Meringue and Raspberry Baskets – Korzinki
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My mom’s original korzinki recipe didn’t tell me how much it would make, so I happily went on to make 108 of these babies. Good thing there’s always plenty of folks willing to gobble up these goodies.
Surprisingly, they were really simple to make. They didn’t take much time at all but look like they should garnish a wedding dessert tray. They are delectable and completely precious. I shall refer to them as Meringue Celebrities. They even have the Elvis whirl!
Ingredients for Korzinki:
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 lb), at room temperature
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 1/2 Tbsp real mayonnaise
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour *measured correctly
Ingredients for toppings:
1 1/2 cups good raspberry preserves
Meringue Topping:
6 egg whites, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
How to Make Korzinki:
Pre-heat the Oven to 350 ˚ F.
1. Using a paddle attachment, beat 3 eggs with sugar on medium speed in the electric mixer until even consistency (2-3 min).
2. Add softened butter and mix on medium/high speed until creamy even consistency (3-5 min)
3. Add baking soda and mayo and mix until well blended.
4. Add flour, 1 cup at a time. It should be a soft cookie dough consistency.
5. Use your hands to roll dough into gum-ball-sized circles of dough. Place dough into mini-muffin dishes. I used 3 (12-count) pans at a time.
6. Use your fingers to form a well in the dough and bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are golden.
7. Tip cookies onto a clean towel to cool to room temperature. To make a second batch right away, cool the muffin pan first by running cold water on the back of the pan.
8. Once cookies are at room temperature, spread 1/2 tsp raspberry preserves on top of each one.
9. Put meringue in a pastry bag or use a large ziplock bag and cut a 1/4″ diameter hole in one of the bottom corners. Pipe meringue over the raspberry preserve on top of each basket. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
How to make Meringue Cream:
Mix 6 egg whites and sugar on low speed until most of the sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice. Switch to high speed and beat until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
If you are concerned about raw egg whites as cream, here’s an alternative frosting:
My mom sometimes puts a frosting on top, its the same frosting as for troobochki (another russian dessert): 4 oz cream cheese, softened, beat with 2 tbspn sugar and 1 tbspn lemon juice, then stir in an 8oz tub cool whip. That should be a very good topping as well!
Meringue and Raspberry Baskets "Korzinki" - Корзинки
Ingredients
Ingredients for Korzinki:
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, 1/2 lb, at room temperature
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3 1/2 Tbsp real mayonnaise
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Ingredients for toppings:
- 1 1/2 cups good raspberry preserves
Meringue Topping:
- 6 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
Pre-heat the Oven to 350 °F.
- Using a paddle attachment, beat 3 eggs with sugar on medium speed until even consistency (2-3 min).
- Add softened butter and mix on medium/high speed until creamy even consistency (3-5 min).
- Add baking soda and mayo and mix until well blended.
- Add flour, 1 cup at a time. It should be a soft cookie dough consistency.
- Use your hands to roll dough into gum-ball-sized circles of dough. Place dough into mini-muffin dishes.
- Use your fingers to form a well in the dough. Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are golden.
- Tip cookies onto a clean towel to cool to room temperature. To make a second batch right away, cool the muffin pan first by running cold water on the back of the pan.
- Once cookies are at room temperature, spread 1/2 tsp raspberry preserves on top of each one.
- Put meringue in a pastry bag or use a large ziploc bag and cut a 1/4" diameter hole in one of the bottom corners.
- Pipe meringue over the raspberry preserve on top of each basket. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
How to make Meringue Cream:
- Mix 6 egg whites and sugar on low speed until most of the sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice.
- Switch to high speed and beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
Notes
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
these are very delicious! thank you for the awesome recipe! Even though the dough was sticky and I added more flour, they were still amazing!
I’m glad you loved the recipe. Thanks for the feedback.
how much of the optional frosting would i need to make 36 cookies?
thank you
Hi, if you are cutting the recipe down to 1/3, I would cut everything down equally and make 1/3 of the meringue topping.
Have you tried to make them a few days ahead of time ?
Hi Liya, I have tested making them 1 day ahead of time and it worked well. They really are best if they are enjoyed within a day or two of making them 🙂
These are just wow!!!!!!! YUM 😋 YUM 😋 YUM 😋!!!! I made them over and over again and even for a wedding! The only thing I added was piping the cream with a star tip and then putting a juicy, fresh raspberry on top! When making them for large crowds the fresh raspberries really makes them a little expensive but the results are absolutely worth it because the just water 🤤 in your mouth! Also making them a day ahead makes them soak a little better and makes them a little softer and yummier! But putting the raspberries before serving gives you best results!
