Bear Paws Cookies: A Traditional Christmas Treat from the Czech Republic

Bear Paws (also known as Pracny) is a traditional Christmas cookie in the Czech Republic.

Despite their simple appearance, they are very aromatic and full of flavor. While they may seem like just flour and cocoa powder, they are made with walnuts and spices, giving them a strong aroma.

They smell wonderful, with hints of crushed cloves, dark cocoa, cinnamon, and freshly grated lemon zest.

The most challenging part of this recipe is to find the mold if you don’t live in the Czech Republic. This is what the molds look like:

It’s a metallic mold in the shape of a paw or perhaps an elongated shell.

But you can use any other shape and even silicone molds.

Traditional Bear Paws

You can prepare bear paws according to this traditional recipe. You won’t go wrong with this one.

Bake these cookies four weeks before Christmas—they must soften by Christmas. Store them in a box in a cool place.

Ingredients:

• 1 Stick unsalted butter
• 1 cup walnuts (or blanched almonds or hazelnuts)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon dark cocoa powder unsweetened
• 3 cloves spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method:

• Before you start, grind 1 cup of walnuts, finely crush 3 cloves, and grate 1 teaspoon of lemon zest from a carefully washed or organic lemon.
• Put the ground nuts, 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon dark cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, the rest of the prepared spices, 1 Stick unsalted butter cut into small pieces, and 1 egg yolk into a bowl.
• Work the ingredients into a smooth dough. Be patient; this may take a little time. It’s better to do this by hand – hands yield the best dough.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for at least two hours to rest. Leaving the dough in the refrigerator overnight is even better if you have time.
• Prepare the molds: Grease each with butter and dust with flour. Gently tap the greased mold on the table to remove any excess flour.
• Take the rested dough from the fridge and let it sit on the kitchen counter for about ten minutes.
• Scoop equally sized pieces of dough and press them into the prepared molds.
• Transfer the filled molds to a baking sheet and bake them in a preheated oven at 350 °F for 10 minutes.
• Let the baked pracny cookies cool almost completely before unmolding.
• Hold the mold by the edge, turn it upside down, and gently tap it on the surface of the kitchen counter.
• Immediately coat the cookies in 1/2 cup powdered sugar.

Also, watch the video recipe for Pracny with cinnamon:

Medvědí tlapky/pracny - Czech Christmas Cookies

Gluten-Free Bear Paws Cookies

During Christmas, the tradition of baking dark Bear Paw cookies with cocoa and nuts is long-standing.

But consider embracing the golden gluten-free Coconut Bear Paws.

Rolling them in a mixture of sugar and vanilla powder or in grated coconut while still hot will make them absolutely divine!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of gluten-free flour (Almond, Buckwheat, Sorghum, Amaranth, etc.)
• 1/2 cup of finely grated coconut
• 1/2 cup of icing sugar
• 1 cup vegan butter (plant-based)
• 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan or guar
• homemade vanilla sugar (mix of caster sugar and vanilla powder)

Method:

• Make a dough from all the ingredients.
• Leave the dough to rest in the cold for at least 2 hours.
• Then, fill the bear paw molds with the dough.
• Bake at 320°F for about 10 minutes.
• Leave the baked cookies to cool briefly and carefully knock them out of the molds.
• Roll them in vanilla sugar or coconut when still hot.

Spelled Flour Chocolate Bear Paws

When making Christmas cookies, it’s better to avoid using white wheat flour since it’s not good for our bodies. Instead, try using whole-grain spelled flour to prepare healthier cookies using our recipe.

Keep reading to learn how to make these healthier Bear Paw Cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of spelled flour
• 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts (ground)
• 2 cups of butter
• high-quality baking chocolate
• ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
• powdered sugar for coating

Method:

• Use all ingredients to process the dough.
• Wrap the dough in a cling film and refrigerate overnight.
• Put the dough into buttered molds.
• Bake at 400°F for about 15 minutes.
• Knock the cookies out of molds and roll in sugar when still hot.

Chocolate Bear Paw Cookies – Bärentatzen

Bear Paw biscuits are a classic Swiss piped chocolate cookie lightly spiced and deliciously glazed with dark chocolate.

They have a delicious and slightly cakey texture, making them perfect not only as a Christmas cookie but also to enjoy with your favorite cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of butter, soft
• 1/4 cup of Icing Sugar
• 1/4 cup of Honey
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 Egg white, room temperature
• 1/4 cup of Milk, room temperature
• 1/4 cup of ground hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup of baking chocolate, high-quality
• 1 teaspoon of Cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup of all-purpose Flour

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup of Icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon of Cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon of Water

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 360°F.
• Combine the butter, icing sugar, honey, and spice in a mixing bowl and whisk until light.
• Add the egg white and milk in a couple of stages.
• Stir in the ground hazelnuts and the melted chocolate.
• Sift together the flour and the cocoa and add to the butter-chocolate mixture.
• Stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix
• Place mixture into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe cookies on a baking paper lined tray. Bake for about 10 mins.
• While they are baking, mix together the glaze ingredients. Remove from the oven and brush with the glaze while still hot.
• Allow to cool.

Bear paws with Chocolate Wafer Cookies

This version of Bear Paw cookies, made of dough with Crisp and Delicious Chocolate Wafers, is a delicious, crunchy, and tasty delicacy for your festive table.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups of ground chocolate wafers
• 1 cup of ground walnuts
• 2 spoons of cocoa (high-quality)
• zest of ½ lemon
• 1 cup of butter
• ½ baking powder
• icing sugar for coating

Method:

• Make a dough from all the ingredients and put it in the fridge to rest for at least half an hour.
• Then, fill the greased molds with the dough.
• Bake at 380°F for about 20 minutes.
• After baking, roll the cookies in sugar.

Bear’s Paw Cookies with lard

Lard added to the pastry dough will give it the necessary elasticity. They are also excellent in terms of taste.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1cup of semi-coarse flour
• 1 cup of ground walnuts
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cup of lard
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla powder
• ½ teaspoon of baking powder
• icing sugar for coating

Method:

• Make a dough from all the ingredients.
• Let it rest in the cold for 15 minutes.
• Then, fill the greased molds.
• Bake at 340°F for about 20 minutes.
• Coat the cookies in the sugar after baking when they are still hot.

Coconut Bear’s Paw Cookies

The alluring aroma of coconut creates an enticing alternative to nuts. Despite this substitution, it remains a beloved choice, able to captivate those who cannot consume nuts or do not favor them.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of butter
• 1 cup of coconut flour
• 1 1/ 2 cup of powdered sugar or grated coconut (depending on the thickness of the dough)
• ½ teaspoon of baking powder
• powdered sugar or chocolate for coating

Method:

• Process the dough from all the ingredients.
• Fill the molds with the dough.
• Bake at 350°F until golden.
• While still hot, roll in sugar or dip the halves in chocolate after cooling.

Bear paws are a delightful type of Christmas cookie that can be easily shaped into various designs.

One of the advantages of bear paws is that they don’t require intricate decorating, unlike many other holiday treats. Simply coating them in powdered sugar is sufficient for achieving a perfect, elegant look, but for an indulgent twist, they can also be dipped in rich, velvety chocolate.

For those who haven’t experienced bear paws before, they boast a delicious flavor profile with notes of nuts, cocoa, cinnamon, and a subtle hint of lemon, making them a delightful addition to any holiday gathering.