Kūčiukai
Photo: Bearas · CC BY-SA 3.0

History

Kūčiukai (also known as šližikai) belong to the Lithuanian Christmas Eve table called Kūčios, a 12-course meatless meal held by Lithuanian Catholic families. The small dough biscuits are baked with poppy seeds and honey, then soaked in poppy-seed milk to start the meal. Across Vilnius, they appear at the Cathedral Square Christmas market through December and at Pinavija and other bakery cafes.

Common allergens: Gluten, Eggs, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 6Hands-on 30 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 500 g all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 100 g sugar
  • 100 ml warm milk
  • 50 g butter, melted
  • 2 tsp dry yeast
  • 50 g poppy seeds
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 500 ml whole milk (for serving)
  • 2 tbsp poppy seeds (for serving)

Method

  1. Combine warm milk, yeast and a pinch of sugar in a bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. Combine flour, sugar, salt and poppy seeds in a large bowl. Add yeast mixture, eggs and melted butter. Knead to a smooth dough.
  3. Cover and let rise for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
  4. Roll dough into thin ropes, about 1 cm thick. Cut into 1.5 cm pieces.
  5. Arrange on baking sheets; bake at 180°C for 15 to 20 minutes until golden.
  6. Cool fully. To serve, soak in cold poppy-seed milk for 10 minutes; sweeten the milk with honey to taste.

Tip from the editors. Kūčiukai are eaten soaked in poppy-seed milk, not dry. Make the milk in advance: blend poppy seeds with milk and honey, then strain.

Where to eat kūčiukai

Kūčiukai in Vilnius

Pinavija Café & Bakery ★ 4.3

€€ LithuanianSenamiestis

Pinavija on Vilniaus is a family-owned bakery cafe known for hot kibinai pastries, šakotis tree cake and brunch in a softly-French Old Town corner.

OrderA mutton kibinai with mustard, then a slice of šakotis.

TipIndoor seating fills early on weekends. Bench seating runs along Vilniaus in summer.

Directions

Pinavija ★ 4.4

€ BakeryLithuanian kibinai and šakotis tree cakeSenamiestisWalk-in only

Pinavija on Vilniaus is a family-run Lithuanian bakery cafe known for hot kibinai pastries, šakotis tree cake and brunch in a softly-French Old Town corner.

Worth the queueMutton kibinai

TipIndoor seating fills early on weekends. A šakotis to-go travels home well in checked luggage.

Directions

Beigelių Krautuvėlė (The Bagel Shop) ★ 4.5

€ BakeryLitvak Jewish bakingNaujamiestisWalk-in only

Beigelių Krautuvėlė on Pylimo bakes Litvak Jewish bagels, bialys, challah for Sabbath and teyglakh on-site since 2016, run by the Lithuanian Jewish Community.

Worth the queueBagel Lox

TipSells out by late afternoon. The most historically grounded bagel in the Baltic, simply.

Directions

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