Crispy Hollow Cookies (Czech Krehulky)

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.

Course cookies

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Czech Christmas

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings cookies

Calories 37kcal

Author Petra Kupská

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.

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