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    Home » Czech Christmas Cookies

    Czech Christmas Cookies – Masarykovo Cukroví

    Published: Dec 17, 2020 · Modified: Jan 3, 2022 by Petra Kupská

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    This Christmas cookie might be a bit forgotten, but they are delicious and easy to make! We’re talking about the Masaryk cookies, the favorite Christmas treat of the first Czechoslovak president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.

    Masarykovo cukroví Czech Christmas Cookies
    Table of Contents show
    What Is Masarykovo cukroví?
    Ingredients
    Instructions
    Who was Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk?
    Masarykovo Cukroví

    What Is Masarykovo cukroví?

    It’s a type of traditional Christmas cookies, a favorite of the first Czechoslovak president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.

    Masarykovo cukroví is oval-shaped and resembles coat buttons. Because of this, it’s often called Masaryk’s buttons.

    MY TIP: What Do Czechs Eat at Christmas?

    Ingredients

    Hazelnuts are the main ingredient of these Christmas cookies. They’re used whole, and you should soak them in water in advance so that they’re softer.

    To make Masaryk’s Christmas cookies, you’ll need:

    • All-purpose flour
    • Powdered sugar
    • Unsalted butter
    • Egg yolk
    • Whole raw hazelnuts; with skin on
    • Vanilla; paste or extract

    Some people even add cocoa or rum. It depends on your taste, but I personally find this simple recipe to be the best.

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

    Instructions

    The preparation process is straightforward; Masarykovo cukroví can be done even by absolute beginners. You don’t need any special kitchenware, not even Christmas cookie cutters.

    STEP 1: Soak whole hazelnuts in the water in advance (at least 1 hour).

    STEP 2: Beat butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla together. Put in the flour and the soaked hazelnuts.

    STEP 3: Make two thin loaves out from the dough and freeze for a while.

    Masarykovo cukroví dough

    STEP 4: Slice the cooled-down loaf into slices about ¾ inches thick. Place them on a piece of baking paper.

    STEP 5: Bake the cookies for 15 minutes until the surface turns a light brown color. Coat the still-warm cookies in powdered sugar.

    baked Masarykovo cukroví

    TIP: Ask your kids to help you make Masarykovo cukroví! It’s easy enough for them to help you, and you’ll have a great time together as a family.

    Czech Masarykovo Christmas cookies.

    Read also: Czech Christmas Folk Traditions

    Who was Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk?

    Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (also known as TGM, or President Liberator by his contemporaries) was a Czech politician who managed to convince the Entente in WWI to split up Austria-Hungary and create separate countries instead.

    Tomáš Masaryk became the President of the First Czechoslovak Republic, the only persisting interwar democratic state in Central Europe, and held the office for most of its existence.

    He resigned in 1935, shortly before WWII, due to his old age.

    Today, he is fondly remembered as one of the most important Czechs in history and the Czechoslovak Republic’s first president.

    More Czech Christmas cookies:

    • Linecké cukroví – Czech Linzer cookies
    • Vanilkové cukroví – vanilla crescents
    • Vosí hnízda – beehive nests

    Or browse the category Christmas cookies

    Recipe card

    Masarykovo cukroví

    Masarykovo Cukroví

    An authentic recipe for Czech Christmas cookies with whole hazelnuts.
    Print Pin
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 30 pieces
    Author: Petra Kupská
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: cookies
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: cukroví, vánoce

    Ingredients

    • 1 and ⅓ cups (170 g) all-purpose flour
    • ⅓ cup (40 g) powdered sugar
    • 1 stick (112 g) unsalted butter
    • ¾ cup (100 g) raw hazelnuts
    • 1 egg yolk
    • vanilla essence
    • powdered sugar to coat cookies

    Instructions

    • Soak the whole hazelnuts in warm water at least an hour in advance.
    • Beat the butter, yolk, and powdered sugar into a smooth mixture.
    • Add all-purpose flour and vanilla essence.
    • Knead the dough with your hands quickly.
    • Take out the nuts, let them dry off, and knead them into the dough.
    • Split the dough into 2 halves, and make a thin loaf about 1.5-2 inches (3-5 cm) thick from both. Wrap them in a plastic foil and leave them to rest in the fridge, ideally overnight.
    • Preheat the oven to 170 °C (340 °F).
    • Slice each loaf into slices about ½ inch (1,5 cm) thick.
    • Lay them on a baking paper-lined tray and let them bake for 15 minutes until slightly golden.
    • Take the tray out of the oven. Coat the cookies from all sides with powdered sugar.

    Notes

    You can store the cookies in a closed jar. If accidentally some cookies left, you can also freeze them 🙂

    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
    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.
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    « Czech Christmas Folk Traditions
    Linzer Cookies – Czech Linecké Cukroví »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Perrin

      January 02, 2022 at 11:17 am

      You are not specific about what kind of hazelnut to use…roasted, salted, fried or raw?

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská

        January 03, 2022 at 10:54 am

        I apologize for the inaccuracy in the recipe. These are raw hazelnuts, which should be soaked in water beforehand to soften them a bit.

        Reply

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    Hi there, I’m Petra, 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 →

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