Spring has come and with it, the return of birds chirping, bees buzzing, and plenty of sunshine. Well, that all depends on where in the world you are I suppose. Nevertheless, in my neck of the woods, everything is waking up, plants and animals alike, including bees. So to celebrate the arrival of Spring, today I’m sharing with you an old recipe that I enjoyed as a kid. Košnice, or beehive cookies are traditional cookies found on many cookie trays. The shape can vary depending on the type of mold and they can be either contain eggs and dairy or be vegan. This particular recipe I’ve adapted so that it can be both with the substitutions of a few ingredients.
I love pretty cookies. Sure the taste is important as well, but I eat with my eyes first, as do most people. Ever hear of the phrase “it tastes better than it looks”? That definitely doesn’t apply here because these Košnice cookies have such a unique and interesting shape that will surely draw some attention if you decide to make them. I like to make these for special occasions but they would make a truly unforgettable addition to any party spread or bake sale.
To make these cookies vegan, simply leave out the filling or better yet substitute the filling with another one. Some vegan options are:
- Peanut or Almond Butter
- Jam
- Vegan hazelnut spread/posni krem
These cookies can be personalized in so many ways. The filling can be anything you’d like. I personally love Nutella and the traditional filling I have shared below. But you can use pretty much anything you’d like for a sweet surprise in the center.
If you haven’t guessed by now, you’ll need a mold to make these cookies. I found mine on Amazon by simply searching “beehive cookie mold”. If you’re lucky to be traveling to the Balkans soon, I’d look for them there as an alternative.
I hope you give these beautiful, tasty cookies a try. I just know you’ll love them.
Looking for more dessert ideas? Check out the dessert section here and for more vegan receipes, check out the Vegan/Posno section here!
Košnice/Beehive Cookies
Course: DessertCuisine: Balkan, Serbian12
servings30
minutes15
minutesSweet little beehive cookies are the perfect dessert for spring or summer events!
Ingredients
- Cookie Base
2 cups (300 g) powdered sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) orange juice
1.5 cups (250 g) ground Plazma/Lane biscuits/Plazma keks
2 cups (220 g) ground walnuts
1 sheet Oblanda/Oblatna
- Filling
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup (70 g) sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (1 kesica)
1/2 cup + 4 tablespoons (170 g) margarine
Directions
- Filling
- In a heatproof bowl, add the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla sugar.
- Place the bowl over a small saucepan containing a cup or so of water. Make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Turn the heat to medium-high and begin to whisk the sugar and eggs together. Continue whisking continuously until the water comes to a boil. When the water boils, reduce the heat to low and continue whisking the eggs and sugar quickly. The mixture will get thicker. After the mixture thickens considerably (4-5 minutes) remove the bowl from the heat.
- Leave the mixture to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
- Once the mixture has cooled, in a separate bowl, whip the margarine until light and airy (1 minute or so). Then, transfer the cooled mixture to the margarine and whip together until incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Cookie Base
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, ground walnuts, Plazma keks/Lane Biscuits, and orange juice. Using your hands, mix all of the ingrediants together to form a dough. This may take a few minutes to achieve. The dough will be slightly dry but moldable. Keep kneading until ingredients are incorporated. Set aside.
- Assembly
- Place your mold on top of a sheet of Oblanda/Oblatna. With a knife, cut out a circle the size of the mold. Then, using this cut out circle, trace and cut out more circles (10-12) if using large molds or double the amount if using smaller molds. You can cut out more as needed as you go as well.
- Dust your mold with sugar ( I use regular, granulated) and fill them with the cookie base. Make sure to press the mixture along the sides of the mold and fill all the way. Then, take a chopstick or other long thin item and poke a hole in the center. Be careful not to insert it too deep so it does not pierce the top of the cookie. Widen the hole by moving the chopstick in a circular motion carefully.
- Fill the hole with the prepared filling. Spread some filling on the bottom surface of the cookie and then place a cut out circle of oblanda/oblatna to act as the bottom of the cookie.
- Turn the cookie upright and slowly release from the mold. Set aside and repeat until you have used up all of the ingredients.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- If using large molds, you may have some filling left over.
- Use anything you’d like to fill these cookies, I love to use Nutella!
- Keep these refrigerated until ready to serve. If not using a filling, these cookies can be covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature.
Follow me on Instagram so you never miss a post!
