Crispy Hollow Cookies (Czech Krehulky)
These traditional yet lesser-known Czech Christmas cookies, called "Křehulky," are renowned for their incredible delicacy and crispness. To make these cookies, you need only two basic ingredients: eggs and sugar.
Servings 24 cookies
Calories 37kcal
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks at room temperature
- 1 whole egg at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice freshly pressed
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the molds. Grease them thoroughly, preferably with solid fat rather than liquid oil.
- Place 2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg, including the white, into a large mixing bowl. Add 1 ½ cups powdered sugar. Add ½ teaspoon vanilla paste and ½ teaspoon lemon juice.
- Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture until it becomes fluffy and creamy. Be patient, as this process takes about 15 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared molds, filling them about ⅔ full. Avoid filling them to the brim, as the cookies will puff up during baking.
- Preheat the oven to
300 °F and place the baking sheet with the filled molds inside. The cookies will rise in 5–10 minutes. Once they do, reduce the oven temperature to 220 °F and bake for an additional 30 minutes. - Towards the end of the baking time, remove one mold and let it cool for a bit. Carefully remove the cookie from the mold, cut it in half, and check if it is fully baked inside, ensuring there are no wet parts.
- If the cookie is dry and crispy, remove the baking sheet with the remaining pieces from the oven and let them cool for a bit.
- Carefully remove the cookies from the molds by gently twisting the top of each cookie sticking out of the mold to release it. There should not be a need to tap the mold on the table.
Notes
- The basic recipe 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 and may collapse due to moisture.
Nutrition
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