Buttery dough, powdered sugar, fragrant cinnamon, and delicate vanilla extract come together to create simple homemade cookies in the familiar S-shape. Baked Esíčka delight with their tender texture and pleasantly spiced flavor.
This retro recipe requires no cutting or complicated decorating. Simply transfer the finished dough into a piping bag, shape approximately 3.5 cm S-shaped cookies, and bake them briefly. They pair perfectly with coffee, tea, or as a small homemade treat for guests.
What You’ll Need
- 70 g powdered sugar,
- 125 g softened butter,
- 1 egg,
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract,
- 200 g plain flour,
- 1 teaspoon baking powder.
Step-by-Step Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven: Set the oven to 180°C so it’s fully heated when it’s time to bake. Line your baking trays with parchment paper, which you’ll use to shape the cookies later.
2. Cream the butter and sugar: Place the softened butter in a bowl, add the powdered sugar, and beat them together until smooth. The butter must be soft so it blends well with the sugar and forms a smooth dough base.
3. Add the egg and flavorings: To the creamed butter and sugar, add the egg, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Beat again thoroughly so the egg and both aromatic ingredients are evenly incorporated.
4. Prepare the flour: Sift the plain flour and mix it separately with the baking powder. Mixing ensures the baking powder is evenly distributed in the flour and, subsequently, throughout the dough.
5. Finish the dough: Gradually add the flour mixture to the prepared butter base. Mix everything well until you have a cohesive dough suitable for transferring to a piping bag.
6. Fill the piping bag: Fill the piping bag with the prepared dough. Work carefully to avoid air pockets, so the dough pipes smoothly onto the tray.
7. Shape the Esíčka: On the trays lined with parchment paper, pipe S-shaped cookies using the piping bag. Each cookie should be about 3.5 cm in size. Leave space between them, as they will expand by about 1 cm during baking.
8. Bake: Place the shaped cookies into the oven preheated to 180°C. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust the exact baking time to your oven and keep an eye on them to prevent overbaking.
9. Finish: Remove the baked Esíčka from the oven and let them cool. Only then transfer them from the tray and serve, or store for later.
How to Create Even S-Shapes
Pipe the dough from the piping bag in a steady motion, aiming to keep all pieces a similar size. Shapes around 3.5 cm will bake more evenly than cookies of varying sizes.
On the tray, remember that each Esíčko will grow by about 1 cm during baking. Sufficient spacing will help prevent neighboring cookies from sticking together.
How to Ensure Proper Baking
Baking time ranges from 10 to 15 minutes at 180°C. Since the original recipe doesn’t specify other signs of doneness, rely on your experience with your oven and check the cookies during the final minutes.
Note on the Cocoa Version
The original recipe mentions both cinnamon and cocoa Esíčka, but the listed ingredients and method only include ground cinnamon, with no mention of cocoa or its quantity. Therefore, we stick to the documented cinnamon version and do not add cocoa.
