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The best Czech christmas cookies in the world: Linz Tarts / Nejlepsi vanocni pecivo na svete: linecka kolecka

Christmas is just around the corner and I figured I would post some Christmas recipes a little earlier (click here for more Christmas recipes) so that everyone has enough time to practice. This time I am going to show you how to make the most delicious Christmas cookies called Linecka kolecka(or some call them Linecke kolacky).They taste heavenly (I am serious) and are quite easy to make once you get the hang of it. Couple of things you need to be aware of, however: 1/ they are VERY fattening 2/the dough is made mostly of butter (hence the warning no.1) so if it becomes too soft it is almost impossible to work with (the solution to the problem is listed bellow). So roll up your sleeves and let’s go!

LINECKA KOLECKA (LINZ TARTS)

Ingredients:

  • 2 sticks (1 cup) of soft, unsalted butter
  • 2/3 (5 oz) cup of sugar
  • 1 Tsp of grated lemon rind
  • 1 Tbs vanilla extract
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 and 1/4 cups (18 oz) of all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup (6 oz) or raspberry, strawberry or red currant jelly
  • 1/4 (2 oz) of powdered sugar

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven for 325 F
  2. In a big bowl, mix in the butter, sugar, lemon grind, vanilla extract and egg yolks.
  3. Slowly mix in the 1 and 3/4 cups ofย  flour
  4. Work the mixture into a dough and place it in the fridge for about 2 hours (or overnight)
  5. Pull the dough out of the fridge and let it stand in the room temperature for a while until it is workable (about 1 hour)
  6. The hardest part: Roll out the dough onto a floured surface until it is about 1/4 inch thick (coat the pin with flour as well; as you are rolling out the dough, keep sprinkling it with a little bit of flour at the time to prevent sticking)
  7. Use cookie cutters (circle-shaped ones are the most authentic) to cut out the cookies and in half of them cut out a smaller circle in the center.
  8. Transfer the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet (use spatula for the transfer if necessary) and bake them for 10 to 12 minutes (see step 1 bellow)
  9. Once the cookies have cooled down spread half o them with jelly (see Step 2 bellow)
  10. Sprinkle the cookies “holed” cookies (i.e. cookies with holes) with with powdered sugar
  11. Put those powdered cookies on top of the jellied cookies (see Step 3 bellow)
  12. And you are done! Now taste the heaven….

My finished batch of Linecke kolacky

Some Important Tips:

– once the dough is rested enough to work with, move QUICKLY! The dough is made mostly out of butter so it basically starts to “melt away” if it gets too warm (i.e. it is impossible to cut out those cookie shapes).

– once in the oven, keep checking on the cookies – they burn quickly (I found out from a personal experience – you can see the burnt ones on the picture above)

– if you don’t have the smaller circle-shaped cookie cutter to make those little holes in the middle of a cookie, don’t worry about it; they taste great hole-less as well! I did not have them either so I tried to use a lid from a vitamin bottle but that didn’t turn out so good…

– if you find out that your dough has gotten too soft and it is hard for you to cut out those cookies, work the dough sheet into a ball again, put it in the fridge for about 30 minutes and start over

rolling out the dough is the hardest part because it keeps sticking to things. I found that sprinkling a little bit of flour here and there and working it into theย  dough helps the consistency of it.

Step one: naked Linecke kolacky

Step 2: Jellied Linecke Kolacky

Step 3: Finished Linecke Kolacky

If you liked this post buy me a coffee! (Suggested:$3 a latte $8 for a pound) Thanks!

26 comments… add one
  • Ivanhoe November 12, 2008, 1:16 pm

    I’ll see if I have time for these next month. I would like to try vanilkove rohlicky as well. They seem easier. I used to do medvedi tlapky from walnut dough (yummy rum filling), but cannot find the receipt this year :o)

  • Tanja November 12, 2008, 1:28 pm

    Did you know I have NEVER had “medvedi tlapky”??

    Tak ted se mam po cem patrat…

  • Katie November 12, 2008, 3:09 pm

    Oh yum! I saw a picture of these in the Czech cookbook we have. But since that’s in Czech, I’m so glad to have your recipe and comments here, Tanja. Thanks!

  • Michaela November 15, 2008, 11:28 am

    These are very good! In Slovakia, we also add ground walnuts into the dough. There wouldn’t be Christmas without the ‘linecka kolecka’ ๐Ÿ™‚ I can never have just ‘one’!

