Czech Bear Paws | Medvědí Tlapky
A chocolate walnut spice cookie from the Czech Republic that is pressed into shaped molds. One classic shape is bear paws, which can be achieved using a madeleine pan. The cookie is dipped in vanilla powdered sugar after baking.
Ingredients
- 240 g all-purpose flour 2 cups
- 120 g powdered sugar 1 cup
- 90 g ground walnuts ¾ cup
- 35 g cocoa powder ½ cup
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- zest of one lemon
- 190 g unsalted butter, chilled 13½ tbsp
Topping
- 120 g powdered sugar 1 cup
- 1 packet vanilla sugar
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, ground walnuts, cocoa powder, spices, and lemon zest.
- Work in the butter until a cohesive dough has formed. You can do this with your hands or in a food processor.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
- Take small chunks of dough at a time, dip them in a little flour and then press them into your molds. Don't overfill the molds. Press them until they are about ¾ full.
- Place the molds on a baking sheet and bake in a 350℉ / 180℃ preheated oven for about 10 minutes, though it does depend on the size of your molds.
- Let them sit in the molds for about 10 minutes before turning the cookies out.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and vanilla sugar and then toss the warm cookies in the sugar. Place them on a rack to cool. These are best eaten a couple of days after baking.