Baltic Christmas Day 12 - 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas Cookie Exchange

Day 12 of 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas is a round-up of the top cookie recipes from the 6 years the series has been running! Read on for a sampling of sweets from across the Baltics!

Last week we were invited to a kids Christmas cookie party; each family brought a batch of their favorite Christmas cookie, and upon leaving, the kids were given a bag containing a cookie from every batch that came. I’ve made all sorts of holiday cookies, from linzer tortes to gingerbread, but my ‘favorite’ is the Latvian piparkūka. We had made dough a few weeks ago and had a few hours to spare, so we made quick work of baking a batch. We had a lot of fun at the cookie exchange, and came home with a bag of goodies that aren’t in our usual reportoire – which made it all the more special!

While our piparkūkas  were a lovely addition to the bunch, I realized that in recent years they’ve dominated our cookie trays – it’s time to try something new. While looking for ideas, I was impressed with the number of recipes that have accumulated in the series. And while some are similar across the Baltics – piparkūkas in Latvia, piparkoogid in Estonia – others are rather unique to one of the three countries. I present to you, the favorite cookie recipes from 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas!

First of all, the Latvian Christmas cookie that pretty much started it all.... the piparkūka. While living in France I was sharing daily Christmas posts about our life in France, and upon returning to the US I had the idea of sharing Latvian holiday customs. The first thing that popped into my mind was piparkūkas, but I knew I couldn’t write about them, much less share a recipe, when half the time my dough is sticky enough to warrant 2-inch thick cookies. So I asked my mother (who makes the 200+ pounds of dough for the Latvian School of Chicago’s bake sale) if she would write hers up... and the rest is history. A Baltic Christmas 2014, Day 5.

I must follow this up with yesterday’s recipe, the vegan version of the piparkūka. Annelī worked on this recipe for a couple of years, and after tasting the result this Thanksgiving, I have to admit that I couldn’t distinguish hers from the non-vegan version. A Baltic Christmas 2019, Day 11.

And for a slight variation on the cookie, try Estonian food writer’s favorite Christmas cake, Pehme piparkook. Her 2015 post also contains link to her piparkoogid recipe. A Baltic Christmas 2015, Day 6.

According to the cookbook “The Food and Cooking of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania" (Igauņu, latviešu, lietuviešu ēdieni is the version I have), these ginger and white chocolate cookies are traditional holiday cookies in the Baltics. I won’t argue, and instead will include them in our list. A Baltic Christmas 2015, Day 10.

An absolutely essential addition to this list is the traditional Lithuanian Christmas Eve cookie, kūčiukai. June from the blog My Food Odyssey shared why kūčiukai are a part of her family’s Christmas. A Baltic Christmas 2014, Day 22.

The first year of the series also saw Sandra’s recipe for zaķu austiņas, the Latvian fried Christmas cookie that will have you doubling the recipe every time. A Baltic Christmas 2014, Day 13.

The Lithuanian equivalent of zaķu austiņas  would be žagarėliai. In 2016, author Jenn Virskus shared her memories of making these fried treats with her Teta. A Baltic Christmas 2016, Day 14.

If you think Aleksandra kūka isn’t a cookie, tell that to the Chicago Tribune, as the Latvian recipe appeared in the Holiday Cookie Contest edition in 2014. The Estonians also have their version: Aleksandrikook. A Baltic Christmas 2016, Day 21.

These Lithuanian, mushroom-shaped morsels are a showstopper for the cookie exchange! A Latvian living in Lithuania shared his girlfriend’s family recipe, including tips on where to find the mold and how to finish with a glaze and poppyseeds. A Baltic Christmas 2019, Day 10.

While not a cookie, per se, these cranberry sparks made the list because they are the perfect tiny sweet to bring to a family gathering, that pack a ton of flavor in each spark! In her post on the sugared cranberries, Kristīna explains how it took a chemist’s report to ascertain how these delicious treats are made. A Baltic Christmas 2018, Day 17.

Also not exactly a cookie, Latvian kanēļmaizītes are a welcome addition to every Christmas sweets table. The dough for these delicacies is equally delicious in pīrāgi and poppyseed rolls, making the cinnamon buns versatile as well as addictive. A Baltic Christmas 2017, Day 13.

Hungry yet? I hope you’ve gained some sweet inspiration from Day 12! Stay tuned for a more savory dish tomorrow on Day 13 of 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas...