Six 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. But keep in mind a circular cutter with a diameter of 3″ works the best for these cookies.
Traditional Croatian Skoljkice Shell Cookies
Equipment
- Stand Mixer such as KitchenAid or hand mixer
- Saucepan
- Fork
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 5.5 cups all purpose flour unbleached
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
- 1.5 cups vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 cups water
- 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.
- As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, put it aside to cool for 10 minutes in a different bowl.
- 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.
Nutrition
More Traditional Croatian Dessert Recipes:
For more classic Croatian dessert recipes, check out these tasty options:
- Croatian kiflice
- Homemade pie crust recipe
- Best-ever Carrot Cake recipe
- Easy zucchini cake with currants recipe
- Chocolate and coconut coated mini cakes recipe
Chocolate & Coconut Heart Cakes 
Homemade pie crust 
Zucchini Cake with Berries 
Moist Carrot Cake 
Jam Filled Crescent Cookies
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Oh these are perfect!!! I used coconut oil instead of vegetable but no other changes. I used blueberry jam for half and strawberry for the other. The dough was a different consistency that I was used to, but I love that these weren’t overly sweet. The texture was quite similar to shortbread. I can’t wait to share with others!
Those sound amazing Whitney. We’ll have to try with coconut oil too. Thank you so much for sharing your experience!
Have a great day.
Jane