Five ingredients is all it takes to make this traditional Croatian cookie recipe, known as školjkice; deliciously jam filled and coated with powdered sugar.

Skoljkice: Traditional Croatian Cookie Recipe

In English, školjkice translates to shells which has a lot to do with their full half circle shape and gently imprinted edges. Each cookie is filled with a 1/2 teaspoon of thick jam, such as a sweet plum or quince jam. Alternatively, you could also use a chocolate spread, such as Nutella for the tasty centers.

Unlike most of the other traditional Croatian desserts, these školjkice cookies with only a few ingredients is considered a quick and easy type of recipe. If you don’t have a round cookie cutter, you can use the rim of a glass to make the circle shapes in the dough.

Traditional Croatian Skoljkice Shell Cookies

Jane and Sonja

A simple 5-ingredient dessert recipe for making traditional Croatian školjkice cookies.

5 from 1 vote

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Course Dessert

Cuisine Croatian

Equipment

Stand Mixer such as KitchenAid or hand mixer
Saucepan
Fork
Rolling Pin

Ingredients

5 cups all purpose flour unbleached
2 tbsp baking powder
340 ml vegetable oil or canola oil 1 1/2 cups
170 ml water ¾ cup
thick sweet jam for the filling plum jam or quince jam

Topping

3/4 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp vanilla sugar

Instructions

Place oil and water in a small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat.
After the mixture begins boiling, put it aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Preheat over to 360F.
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl.
Slowly pour the water and oil mixture to the flour mixture.
Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
Remove the dough from the bowl and knead by hand for 1-2 minutes. If the dough feels too soft, add a bit more flour.
Divide the dough in to two balls and work one half of the dough at a time.
Sprinkle flour over a clean work surface and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it is thin (about 5mm high) and even. Typically the thinner the dough the better for this type of cookie.
Using the rim of a glass to cut circle shapes into the dough. Dip the rim in flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
Add ½ tsp of jam to the middle of each circle.
Fold one side over to make a ½ circle shape.
Use a fork and gently presss along the sides to seal the edges leaving light indents around the half circle.
Move the cookies on to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and after 5 minutes transfer them to a cooling rack.
Combine a small bowl full of icing and vanilla sugar.
While skoljkice cookies are still warm, dip them into the sugar mixture to coat and put aside to cool completely.