How To Make Croatian Christmas Cookies – Two Ways

Instructions

Jam Cookies

1. Rub the flour and butter in a large bowl with your fingers
2. Mix in the cream, egg yolks, salt and lemon juice & lemon rind with your hands until it turns into a pastry ball. Let it rest for 1 hour
3. Warm the oven at 180°C. Prepare a baking tray lined with baking paper
4. Roll the pastry out to a thickness of 3-4mm
5. With cookie cutters cut out the shape of your choice. Remember to make an even number of cookies with and without holes
6. Bake for about ten mins - or until light brown. Repeat until all the cookies are baked and allow them to cool
7. Spoon the jam onto the cookies without holes - you can also use a piping bag to make the jam application easier. Add the second cookie on top - if needed add a little more jam to the center
8. Finally, arrange the cookies on a plate and sprinkle them with powdered sugar or you could do as Christine - a reader suggested and brush the top with egg white, and dip them in ground walnuts, instead of the powdered sugar. Either way - dobar tek.

Coconut Balls

1. Warm the water with butter and sugar in a medium-size bowl
2. When it comes to a boil, simmer for another 5 minutes and set aside to cool slightly
3. Add to the bowl vanilla, powdered milk and half of the desiccated coconut, stir through and pop in the fridge to cool - while you are waiting for it to cool
4. Once cooled, roll the mixture into small balls - adding a skinned hazelnut into the center of each coconut ball
5. Roll each of the balls into more desiccated coconut, place onto a decor