UKRAINIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream together butter, cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks and lemon zest.
• Stir in flour, creating stiff dough.
• Mold dough into hamburger-size patties and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
• Roll patty out 1/8-1/4 inch thick, preferably on chilled marble or glass cutting board.
• Cut dough into 2 1/2 inch squares.
• Place squares on cookie sheet (ungreased is OK).
• In each square, dab about 1/3 teaspoon pastry filling.
• Fold one corner halfway over pastry so that it points to opposite corner.
• With pastry brush, dab egg white onto folded corner.
• Fold opposite corner onto folded corner.
• Press lightly to fix with egg white.
• Optional: Brush egg white over top of cookie and dust with confectioners' sugar.
• Bake cookies for 15-20 minutes or until edges are slightly brown.

Steps:

• Sift together flour, spices, powdered sugar, and baking powder. Note: powdered sugar sometimes called icing sugar, confectioners' sugar or XXX sugar, all the same thing.
• Add eggs, honey, and orange peel to make a stiff dough.
• On a floured work surface, roll out dough about 1/2 inch thick.
• Cut shapes with cookie cutter, place on nonstick baking sheet, and brush with glaze.
• Place 1/2 almond in the middle of each, sprinkle with coarse sugar, and bake in preheated 350 degrees oven until done, about 15 minutes.
• Cool on racks.
• Store in tightly covered tins.