Easy Polish Shortbread Cookies {Ciastka Kruche}

Anna

9 years ago

87 / 100

Easy Polish Shortbread Cookies {Ciastka Kruche}

I am not a big sweets person. Ok, correction, I’m not a big commercial sweets person. Store bought cakes and cookies here in the US are just too sweet for my European pallet. However, put a plate of fresh, home-baked cookies or a chocolate babka in front of me, and I have no limits. For that reason, I don’t bake often.

I have been thinking about my grandma’s shortbread cookies for about a week now. In Polish, they are called kruche ciastka, meaning crumbly cookies, because of their delicate, buttery and flaky nature. They are not super sweet, so please keep an open mind, but that just means you can eat a lot more.

My grandma would make these for us often, and it seems there was always a parchment-paper-lined shoebox full of them in her cupboard when we came to visit for a Sunday dinner.

Polish Shortbread Cookies {Ciastka Kruche}

Yields: About 40 small cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 c / 250 g of all-purpose flour
5 oz / 140 g of butter
3 egg yolks (reserve whites)
½ c / 60 g of powdered sugar
½ tsp of vanilla extract
¼ c / 60 ml of sour cream
2 tsp of baking powder
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Place flour in a mixing bowl, add butter cut into small pieces and the rest of the ingredients. Gently mix with hands until just combined and form a dough ball. Don’t work it too much, as it will make for a dense cookie.
When the mixture is combined, if you still see bits of butter, that's okay. Butter will melt while baking and make for a flaky cookie. Wrap the dough ball in plastic and refrigerate for an hour.
When ready, preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C, divide the ball into smaller portions and roll out onto a floured surface to about a ⅜ – ¼ inch / 4-5 millimeters thickness. Using your favorite cookie cutter cut out shapes and place onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Slightly beat egg whites with a fork and, using a kitchen brush, brush each cookie with egg whites and sprinkle with a pinch of granulated sugar.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

What is your favorite cookie? Please share below!

Smacznego!!

Anna

Polish Shortbread CookiesPolish Shortbread Cookies

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