  • Tanja November 15, 2008, 11:31 am

    Yummy, so it is kind of a vanilkove rohlicky/linecka kolecka hybrid, right??;)

    To zni vyborne, takze to mate takoveho vanilkove rohlicky/linecka kolecka hybrida,co?

  • lenka November 19, 2008, 5:10 pm

    ahojte medvedie tlapky are similar like vanikove rohlicky with a lof of walnut taste. they are made in special form looks like bear foot. but it could be in other as well. when i will call with my mom i will try get recepies she made them so good

  • Eva December 27, 2008, 10:39 pm

    Making linecky colecky was always difficult until we learned to roll the dough between wax paper. We rolled out the dough, between two sheets of wax paper and put a dusting of flour on one side of the wax paper and then ‘flipped’ it over and cut the circles on the floured side. They come out a lot easier. Since then I’ve learned that parchment paper works even better. We’ve made these since I was little and then I eventually ‘took over’ the job Czech cookie baker for my family. What a tradition.Now it isn’t Christmas without Aunt Eve’s Czech Christmas Cookies.

  • Tanja December 27, 2008, 11:10 pm

    That’s the greatest idea! I can’t wait to try it next year…or maybe this will give me an excuse to make them for the New Year!
    Thank you “aunt Eve” ๐Ÿ™‚

  • Sarah July 13, 2009, 1:31 am

    These are great little biscuits! Good idea about the grease-proof paper too. Much easier to roll out that way and no mess all over the place with flour. Another great recipe to keep my Czech boyfried happy whilst we’re abroad! Thanks! Vanilkove rohlicky next…

  • Tanja July 13, 2009, 10:46 am

    What a great girlfriend your boyfriend has…you are a keeper!!

  • Heidi December 14, 2009, 10:05 am

    Why would anyone publish photos of burnt cookies with lumpy jam. Lady you need a lesson in baking, these would not pass as “Linzer cookies” in my house.

  • Tanja December 14, 2009, 11:44 am

    Wow Heidi, you are rude! The cookies are called ‘perfection in progress’ which are quite loved by everyone but I don’t think your mean attitude would pass in my house. Watch out for Santa’s coal!

  • Lenka November 15, 2011, 12:09 pm

    Mam otazku… Jakto ze pouzivate “all-purpose flour” a ne “cake flour”? V Cechach jsem vzdy pouzivala hladkou mouku na vsechno cukrovi vcetne lineckych kolecek. Dekuji. Lenka

  • Tanja November 15, 2011, 2:31 pm

    Ahoj Lenko, ja ani nevim proc pouzivam all-purpose flour. Je to lepsi s cake flour? Mne ty rohlicky vychazeji vyborne i kdyz to delam s all purpose flour.

  • Sandy December 21, 2011, 10:40 am

    I am making czech walnut cookies made from the tin walnut molds. I am having a problem with the dough sticking in the mold after they are baked. Any ideas on how to stop this from being a problem would help!

  • Tanja December 22, 2011, 7:34 am

    Hi Sandy, what are the cookies called?

  • Andrea January 5, 2013, 4:25 pm

    Hi Tanja –
    I made the linzer cookies (my kids call them Bobi cookies) as well as the vanilla crescents. My mother in law grew up in Budjevice and brought these recipes with her. She made them every Christmas. Last year she passed away so I made them for my family. She used the zest from 2 lemons in both recipes as well as finely chopped almonds (in the crescents) and finely chopped hazelnuts in the linzer tarts. I was looking for a palacinky recipe and found your website – I love it! My daughter and I are now going to make Palacinky!

  • Tanja January 6, 2013, 4:35 pm

    Hi Andrea!

    Sorry to hear about your MIL ๐Ÿ™

    Yes, palacinky are awesome! They are very easy and you can put pretty much anything in them. The Czech sometimes put spinach and bacon in them but that is not my favorite.

  • Jarus December 7, 2016, 1:05 pm

    Prosim jaky to ma bit ten jam a ma se jeste s necim zmichat? aby stuhl?

  • Tanja December 3, 2017, 3:04 pm

    Ahoj Jarus!

    Ja pouzivam bud rybizovy, ale ten se ve Statech tezko hleda. Kdyz neni rybizovy, tak jahodovy chutna take vyborne.

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