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Day 6 of Cookiemas 2025.
Korekomki are small, buttery cookies with a delicate, flaky texture. Often called “ballerina” cookies, they are a traditional treat found across Eastern Europe. A viewer suggested the Bulgarian name, so I’ve titled this recipe Korekomki.
While researching this cookie I found fewer recipes than expected, many written in Bulgarian or other non-Latin alphabets. I adapted elements from several sources and developed the version below.
I’m really pleased with the result. The cream cheese adds a subtle tang and the finished cookie is reminiscent of a tender, less-flaky palmier. An essential part of the character is the granulated sugar coating; I used homemade vanilla sugar for extra aroma.
This Korekomki recipe is straightforward and uses just a few ingredients. Shaping a lot of tiny cookies takes some time, but the result is worth the effort — they’re delicious and charming.
Step-by-step: How to Make Korekomki
For the full list of ingredients and detailed steps, see the recipe section below.
Making Korekomki is simple: mix the butter and cream cheese, add the flour, chill the dough, roll it thin, shape the cookies and bake. The photos below illustrate the process.
Mix the butter and cream cheese until smooth before adding the flour.
After chilling, roll the dough on a well-floured surface until quite thin (thinner than 1/4 inch) and cut circles with a small cutter.
Coat each circle in granulated or vanilla sugar, fold it in half twice to form a quarter-circle, and pinch the edges so the cookies keep their shape while baking.
Once baked and cooled, these cookies pair beautifully with coffee or tea.
Tips when making Korekomki
Don’t Overmix
Mix the butter and cream cheese just until combined. Overmixing can incorporate excess air and change the texture.
Chill until firm
Because the dough contains nearly equal parts butter and cream cheese, it will be soft after mixing. Wrap it and chill for about an hour to firm it up for easier rolling and shaping.
Roll the dough thin
Roll the dough thinner than 1/4 inch. I used a 5 cm (2 inch) round cutter for small, bite-sized cookies.
Pinch the sides
Firmly pinch the edges when folding so the cookies don’t unfold while baking.
Recipe
Korekomki
Ingredients
- 113 grams butter
- 113 grams cream cheese (½ block)
- 170 grams all-purpose flour
- 50 grams vanilla sugar or plain granulated sugar
Method
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In a mixing bowl, add the butter (cold, not melted) and cream cheese. Beat until uniform—using a hand mixer speeds this step.
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Add the flour and mix just until the dough is even and cohesive.
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Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
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Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
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When the dough is firm, roll it out on a floured surface or silicone mat until about 1/4 inch or thinner.
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Use a 5 cm (2 inch) cookie cutter to cut circles. Re-roll scraps and cut again.
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Place granulated or vanilla sugar in a small bowl—enough to coat the dough circles on both sides.
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Dredge a dough circle in sugar, fold it in half, then fold again into a quarter circle. Pinch the edges to seal.
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Arrange the shaped cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 12–15 minutes, until the cookies are lightly golden.
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Remove from the oven, let cool, and enjoy with tea or coffee.
Tools and Equipment
Silicone Baking Mat (Silpat)
I use a silicone baking mat for rolling and shaping the dough; it helps keep the surface nonstick and is handy for delicate work like this.
Other Cookie Recipes
This was Day 6 of Cookiemas. More cookies in this series include:
- Caramel Cuts — brown sugar blondies with a soft, nostalgic texture.
- Anzac Biscuits — an Australian oat cookie with coconut.
- Vaniljekranse — Danish butter cookies, like the ones in holiday tins.
- Sagu Keju — tapioca and cheese cookies, light and powdery.
- Roccoco — an Italian spiced holiday cookie.