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Czech Squares

Food Network Kitchens

From Food Network Kitchens

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (6)

Picture of Czech Squares Recipe

Photo: Czech Squares

  • Cook Time:

    45 min

  • Level:

    Intermediate

  • Yield:

    24 squares

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Times:

Prep
40 min
Inactive Prep
30 min
Cook
45 min
Total:
1 hr 55 min
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup walnut pieces
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
  • Pinch fine salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks butter, diced and slightly chilled
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • Filling
  • 1 cup cherry jam
  • 1/2 lemon, zest finely grated
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 egg white, for brushing

Directions

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Spread the nuts out on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.

Butter a 9 by 12 1/2-inch baking sheet pan, then cover bottom with parchment paper.

Pulse the walnuts with the sugar, in a food processor until fine and powdery, about 2 minutes. Add the flour, spices, and salt, pulsing until evenly combined. Add the butter, yolks, and brandy and pulse until the mixture starts to come together. Stop mixing and pull the dough together by hand, press and roll into a thick log about 8 inches long.

Cut the log crosswise into 12 equal pieces. (If the dough is very sticky, refrigerate it until easier to work with, about 30 minutes.) Lay 8 pieces of the dough on the bottom of the pan. Press and spread the pieces together with your fingertips to cover the pan evenly.

Stir the cherry jam, lemon zest and juice together in a bowl. Spread the mixture evenly over the surface of the dough with the back of a spoon.

Roll the remaining dough out on a well-floured surface about 1/8-inch thick. Use a small decorative cutter, such as a leaf, tree, or star, to cut the dough into 24 pieces. Evenly place the pieces on top of the filling in 6 rows of 4. Alternatively cut the dough into long strips with a pizza wheel or knife, and place them on the filling in a lattice pattern; or cut the dough into ovals and lay them on the filling in a decorative pattern. Brush decorative layer of dough with egg white.

Bake the squares until golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool completely in the pan on a rack. Cut with a serrated knife into 2-inch squares.

Copyright (c) 2004 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.

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Read more Comments & Reviews (6)

Comments & Reviews

  • recipe Czech Squares
    Anonymous 12-14-2005

    Flag

    no title seems fitting.

    Rated: 1 stars out of 5
    dough was very dry but did press into the pan well. 1 cup of the cherry jam did not seem to cover well
  • recipe Czech Squares
    Anonymous 12-31-2004

    Flag

    Acgh!

    Rated: 2 stars out of 5
    I made these and much to my dismay they were terrible! I'm not sure what went wrong but I doubt if I will ever make them... again. I was really disappointed.Read more
  • recipe Czech Squares
    FRANCES Warsaw, NY 12-31-2004

    Flag

    Like Linzer Torte

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    These cookies are delicious,even better after a few days. They taste very much like a Linzer Torte. I did not find it... difficult to make them. My family loves them. I will certainly make them again.Read more
  • recipe Czech Squares
    RENEE Monroe Twp, NJ 12-28-2004

    Flag

    Excellent!

    Rated: 4 stars out of 5
    At first I thought they'd be a bit on the sweet side, but the lemon cut that! Excellent cookie - a keeper! I had some dough... left over and instead of tossing it, I made small plain cookies. I had small gingerbread & angel cutters and that added the perfect Holiday touch!Read more
  • recipe Czech Squares
    LEA Mesa, AZ 12-24-2004

    Flag

    Delightful

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    These cookies are great. They take a little time but the results are worth it. I change the preserves to make make a... variety. They are great for the holidays or a treat for family and friends.Read more
  • recipe Czech Squares
    Anonymous 12-20-2004

    Flag

    SUPERB!!!!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I made 6 different kinds of cookies for Christmas (all from FN.com), and these squares were by far the best. The... cherry/lemon flavor was the perfect combination of sweet/tart. I have to admit that these were a bit labor-intensive, probably because I don't have a full-size food processor. I only have one that can hold 2 cups. So, I pulsed the sugar and walnuts per the instructions, and then used a pastry blender to add the rest of the ingredients for the crust. The crust came out great and was easy to roll into a log and slice. I didn't find the dough to be too sticky at all. I think I may have spread it thinner than the recipe called for, because mine only took about 30-35 minutes to bake. I did have a dough time cutting them with any knife--serrated or otherwise--because the cherry topping was very sticky. I think these cookies are more for adults than kids because they are a bit more sophisticated looking and tasting than your typical Christmas cookies. I MADE A TON OF COOKIES SO I COULD GIVE THEM AWAY TO FRIENDS, BUT I'M NOT GIVING ANY OF THESE AWAY BECAUSE THEY'RE SO DELICIOUS!!!! This recipe is a keeper that I will make for many holidays to come.Read more
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