Make dough: In a bowl, combine flour, ground nuts, sugar, and lemon zest. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add egg yolks and vanilla, knead gently until dough forms. Wrap and chill for 30–45 minutes.
Roll & cut: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll dough on a floured surface to ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Cut into small rounds, stars, or hearts (Hungarians love decorative shapes).
Bake: Place on a parchment-lined tray and bake for 10–12 minutes, until lightly golden.
Assemble: Once cooled, spread jam on one cookie and sandwich with another.
Finish: Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
✨ Why they’re “treasures”:
These cookies often appear alongside Linzer cookies, Vaníliás kifli, Beigli, and Mézeskalács (honey cookies) on Hungarian Christmas platters.
They keep beautifully in tins for a week or more, and the flavors get even better as they rest.
Ashley, would you like me to also give you the recipe for the Zserbó (Gerbeaud slice)—the layered walnut, apricot jam, and chocolate-topped Hungarian “treasure” that many consider the crown jewel of holiday baking?
