Even though this year has been challenging in many ways, Christmas is time to set back and enjoy the little things life has offered us. Bake some cookies, turn up the Christmas music, and enjoy the candlelight and the tree.
As this year, I can not visit my family and friends back home, I decided to bake all the goodies from my childhood, including these amazingly soft sandwich cookies with marmalade, or as we originally call them, Vanilice.
This recipe is maybe one of the most popular recipes in Balkan countries and is usually made for special occasions. They are simply a must-have when it comes to Christmas baking, and today's recipe has been used in my family for generations. Whereas they might look simple, they bring so many memories along, from Christmases spent with family, my grandparents, and the time when I used to bake them with my mom and sisters.
Mom always found a way to include us in baking, and making these cookies was a really special, sweet project my sisters and I loved. Our job was to fill them with marmalade and then pass them through the icing sugar with our tiny, sticky hands. Many of them were eaten right away, just to confirm that the recipe is right.

The recipe is very straightforward and easy to make, and once you try them, you will bake batches and batches more. The secret about these cookies is that the more they last, the better they get - so don't worry about making too many - these cookies will be perfect even after a few days after the baking.

The dough is made with lard instead of butter, which makes them incredibly soft and delicious. The dough is easy to make, with simple ingredients, and from one batch, you can have around 26 to 30 cookies, depending on the size you have. We usually fill them with my mom's homemade cornelian berry jam, but any good quality jam could work. Ensure it's not too runny, as assembling might get tricky if your jam is not firm enough. Just a half teaspoon of marmalade is enough for one cookie as in that way, they are perfectly bite-size cookies that you can serve during the holidays.

Try making them this holiday season, and make sure to leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @thehungryapron, as I would love to hear your opinion!

I wish you all Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

Soft Sandwich Christmas Cookies
Vanilice
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 2O 

200g high-quality lard*

5 tbsp sugar

Zest of ½ lemon

1 egg and 1 egg yolk

400-500g all-purpose flour*

Jam of your choice

Icing sugar for dusting

METHOD

In a large bowl, with a hand mixer beat the lard until soft and creamy for about 2 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk, and lemon zest. Beat on medium until incorporated. Add in sugar, gradually add flour, and mix everything with a spatula or with your hands. The dough is ready when soft and not sticky to touch. Leave the dough to rest a room temperature for 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, make cookies using a small cup, or a round cookie cutter. The perfect diameter is around 4cm.

Bake for around 12-15 minutes, just until the edges are slightly golden. The cookies should remain bright and almost white. Let them cool completely, then assemble by making cookie sandwiches - add a ½ tsp of marmalade on the cookie's bottom side, then cover with another cookie, so they form a sandwich. In a shallow bowl, place icing, sugar, and roll every cookie sandwich until both sides are covered. Repeat until all your cookies are used.

These cookies can be stored for a week in an air-tight container. They are better with time, so you can prepare more in advance without worrying that they will dry. You can freeze them as well for 3 months.

*Note: If you don't have lard, you can use butter or shortening as well, but lard is highly recommended as it makes these cookies extremely soft.
As for flour, start adding a bit at a time. The dough is ready once it doesn't stick to your hands.

Christmas season is here and I am doing some last decorations this weekend. Even though I promise myself every year that next one I will start decorating way earlier than December, I somehow end up putting decorations just before Christmas. Even though I started late, the house has this cozy holiday feeling and I enjoy Christmas lights on our tree. With the new house in the countryside, I went for simple, rustic decorations and a classic red and green tree. I also fell in love with paper stars and made a few to hang all over the house. Have you ever made them? Instagram is filled with tutorials and I really had so much fun making them! Simple, yet so elegant and pretty. It only takes 5 minutes to make them and if you are interested, Linda from Call me Cupcake has a great tutorial on how to make them.

This year surprisingly I've finished all Christmas shopping pretty early and all the presents are ready to be open under the Christmas tree. If you are still looking for interesting last-minute presents, check my Holiday Gift Guide. The selection is carefully picked among my favorite small shops, creatives, and crafters. The guide is inspired by slow living and authentic work and items selected are great for any occasion, not just Christmas. 

This weekend I will be doing most of the baking, which includes also batches of different Christmas cookies. If you are tired of classic shortbread cookies, today I am bringing a slightly different version that will definitely make your holiday afternoons sweet and enjoyable. In the last year, I have used Earl Grey tea in many of my recipes and I really loved the aroma and the taste it gave to my cakes. Usually, the recipes call for a prepared tea mixed in with milk for creams or cake mixtures, but we will be using finely ground tea leaves for these Earl Grey Christmas Cookies. The final result will be sweet-scented cookies and I am sure everyone who tries them will appreciate the little twist you gave to a standard shortbread cookie recipe.

You could even make more of the same cookie dough and make varieties - for example in one add Earl Grey tea, in one cocoa powder and in one gingerbread spice mixture. With one similar mixture, you will obtain totally different cookies, perfect for homemade gifts! Wrap them and make cookie gift-boxes for your colleagues and friends, or even use them as a name tag on your Christmas table. Or simply, enjoy them in your afternoon, with a book or near the fireplace. That's what we will be doing in the next few days.

