Gurabije (lard cookies) are a delicious treat made with simple ingredients! With no chill time and easy preparation, you’ll love these flaky and melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
Gurabije, otherwise known as lard cookies, are usually made in Europe, primarily in the Balkan area. People are making these cookies for Christmas or the holiday season in general during winter. This recipe is my grandma’s recipe, and my family makes it every year (several times). 🙂
Are you in search of some heavenly cookies to treat your taste buds? You must try the walnut cookies – sape recipe or vanilla crescent cookies for a truly delightful experience.
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Ingredients
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour for this recipe. I have not tried to substitute it with any other flour. It might change the shape and texture of the cookies.
- Baking Soda: Just a little bit of baking soda to lift the cookies.
- Salt: We are adding a little bit of salt to the mixture.
- Sugar: These lard cookies won’t be too sweet, so one cup of granulated sugar is enough.
- Lard: We need room-temperature lard. It will be easier to combine the ingredients and work the dough.
- Eggs: I used three large eggs for this recipe. The eggs will help to combine the ingredients.
See recipe card for quantities.
Baking with Lard
Lard is so versatile, and you can use it for almost anything, grilling, cooking, roasting, frying, baking, you name it. Using lard for cookies will create a different texture, sandier to be more precise.
Did you know that lard is healthier than butter? Lard has 20% less saturated fat than butter, and it’s higher in monounsaturated fats.
Why this Recipe Works
- Easy to make
- No chill time
- Super flaky and delicious
- You can prepare them ahead of time
Equipment and Tools Needed
- Baking sheet
- Parchment papper
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixer
- Bowls
- A spatula
- Rolling pin
Instructions
- Make the dough.
- Roll the dough and cut out the lard cookies.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges.
- Eat warm cookies or at room temperature.
Can I Substitute Lard with Butter
Since lard has a lower melting point than butter, the cookies will change the texture and shape. When using lard, more steam is released during baking, which results in a flakier texture in cookies. You will also get more layers in baked goods when using lard.
I would not recommend substituting lard with butter for this recipe.
Can I Substitute Baking Soda with Baking Powder
I tested these lard cookies with baking powder, and there was not a big difference, although I will always recommend baking soda if you have both on hand.
The lard cookies will get little raised bumps when you use baking powder. The flavor did not change much.
Can I Make these Cookies in Advance
Yes, you can! That’s what I love about these cookies. Even though the prep time is not that long, you can always make them ahead of time since they store very well.
Variations
These lard cookies are pretty straightforward and don’t require any icing or decorations, but here are some ideas on how you can make it your own:
- Roll the embedded rolling pin to create interesting patterns on top.
- Place walnut or pecans on each cookie (before baking) for an additional crunch and flavor.
- Sprinkle the cookies with a little bit of brown sugar.
Storage
Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a week.
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
- Mini Bundt Cakes
- Walnut Bundt Cake
- Walnut Strudel
- Blackberry Lemon Bread
- Summer Raspberry Cake
- The Best Homemade Apple Pie
- Lemon Meringue Slice – Sampita
- Butterscotch Rum Cake
- Walnut Cookies – Sape Recipe
- Vanillekipferl – Vanilla Crescent Cookies
Related
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Recipe
Gurabije – Lard Cookies
Ingredients
- 5 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ lb lard
Instructions
- In a medium-size bowl, add flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix until combined. Set aside.
- In a mixer bowl, add sugar and eggs. Start the mixer on the low speed and mix for a couple of minutes. Start adding smaller pieces of lard to the mixer bowl and increase the speed to medium. Mix until you've added all lard and the mixture is well combined – approximately a few minutes.
- Transfer the lard with sugar and eggs mixture to a large bowl and slowly add flour. Mix with a spatula, and start working the dough with your hands. The dough will be crumbly, but it will get its shape and texture after a few minutes.
- Generously dust the work surface with the flour and transfer the dough onto the working surface. Work the dough until you get the sticky yet firm dough ball.
- Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
- Divide the dough into two parts and roll out the first part. The dough will be sticky, so dust the rolling pin with the flour often. Roll the dough into roughly ⅜ of an inch. I prefer my cookies to be thinner and crispier. I lightly rolled the engraved rolling pin onto the dough surface for an additional texture on top. This step is optional. Cut the cookies out with a biscuit cutter or any cookie cutter you prefer – this is the part where you can have some fun. To keep it simple, I used the two-and-a-half-inch biscuit cutter.
- Transfer the cookies to the parchment-lined baking sheet. You will get around 50 cookies, so I bake them in 2 batches.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. The top of the cookies will be pale.
- Serve immediately or at room temperature. Enjoy!
Notes
- My cookies were done in 20-22 minutes using a regular oven. Bake them until the edges are slightly golden if you want them crispier. The cookies should still be pale on top.
- Please note that the bake time will be longer if you roll the dough thicker.
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