn the whole mass onto the work surface and quickly work it with your hands into a smooth, soft dough.
If the dough is too sticky, dust it with a little flour while working.
STEP 2: Once the dough holds together, stop kneading it. Shape it into a cylinder, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge to rest for an hour or two.
IMPORTANT: The dough should be chilled for just long enough so that the incorporated butter is firm and the dough can be rolled out without sticking to the rolling pin or requiring a lot of flour for dusting.
This is critical to remember because each refrigerator chills differently. In my experience, an hour and a half is sufficient time for the dough to rest.
STEP 3: Roll out the rested semi-firm dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch (0.3 mm) on a work surface. Cut out various shapes with cookie cutters. Make smaller cookie shapes if possible.
STEP 4: Transfer the cookie cutouts to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I use a thin pastry scraper to pick up the cookies and not damage their shape.
TIP: To ensure the paper sticks well to the baking sheet surface, I always grease the baking sheet with a small amount of fat beforehand.
STEP 5: Place the cookie sheet in an oven preheated to 356°F (180°C) and bake for about 10–12 minutes, until the cookies turn lightly golden.
STEP 6: Remove to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for about five minutes, and while still warm, coat each piece with a generous layer of powdered sugar.
➜ Storage
The best thing about these cookies is that they are incredibly soft right out of the oven!
I recommend keeping them in a clean paper box lined with foil. Cover the top with a paper towel and close the box with the lid. Store in a cool, dry place. Heavy cream cookies stored as described will keep for up to three weeks.
If you have any leftovers, it's no problem to freeze them. In that case, put the cookies stacked in an airtight container in the freezer, where they will last at least half a year.
➜ Useful tips
- The cookies will shrink and puff slightly as they bake, so you can arrange them relatively close together on the baking sheet.
- This cookie is perfect for family get-togethers, to treat colleagues at work, or just for coffee when unexpected guests arrive. Because they last up to three weeks, you can have them ready at home in advance.
- Czechs often cut out these cookies in the shape of stars, bells, or hearts at Christmas. Using other themed cookie cutters, you will get delicious sweets for Valentine's Day (hearts) or Easter (flowers, eggs, rounds).
More Czech cookie recipes:
- Crispy Hollow Cookies – krehulky
- Pernicky – soft gingerbread cookies with icing
- Podvodnice – raised under cold water
- Hollow Coffin cookies – Rakvičky
Or browse the category with Czech Christmas cookies for more inspiration and ideas.
Tried this recipe?
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Heavy Cream Cookies (Czech Slehackove cukrovi)
Ingredients
- 1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour (200 g)
- 1 and ¼ stick unsalted butter (140 g) softened at room temperature
- 3 and ½ Tablespoons heavy cream (50 ml)
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cup powdered sugar to coate the baked cookies
Instructions
- Put all-purpose flour, softened butter, heavy cream, and egg yolk in a large mixing bowl.
- First, use a fork to combine the wet ingredients, i.e., the egg yolk and heavy cream, with the flour. Then use your fingers to process the dough into crumbs. Turn the whole mass onto the work surface and quickly work it with your hands into a smooth, soft dough. If the dough is too sticky, dust it with a little flour while working.
- Once the dough holds together, stop kneading it. Shape it into a cylinder, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge to rest for one and a half hours.
- The dough should be chilled for just long enough so that the incorporated butter is firm and the dough can be rolled out without sticking to the rolling pin or requiring a lot of flour for dusting.
- Roll out the rested semi-firm dough to a thickness of about ⅛ inch (0.3 mm) on a work surface. Cut out various shapes with cookie cutters. Make smaller cookie shapes if possible.
- Transfer the cookie cutouts to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I use a thin pastry scraper to pick up the cookies and not damage their shape.
- Place the cookie sheet in an oven preheated to 356°F (180°C) and bake for about 10–12 minutes until the cookies turn lightly golden.
- Remove to a wire rack and let the cookies cool for about five minutes, and while still warm, coat each piece with a generous layer of powdered sugar.
Notes
- Makes about 25 heavy cream cookies.
- This cookie is one of the most popular ones baked by Czechs at Christmas. In the Czech language, it is called "šlehačkové cukroví."
- STORAGE: I recommend keeping them in a clean paper box lined with foil. Cover the top with a paper towel and close the box with the lid. Store in a cool, dry place. Heavy cream cookies stored as described will keep for up to three weeks.
- Can you freeze these cookies? Yes! If you have any leftovers, it's no problem to freeze them. In that case, put the cookies stacked in an airtight container in the freezer, where they will last at least half a year.
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
Chris
Hello! Would I be able to substitute half and half for the heavy cream? Thank you!