Vánoční cukroví

The huge group of traditional Czech Christmas cookies are united under the name vánoční cukroví. It consists of numerous varieties of traditional sweets that are made with various basic and additional ingredients, shaped into different forms, ornately decorated, and served during Christmastime.

The most famous varieties are simple butter cookies, appearing in numerous versions such as wafer cookies, crescents, gingerbread cookies, and liquor-infused balls. The most common ingredients used in the preparation of the cookies are ground or whole nuts, white and black chocolate, marzipan, vanilla, honey, coconut, different jams, or rum.

Most Czech families bake more than one variety and start to prepare their traditional assortment in the beginning of December. The recipes are usually passed through generations, and the extensive preparation remains a vital part of Czech Christmas tradition.