A truly delicious treat. Traditionally made for the Christmas Holidays but enjoyed any time. A plateful will always be the hit of the Cookie Table.Difficulty: Expert
Cuisine Eastern European
Keyword cookies, Favorite
Method Oven
Prep Time 8 hourshours
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Filing Time 3 hourshours
Total Time 12 hourshours
Servings 4Dozen
Equipment
Small Mixing Bowl
Large Mixing Bowl
Rolling Pin
Several Baking Sheets
Dough Blender (Hand tool)
Electric Mixer
4 Dozen Wooden, Split Clothespins (Seasoned)
INGREDIENTS
DOUGH
2Eggs
1CupWater
1TbspSugar
3CupsFLOUR
1CupCrisco - 1/4 Cup each use
FILLING
5TbspFlour
1CupMilk
1CupSugar
1CupCrisco
2tspVanilla
INSTRUCTIONS
DOUGH
Combine Eggs, Water & 1 Tbsp Sugar in small bowl
Combine Flour, 1/4 Cup Crisco in a large bowl using Dough Blender (Hand tool) until mixture looks like small beans.
Add Eggs & Water. Using your hands, mix thoroughly and roll into large ball in the bowl.
Place in refrigerator for 2 Hours.
Roll Dough Ball out on floured surface and spread with another 1/4 cup of Crisco.
Fold inCrisco and place back in Fridge for 2 more hours.
Repeat Fold-in 3 times.
Leave in fridge afer last Fold-in for the last 2 hours.
Preheat Oven to 375°F.
Roll dough on floured surface to 1/8" thick.
Using Pizza Cutter, slice into 1" wide Strips and crosscut into 4" Lengths.
Wrap around Seasoned Clothespins*and place as many as will fit on a baking sheet. Do NOT grease pan.
Bake for 10 Minutes.
Using Oven Mitts, Strip the Cookies off of clothespins while still hot and carefully place on a room temp Baking Sheet in a SINGLE layer to cool.
FILLING
Heat 5 Tbsp FLOUR & 1 Cup MILK without scalding.
Mix in 1 Cup SUGAR, 1 Cup CRISCO, and 2 tsp VANILLA
Whip until smooth with a hand mixer until no granules of Sugar are left.
After Cookies are room temp, Use a Large Pastry Bag and a Star Tip to fill cookies from both ends.
Filling is best done with 2 people. One to pick up and hold each cookie - rotating 180° after first end is filled so 2nd person can fill the other end. The cookies are too delicate for one person to do it all - Handle cookies, fill, refill, and squeeze pastry bag and place filled cookies a container for storage.
Place in container and freeze for use throughout the season. A large rectangular tin with lid is best.
Notes
* - Seasoned Clothespins are Round, non-spring wooden Pins seasoned by soaking in cooking oil and then baking at 350°F for at least 20 minutes to prevent new pins from absorbing Crisco from the dough and causing the dough to stick to the pins. (Once seasoned, Pins may be used many times. Reseasoning is not needed.)Cookies freeze well once filled.