We’d love to see your creations! If you haven’t already signed up we have a Natasha’s Kitchen VIP friends group on facebook. We’d love to see some of your cakes!
Hi Natasha! Quick question, exactly what kind of raspberry brand did you use? I don’t know which tastes best:/
Hi Vika, I don’t recall which it was, possibly Bonne Maman (spelling?) I try to look for one that has all natural ingredients.
Hi Natasha great recipe!! I’m just wondering if I can freeze them without meringue and then a day before party I can add meringue?
Hello Vicki! I haven’t tried freezing them myself so I can’t say for sure. I would imagine you could make and even assemble them a day ahead and keep them refrigerated until ready to serve. Please let us know your results if you decide to try it.
Hi Natasha, I was wondering if I use miracle whip instead of real mayo will it make a dramatic difference in how karzinki turn out?
Hi Tanya, to be honest I haven’t tried that and I don’t recall any of my readers trying that. I think it is worth a test but I haven’t tried it myself to be able to recommend it.
Hi Natasha, if I bake these in a regular muffin pan, not the mini one, do the temperature and baking time need to be adjusted?
Hi Natasha, you would need a longer baking time, but without testing it myself, it is difficult to give you a precise measurement. I have only made these in the mini tins. Maybe 12-15 minutes?
I love these! I make em with the karzinki molds, so it does take extra time. I discovered that putting half a raspberry on top of the Jam (under the cream), and a full raspberry on top of the cream adds another kick to the taste! it taste so delicious!
Olga, thank you for sharing the tip and the nice review 😄. I’m glad you liked them!
Hi natasha, how many days in advance can i make the shells? Without the filling
Hi Steph, you could probably keep them at room temp for a day and then refrigerate. I think these would be ok to make 1 to 3 days ahead.
Hi Natasha I love this recipe I just have a small question, I am a little confused on the cream portion, you indicated the ingredients are 6 eggs so do I mix 3 eggs first and then add the rest three, cause in the directions doesn’t specify how many eggs to mix first and how many to add. I did six and then add another six the cream came out very bitter
Hi Anastasia, If you look at the list of ingredients, it states 3 eggs for the cookie portion and then 6 egg whites for the meringue topping (egg whites only, not the yolks). I’m not sure where you were seeing 6 eggs twice. There are 3 eggs and 6 egg whites. I updated the recipe to specify the number 6 next to the egg whites in the actual instructions. Was there specifically a spot in the recipe that threw you off that I need to clarify?
I got that :)…. But the topping part under directions it says “switch to high speed and beat egg whites ….” It doesn’t specify how many to eggs to beat unless beat means to mix 🙂
It’s still in the same step so it’s referring to the 6 egg whites that you added to the bowl with sugar and lemon juice. I hope that makes sense! If there were other ingredients added, I would always specify. I try not to assume anything in my instructions so people don’t get confused. I’ll see if I need to re-word that to be more clear. Thanks!
I understand thank you for apologizing, you do a wonderful job in cooking and I love your web site I hated cooking before until I met you lol
Hi Natasha. Haven’t tried the recipe yet but what are your thoughts on using a pie dish with your banoffee filling and I’m on the fence about trying to blind bake it.
Your recipes are always spot on!
Hi Cherine, are you trying to use the dough in this recipe for banoffee? I haven’t tried making this in a large pie dish to be honest so I can’t say for sure if it would bake up properly. It does rise more than regular pie dough. if you experiment, please let me know how it goes. I’m just not sure without testing it first.
If I make the whole batch of dough but don’t want to bake it all. Do you think i can put away the raw dough into the fridge for a day or 2 and then bake the rest later?
I haven’t tried that but I think it could work. You’ll probably have to soften the dough at room temperature before using it.
Hi Natasha,
Could I make half of this recipe? And when made, do I leave it out at room temperature of place inside fridge? Will it soften if in fridge. I also want to use your moms cream instead of the merginue cream.
You can leave them at room temperature for a day but once they are frosted, they should be refrigerated, especially with a dairy based frosting.
Hi Natasha is there a recipe that does not require mayo?
Hi Natasha, the recipe I use has mayo in it. Homemade mayo works as well if you don’t buy it. 🙂
hi natasha, would these be okay if made the night before? or would they get soggy?