Hope your holidays will be relaxing and sweet! 

Earl Grey Christmas Cookies
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 20 
Prep.time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

250g all-purpose flour

60g fine brown sugar

100g butter, cold from the fridge

1 egg, lightly whisked

2 tsp fresh Earl Grey Tea (finely ground)

a pinch of salt

METHOD

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, earl grey tea, chopped butter, egg, and salt. With top of your fingers, knead your dough until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Have ready two baking paper sheets where you will place cookies.
Roll out your dough (4-5 mm thickness) and cut cookies using cookie cutters. Repeat rolling and cutting, until all your dough is used.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven. They are ready as soon as the edges are golden. Remove from oven, place on the wire rack until completely cool. Sprinkle with some powdered sugar and enjoy!

do you need more christmas inspiration?

Try some of the following recipes:

Austrian Linzer Cookies

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

No-bake chocolate walnut bars

Chocolate bundt cake with spices 

By now, we all know about my love for chocolate. This time I am sharing a super delicious recipe that is so easy to prepare, and you get the fluffiest chocolate cookies ever.  I must warn you before reading the recipe that these cookies might create dependence on how good they are!

Fluffy and soft at the same time, rich in flavor, these chocolate crinkle cookies will make you fall in love with them! 

Should I mention how pretty they look?
When I first baked them over the Christmas holidays I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get that nice "crinkle look" but the preparation process for these cookies is so simple that you will love them even more!
You will be able to pool them off in such a short time and with few, basic ingredients.  Aren't they just so inviting?
Try them this weekend and let me know what you think! Happy baking!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 16
Prep.time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 10 minutes

130g all-purpose flour

50g unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

100g fine brown sugar

pinch of salt

60ml vegetable oil

2 large eggs

100g powder sugar for coating

METHOD

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix oil and brown sugar. Beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating on medium-low speed until combined. Then gradually add the flour mixture, and beat on medium-low speed until blended.
Form the dough into a large ball and place it on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap the plastic around it so that it is sealed tightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (I usually leave them overnight) until the dough is chilled completely.
When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Prepare your baking pan and cover it with baking paper. Scoop the powder sugar into a small bowl.
Remove and unwrap the dough. With a teaspoon, take a small portion of the mixture once at the time, roll into balls and dip each ball in the powdered sugar until it is completely covered on all sides, and then place the dough balls at least 5 cm apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes. The cookies might seem a bit soft but they will harden once they cool down. Transfer the cookies to a serving plate, and let them cool until they reach room temperature.
Serve immediately, or store in a sealed container for up to 5 days.  

It's almost Christmas. People around the world are getting ready to hug their family and friends again, gather near the fireplace and once more enjoy this beautiful season. Hearts are full of joy. The smell of cinnamon and orange peels warms up the house. Mothers are baking dozens of cookies and family treats.  Chestnut roasting on an open fire, warm drinks, and family stories. Christmas magic is in the air.
Christmas season makes me think of my childhood and baking cookies with my mom and sisters. The perfume of vanilla powdered sugar, jars of homemade marmalade and our little sticky hands making sandwich cookies. One or two were always eaten during the making process, for the sake of quality testing.
Linzer cookies are traditional Austrian desserts, usually made with almonds or hazelnuts, very soft and delicate. Topped with homemade marmalade, these cookies can stay fresh for days and even get better few days after the baking. For this specific recipe I used cornelian cherry marmalade that my mother makes every year, but you can use any kind of jam/marmalade you want. You can make them in advance and gift them to your family and friends for Christmas.
Scroll for the recipe and add Linzer cookies to your Christmas baking list.
Happy holidays! Make them unforgettable!

Austrian Linzer cookies
Marija Gvozdenovic

INGREDIENTS

Serves 16

Prep.time:

Baking time:

1 large egg

115g unsalted butter

125g ground almonds

250g + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

100g light brown sugar @eridaniaitalia

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

powdered sugar for dusting

raspberry jam (I used cornelian cherry jam, but any kind of jam works fine)

METHOD

In a bowl mix together butter and sugar, and by using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.

In another bowl, mix ground almonds, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add to butter mixture and beat again with a hand mixer on low speed until combined. Form dough into two flattened disks, wrap each with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Have ready 2 baking paper sheets where you will place cookies. Also, you will need a fluted cookie cutter and one smaller cutter for cutting out the top of the cookies.
Roll out your dough (4-5 mm thickness) and cut cookies using a fluted cutter. With a smaller cookie cutter, cut the centers out of half of your cookies (you need an even number so you can make cookie sandwiches). Repeat rolling and cutting, until both pieces of your dough are used.

Bake until the edges are golden, 11-13 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove from oven, place on wire racks until completely cool. Lightly sift powdered sugar over the decorative tops; set aside. Spread a 1/2 tsp of jam on the bottoms of each cookie, and cover with the sugar-dusted tops. Enjoy!