Vosí hnízda – Czech Beehive Christmas Cookies

beehives czech vosí hnízda christmas cookies recipe

Vosí hnízda – Czech Beehive Christmas Cookies

These non-bake Christmas cookies just melt in your mouth. In the Czech Republic, Vosí hnízda are the ultimate holiday treat! Authentic Czech recipe for beehives / wasp nests.

Course cookies

Cuisine Czech

Keyword vánoce

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Resting Time 2

Total Time 2 45

Servings Beehives

Calories 147kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

Beehive dough:

6 ounces vanilla biscuits (170 g) Czech piskoty or in the US, vanilla wafers
⅓ cup ground walnuts (40 g)
1 stick unsalted butter (110 g)
1 and ½ cups powdered sugar (180 g)
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder unsweetened
2 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons rum

Rum custard:

1 stick unsalted butter softened at room temperature
½ cup powdered sugar (60 g)
1 egg yolk or 2 Tbsp eggnog or sweetened condensed milk
2 Tablespoons rum

Bottom base:

30 pieces round vanilla wafers Nilla Vanilla Wafers (in the US stores)

Others:

½ cup granulated sugar (100 g) to dust the cookie mold

Instructions

Cookie dough:

Grind the vanilla biscuits with a hand grinder or crush them on the work surface with a rolling pin.
Place the ground biscuits, ground nuts, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Add the butter, cutting it into smaller pieces. Pour in milk and rum.
Make a smooth dough. Gradually work the butter with your fingers, rubbing it with the other ingredients until crumbs form. Turn the mixture out onto a work surface and knead by hand into a compact dough.
Wrap the dough in cling film and put it to rest in the fridge for two hours.

Rum custard filling:

In a separate bowl, put softened butter, powdered sugar, egg yolk, and rum. Using a spoon, whip everything until light and airy (1 minute or so).

Assembling the beehive cookies:

Sprinkle half a cup of granulated sugar on a work surface.
Rinse the cookie mold with cold water and sprinkle it with the sugar inside that you have previously poured on the work surface. Tap the mold lightly to shake off the excess sugar.
Take the cookie dough out of the fridge. Scoop out a small piece of dough and squeeze it a few times in your palm. The heat in your palm will help soften the butter in the dough, making it easier to work with. Now press the dough into the prepared mold.
Carefully make a hole in the middle, either with your finger or the round end of a wooden spoon. Do not use too much pressure; the cookie won't come out easily and will tear.
Fill the hole with rum custard. I myself use a teaspoon for this.
To finish the base, use a round biscuit or wafer to seal the bottom.
Carefully tap the mold on the work surface to release the cookie.
Sprinkle the inside of the mold with sugar again (do not rinse anymore!). Repeat making beehive cookies until you have used up all the dough and filling.

Notes

Makes about 30 beehive cookies.
STORAGE: As these are unbaked sweets, stack the cookies in a resealable container and store them in a cool place, ideally in the fridge. Consume within a week.
FREEZING: Beehive cookies can also be frozen in a suitable, sealed container. The beehives will keep in the freezer for three months without any problems.
When to make beehive cookies? If this cookie is intended for the Christmas holidays, make it the day before Christmas or even on Christmas Eve. The sweets are meant to be eaten immediately; they don't need to rest.
Instead of an original beehive mold, use a small shot glass or an egg carton.

Nutrition