They will not get soggy if you pre-make the cookie part and even fill them with jam. They will soften, but will not turn soggy. For best results, add the meringue topping the same day you are serving.
I use this recipe all the time. They turn out delicious! Every time I bake them there is no hole in the center so I scoop some out and I mix the crumbs with the jam and then fill them in.
There is just barely an indent when I make them too, but enough to put something over the top :). I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe!
Is this recipe the same as they make for russian weddings typically? Can you give a smaller version of this recipe that makes 50 cookies?
Thanks,
Liliya
Yes!! 🙂 I have this one which makes 36 cookies (much more reasonable). I’ve definitely seen these at weddings. The raspberry filling is easier but these lemon curd ones are yummy too and the topping is safer for pregnant people, elderly and young children since there aren’t any raw egg whites. I hope you love them! https://natashaskitchen.com/2014/07/05/tartlets-with-lemon-curd-and-whipped-cream-korzinki/ They’re so easy 🙂
Hi Natasha!:) what kind of mayo do you get for it?.. I’ve made these so many times, and none of them, my batter would look like yours..:( yours look so thick and buttery, and mine just sticky and soft..and when I add more flour, the taste becomes so flour-ish, and they are kinda hard..do you know any reasons?…:)
I just use a standard mayo; like the one from Costco, or the Real Mayo Brand, or Kraft. I’ve gotten the same results with any real mayo. What kind of flour are you using? That could make a difference. I am using all-purpose flour (not Canadian) in these; sometimes Canadian flour changes a recipe. Here is another korzinki recipe with the same dough, but the recipe is cut in half (making 36 is much more reasonable than making 108) and the photos are more current so you might find them easier to follow. https://natashaskitchen.com/2014/07/05/tartlets-with-lemon-curd-and-whipped-cream-korzinki/. I hope that helps 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
About trubochki. Do you have a recipe for them? I need them this weekend? I have a recipe but I don’t know how they will last with cream inside. I need to make them with cream and I as thinking of using your moms cream that you posted in here. For trobocki with cream does your mom roll then up like a log or like a ice cream cone?
After I make em do I keep them in room temperate or fridge? They will make trubochki soft either way huh?
These are the only trubochki that I have posted on my blog: https://natashaskitchen.com/2012/01/08/moms-cream-horn-trubochki-recipe/. You need a mold that you can get on amazon (there’s a link in the trubochki recipe). They aren’t expensive but it would be hard to make trubochki without the molds. It’s best to assemble the trubochki before serving them. So you can pre-make the frosting and keep that refrigerated and then pre-make the trubochki portion and keep those at room temperature overnight. Assembling them is quick if you use a pastry bag and pipe in the frosting. Hope that helps 🙂
do you know where you can buy the karzinki forms? i see you used mini muffin pan but i’m looking for the real ones.
I know they are sold on Amazon and it also depends on if you want them as separate little pans or a bunch of them in one pan like the link I shared.:
Once again, you are a lifesaver. I have used so many of your recipes on my Russian boyfriend and his stodgy parents. Your recipes are so easy to understand and helpful! 🙂
I have a question about this recipe. I have a party in August, on possibly a humid day. How early can I make these? Can I freeze the plain baked cups before filling them so they don’t get soft?
I haven’t tried freezing them so I can’t really say. I think it could work to keep the filling chilled while they are out on a warm day. Otherwise, you can make and even assemble them a day ahead and keep them refrigerated until ready to serve.
Just made some!!! These are so so so good:). I used the tiramisu cake frosting instead of meringue as I am pregnant. They where very good with this frosting:)) thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing that! Now I’m going to have to try that! 🙂
Hi natasha (^_^) I had a question, can I cut this recipe in half? 100 is too many for my family 🙂 thanks in advance.
Absolutely! Yes you can cut the recipe in half. 🙂
These are my favorite and so easy to make. Thank you for the recepie, love your website.
That’s awesome! I’m so glad you are enjoying my blog and recipes 🙂 Thanks for the great review!
Thanks for the lovely recipe. Made these for girls play date gathering. They sure went fast. The kids really loved them ; )
I bet it was a fun playdate. That’s so sweet that the girls loved these treats 🙂
Natasha,
These sound delicious! can I make them a day in advance? was wondering if egg whites will still hold its shape?
