Mikolaychiki instead of Gingerbread Cookies: Recipe for Traditional Ukrainian Pastry.

According to ТСН: Among Ukrainian housewives, the baking of gingerbread cookies is once again at the peak of popularity. But there is another traditional baked good that deserves attention - 'Mikolaychiki'. These treats were specially prepared for St. Nicholas Day and given to children.

Recently, folklorist Yaryna Zakalska from the Center for Folklore and Ethnography shared the recipe for this pastry.

According to Yaryna, the traditional shape of this pastry resembles Saint Nicholas. They also used forms or wooden stamps in the shape of stars and moons, as heavenly bodies symbolized this saint. Often, 'mikolaychiki' were covered with icing made from egg whites and sugar.

Ingredients

• 4 cups of flour

• 2 whole eggs

• 2 yolks

• 150 g of margarine

• 1 cup of sugar

• 300 g of powdered sugar

• 150 g of honey

• 30 g of butter

Spices to taste:

• cinnamon

• ground cardamom

• vanilla sugar

• nutmeg

• ground cloves

Preparation

1. In a bowl, mix sugar, eggs, and yolks. Whip the egg-sugar mixture with a blender until light yellow.

2. In a separate bowl, sift the flour. Grate the margarine and rub it with the flour until it resembles crumbs.

3. Add the whipped eggs to this mixture. Mix the dough thoroughly.

4. In a saucepan, heat a piece of butter and add honey. When the ingredients melt, add the spices. Mix the mixture until homogeneous, heating the liquid but not bringing it to a boil. Carefully pour it into the dough.

5. Knead the dough. If it is not dense enough, you can add a few tablespoons of flour. The finished dough should be pliable.

6. Wrap the finished dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator.

7. After this, sprinkle the working surface with flour and roll out the dough to a thickness of about one centimeter. Then cut out the shapes.

8. Place the 'Mikolaychiki' on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes. In the absence of convection, the cookies may bake for up to 35 minutes.

Let us remind you that you can also try a recipe for stollen, which is prepared for Christmas. Stollen is baked a few weeks before the holiday so that it becomes saturated and gains an unmatched aroma and taste.

Baking 'Mikolaychiki' is not just a delicious dessert, but also a part of Ukrainian traditions that are passed down from generation to generation. It brings joy not only to children but also to adults, reminding about childhood holidays and family gatherings. Thus, preparing these treats can be a wonderful way to spend time with loved ones, creating an atmosphere of celebration and warmth.