Vanocni Cukrovi (Czech Susenky Christmas Cookies)

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/30/22
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Czech Susenky Christmas Cookie (Vanocni Cukrovi)

The Spruce / Christine Ma
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Chill:: 60 mins
Total: 110 mins
Servings: 30 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
153 Calories
8g Fat
18g Carbs
2g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 30
Amount per serving
Calories 153
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 33mg 11%
Sodium 66mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0g 2%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 7mg 1%
Iron 1mg 5%
Potassium 25mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Czech susenky (soo-SHEN-kee) are popular cookies served for special occasions and at Christmas, when they become vanocni cukrovi (vah-NAWTCH-nee koo-KRAW-vee). This basic recipe can be transformed into different cookies by varying the shape and sandwiching them together with jam or cookie filling, decorating with different-colored icings, dusting with confectioners' sugar, or leaving plain. The recipes for this traditional sweet are truly endless.

"These buttery Czech Christmas cookies are perfect for holidays and special occasions. They can be iced, dusted, filled, or dipped in chocolate. After a brief chill in the fridge, the cookie dough is extremely easy to roll and cut. I got about 4 1/2 dozen 2 1/2-inch cookies (unfilled)." —Diana Rattray

Recipe Test: Czech Susenky Christmas Cookies
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces butter, softened

  • 3/4 cup sugar

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 4 cups (510 grams) all-purpose flour

  • Icing, optional, for garnish

  • Jam, optional, for garnish

  • Confectioners' sugar, optional, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 F.

    Ingredients for Czech susensky

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  2. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

    Fluff butter
    The Spruce

  3. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until completely incorporated.

    eggs and vanilla added to the butter mixture in the bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  4. Add the flour and mix into a smooth dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cookie dough for 1 hour.

    cookie dough in a bowl

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  5. Working with half of the dough at a time, roll the chilled dough between pieces of parchment paper to 1/8-inch thick or 3/16-inch thickness, if sandwiching cookies together.

    rolled out dough on parchment paper

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  6. Remove top piece of parchment paper and cut dough into various shapes. Since the dough doesn't expand much when baking, a mere 1/2-inch space between cookies will be fine. If at any time the dough is getting too soft, refrigerate it for a few minutes and then continue.

    dough cut into cookie shapes

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  7. If making sandwiched cookies, cut an even number of plain cookies and an even number of cookies of the same shape that have had a small "window" cut out with a thimble or piping tip so the jam or filling will peek through.

    Cut an even number of plain cookies

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  8. Remove the scraps and, grabbing the parchment paper by opposite corners, place it on a sheet pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown, they should remain light but still be baked through.

    cookies on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  9. Cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Excess dough can be wrapped and refrigerated.

    cookies on a cooling rack

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  10. If sandwiching cookies together, sprinkle confectioner's sugar over cookies with a "window." Spread jam or filling on "window-less" cookies.

    cookies with jam on top

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

  11. Place confectioners' sugar cookies on top of the jammed cookies to create sandwiches.

    Czech Susenky Christmas Cookie (Vanocni Cukrovi) on a plate

    The Spruce / Christine Ma

Recipe Variation

  • If decorating with icing, it can be left plain white or tinted with powdered or paste food coloring (liquid food coloring will dilute the icing, but if that happens, just add more confectioners' sugar). You can sprinkle with coarse sugar, chocolate sprinkles, or whatever your heart desires.


How to Store Baked Cookies and Cookie Dough

  • Transfer cooled cookies to an airtight container, separating layers with sheets of wax paper to keep them from sticking together, and store them in a cool, dry place. Filled cookies will last 3 to 4 days, while iced or uniced cookies will last up to 2 weeks.
  • To free undecorated, unfilled cookies, transfer them to an airtight container. Label the container with the name and date and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost the cookies at room temperature and decorate or fill as desired.