I was thinking to make them for a baby shower party and theme colors are different shades of yellow, so my question is can i add a little bit of coloring to meringue?
I haven’t tried coloring this meringue but I don’t see why not as long as you only use small amounts so you don’t deflate it. It should be fine the next day, but I don’t know if meringue is the best for pregos since it’s raw egg white. You can use regular frosting on these with great results 🙂
Anyone ever tried torching the meringue? Like creme brulee? I think that would be soo good. Im going to try:)
Let me know how it goes! I’ve seen cupcakes that way on pinterest and I think it’s brilliant! Let me know how it goes and if you post it somewhere online, do tag me so I can see! 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Natasha! I had a question about the alternate frosting, can I used heavy whipping cream instead if cool whip? Would I just add some sugar to it to make it sweetened?
The dough is fantastic, we made these Thursday but will be filling them today, I got to try one that we dropped and the dough was really good! Thank you! 🙂
I think the cupcake frosting that i have posted would also work well. 🙂 That recipe doesn’t have any cool whip and holds it’s form very well.
I absolutely love korzinochki. Hove many varieties of recipes. As for raw maringue I am not a fan, but there is a good solution to it by making sugar syrup and add to beaten egg whites while its hot.
1 1/2 c sugar & 1/2 c water boil 5 min
4 egg whites with pinch of salt, lemon acid beat and and syrup while its hot.
I also add cool aid , for flavor and color.
Thank you so much for sharing!! I’ll have to give it a try since I don’t give the raw egg whites to my son either 🙂
Can I make these two days before a party? Will they still be good?
I think they are best the day of the party or even the day before but the meringue might not hold up 2 days before. You might try an alternate frosting if making them 2 days early.
Hey Natasha, I tried your korzinki recipe and everything turned out great, but the frosting took more than 5 minutes to beat. Peaks started forming at like 20 minutes and I used a hand mixer for the first 5 min then I realized it wasn’t turning out so I used a kitchen aid automatic mixer. Do you think it didn’t form in the first 5 min was because I used a hand held mixer?
Where your eggs Lesya at room temperature? Because if they are cold, it will take much longer to get desired consistency.
Oh yes they were straight out of the fridge, next time I’ll know to leave them out for a little bit. Thanks for replying:)
I baked these delicious korzinki today, they’re so good, yum….. Can’t stop eating them, lol! Thanks for the recipes, I really enjoy trying ur new recipes 🙂
Thanks for letting me know how much you enjoyed them 🙂
Hello Natasha! First of all thanks for sharing your awesome recepies and such awesome pictured details! And second, when the korzinochki are made for public distribution they are usually made with boiled syrup meaning the sugar and little bit of water. Also this way meringue does not get moist and goey from jam! And thanks again! Sharing is caring! 🙂
Thank you Alla for sharing. Yes, I agree; sharing is caring 🙂
Hi Natasha! Thank you for an awesome recipes… I wanted to ask you if you tried to make this karzinochki with sweet condensed milk?
Do you mean as a frosting?
Quick questions, can this recipie be used in a tart maker-electric one. Thanks
I haven’t experimented with one because I don’t have one. These are softer than regular tarts.
I just bought korzinki formachki at bed bath& beyond :)) so excited to use them!! These look great !
Are they the fancier molds with ruffled edges?
I meant electric hand mixer
Your pastries look darling Natasha! I have a tip for those who don’t want to consume raw egg whites but still want that classic flavor. Beat your egg whites over a double boiler, or just a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. This is how I do it: Mix 2 egg whites with vanilla and 1/2 cup+ 2 tbsp sugar in a metal bowl and put it over a pot of simmering water. Beat the egg white mixture with a hand mixer on high speed for about 7-8 mins. It should be very thick and hold shape well. Take bowl off heat and it’s ready to use 🙂 The egg whites heat up enough to kill any bacteria that might be lurking in there
Thank you do much for the tip Tallya. I always welcome tips like this.
Hi Natasha,
Just wanted to say that I tried Tallya’s meringue recipe and it turned out perfectly. I made this for a potluck at my work and was nervous about raw eggs. Tallya’s recipe worked very well and tasted good too. It is fluffy and smooth and thick. Also, the korzinki turned out very well. I used peach preserves to give it a sour and sweet flavor.
Thanks again,
Ira
Thanks for sharing how you made your korzinki 🙂 Did you post a picture anywhere online? I’d love to see them!
for the cream, for the karzenki, do you think whipping whip cream with sugar would work as a good topping?
cause i tried cool whip with cream cheese and it turned out kinda dry.
