Goose Feet Cookies? What a strange name, pronounced in Russian 'Gusinie Lapki'. The name comes from the triangle shaped cookie which looks like a webbed goose foot, if you squint really hard. The name flows much better in Russian!
You can get creative with the design and use a fork to press indentations on the cookie for more detail, but I'm keeping it simple. Goose's Feet Cookies are really easy and fun cookies to bake, and go perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee, plus they have a crazy name. What's not to love?
This delicious recipe is so simple with only 5 ingredients, with only 2 steps until you're rolling out the dough! Some recipes are more complex and might require cutting in cold butter or other complications, but this one is super easy and delicious.
This cookie recipe is made with Tvorog, also known as Farmer's Cheese or Quark. I know, its a strange ingredient to put in a cookie, but it works! You'd never know this recipe was made with cheese. Some people call them cottage cheese cookies, but that's usually because they can't find tvorog. First thing you need to do is find some Tvorog! Personally I'd use ricotta over cottage cheese. 😂
Can I Make Farmer's Cheese?
Tvorog, Quark or Farmer's Cheese is a fresh cheese that can be bought in store, but can also be easy to make. For a really quick and easy shortcut recipe to make tvorog click here - Easy Tvorog Recipe. But in case you don't have Tvorog or don't want to make it using the shortcut recipe, you can substitute with Cottage Cheese. When making Cottage Cheese Cookies, remember to squeeze out the cottage cheese from excess liquid. See notes below about adding extra flour.
Russians find so many uses for tvorog as it is to Russians what mozzarella is to Italians. You can add some lemon zest or vanilla to the recipe, or even mix half-half raw sugar and white sugar just to change it up a bit.
How to Maker Goose's Feet Cookies
Firstly, you will need an electric beater to mix together the tvorog and butter until smooth. Use a wooden spoon to mix in the flour and baking powder. The dough will be very soft while you work it together. Add more flour, you don't want the dough to stick to your hands. Don't work the dough until it's hard, but put in the fridge for a few hours to firm up.
When you roll out the dough, cut them into circles, press into sugar, fold in half, and in half again in folded quarter circles. This is what gives it the shape of a Goose's Foot, thus the name. It only takes about 15 minutes to bake, it's that easy!
These Cottage Cheese Cookies or Goose's Feet Cookies are a delicious cookie to have with a cup of tea or glass of milk. The problem is, as I bake them, the kids keep eating them! Bon Appetit! Приятного аппетита!
Update July 2018: This recipe has always worked for me with 1 cup of flour, as you can see from the photos. The tvorog I use is quite dry. I got feedback from a reader that they used more flour which worked better for them. Adjust flour if necessary, but remember that dough should be soft!
Ingredients
- 1 cup tvorog room temperature
- 1 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup sugar
Instructions
- Using a hand mixer, beat butter and tvorog until smooth.
- Using a wooden spoon, mix in the flour and baking powder with the butter mixture until it's soft and tender. The dough should not stick to your hands and will be very soft. Add more flour to the dough if necessary as you work it all together. You can refrigerate for a few hours to firm up the dough, as it is soft, but I'm impatient and just start right away!
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough approx ¼" thick.
- Cut out round circles from the dough. Put sugar on a plate and press only one side of the circle into the sugar. Press firmly so the sugar sticks to the dough, then fold circle in half. The sugar will always be folded together, inside of cookie, leaving the outside you are handling sugar free.
- You now have a semi-circle piece of dough. Press firmly one side into the sugar and again fold the sugar into itself.
- You now have a quarter circle. Press one side into the sugar and place the sugar side facing up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for about 15 minutes at 180°C/350°F until they are puffed up and golden brown.
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