Bear paws: a traditional Christmas cookie that must not be missing

Bear paws: a traditional Christmas cookie that must not be missing recept

Name: Bear paws: a traditional Christmas cookie that must not be missing
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 45
Ingredients: 300 g plain flour; 250 g butter (can also be Hera); 150 g coarsely ground walnuts; 150 g powdered sugar; 1 egg; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; grated lemon zest to taste; chocolate coating (dark chocolate + a little oil)

Easy to prepare
45 portions
60 minutes

Jan, 15. 12. 2025

Print recipe

Bear paws are one of the most classic Czech Christmas recipes. The delicate cocoa-and-nut dough is pressed into molds, baked briefly and finally the finished paws can be dipped in chocolate. The advantage is that the molds do not need to be greased – the cookies come out of the molds easily after baking. They taste great right away, but are even better after a few days, when they soften nicely.

For 45 portions

Ingredients

Dough:

300 g plain flour
250 g butter (can also be Hera)
150 g coarsely ground walnuts
150 g powdered sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
grated lemon zest to taste

To finish:

chocolate coating (dark chocolate + a little oil)

Preparation procedure

Preparing the dough Place the flour, sugar, ground walnuts, lemon zest and cinnamon into a bowl. Add the butter cut into cubes and the egg. Work into a smooth dough, shape into a ball and let rest for 15 minutes.
Filling the molds Press small pieces of dough into dry bear paw molds. Press the dough firmly against the bottom and sides so no air pockets form.
Baking Bake in a preheated oven at 190 °C for 8–10 minutes. After baking, turn the paws out of the molds while still hot and let cool.
Finishing You can dip the cooled paws in melted chocolate to taste. Let chill until set.

Quick facts about the recipe

Number of pieces: approx. 45–55 (depending on mold size)

Preparation time (active work): 30 minutes

Baking time: 2×10 minutes

Cooling time: 30 minutes

Total time: approx. 50–60 minutes

Conclusion

Bear paws are one of the recipes that form the core of Czech Christmas. There’s nothing complicated about them, yet they please everyone – from children to lovers of traditional flavors. Let them rest for a few days and you’ll see they disappear from the Christmas table sooner than you expect.