I would recommend to use frosting from my trubochki recipe. One of the readers suggested their own frosting, but I have not tried it yet. Hope this helps.
Ingredients: 3 egg whites
For Syrup: 1.5 cups sugar & 1/2 cup water.
Beat 3 egg white. At the same time as you start beating your egg whites put the syrup in a pot on the stove to cook.
When the syrup comes to a boil, turn on your timer for 6 minutes(or just time 6 minutes). Reduce heat and let it boil, when 1 minute is left mix in 1/4 tsp dry lemon powder(limonnaya kislota) in the syrup.
Reduce the speed on your mixer and slowly (w/thin stream)pour the syrup into the beaten egg whites. Continue to beat 1-2 minutes more and your cream is ready.
Hey lady!
So I have to tell you that your website is my one stop shop for anything I might be wanting to make. Seriously, you do an incredible job with your recipes! They are easy to follow, and I have never had a single one go wrong, you are awesome. So I have a question. Have you ever made trubochki in an ice cream cone maker? I’ve made them several times but my problem is they get soggy really fast, I mean within a couple hours. I don’t know how to keep them crunchy besides not filling them with cream, but actually even that doesn’t seem to work, they start getting soft even before the cream. Do you have any ideas?
Thanks.
Huh,…. Hmmmm. Uhhhh. (<--- thinking phase). I tried making them once but I guess I wasn't very good at it because my trubochki didn't even turn out :-O. What kind of cream are you using? Butter creams seem a little sturdier. I've always made my trubochki with puff pastry. A Ms. Julia K. sent me a recipe a long time ago: And here's the recipe for the batter: 8 eggs 1 cup of margarine 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/4 cups flour She said she improvises with the cream and uses: cream cheese, butter and condensed milk together. And some cool whip for thickness. I don't know if this answers your questions. But I thought hard and I wrote alot. lol.
Hey Natasha! What is this you use to bake the korzinachki in? Are they the same you use for cupcakes? Thanks.
It’s not the same as a cupcake pan. It’s a mini muffin pan. It’s like mini cupcakes.
Thank you dear!
Natasha,
Thank you so much for posting these recipes. My husband is originally from Russia, and I have had a terrible time finding true Russian recipes that are easy to follow. I have made several recipes from your site already, and they have been great.
Just want to thank you, and tell you we will be making the korzinki and selling them to raise money for a 3 week mission trip to Perm, Russia (my husband’s home city) in September.
Blessings!
That’s so awesome! Thanks for sharing that. I’m happy to play even a very small role in your fundraiser 🙂 God bless you and I hope you raise tons of $$$$!
OMG Natasha!! What did you do?!?! I made 74 of these babies last weekend with the intention to take some to my in laws sunday after church. Well to make a long story short they never made it there! Me and my husband ate them ALL!! Its only been 3 days and he is asking for more LOL we are gonna be 500 pounds and diabetic in no time!! They are so delicious, I added a raspberry on top they looked awsome! 🙂 Thank You for the wonderful recipes and may God Bless your family!
Uh oh. lol. Sveta you just made me laugh. 74 in 3 days? hot dang!! I’m glad you liked them that much 🙂 Thank you and God bless you too!!
yea i made them they turned out good..but instead of merinene creme on top i made home made sdefir or russian marshmellow and put that on top rasberry flavor..it was very good;)
That sounds wonderful. I tried making zefir once and made so many I didn’t know what to do with them; I love your idea of combining the two!
hey natasha
any tips on making these? im making these for the first time…wish me luck;)
Hi Lena,
I always like to read through a recipe before attempting it. It reduces errors for me. Some of the comments have suggestions for variations. Otherwise, just read through the recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Natasha,
The cream that your mom uses is similar to the one that we do in our family too but the only difference is we add condensed milk to the cream. This makes it softer. Maybe that can help for those who want to give the cream another shot.
By the way, thanks for your blog. It is a great place to get some new ideas. 😉
I made these today and came out with 135 of them! Not sure how that happened lol and since I’m not a fan of meringue really, I brushed the bottom of the korzinki with melted chocolate and piped custard on top, and topped it off with a raspberry, blueberry, and small small triangle of a kiwi, then dust powdered sugar (or make a gelatin glaze) and you have yourself a mini fruit tart:)
Mmm.. those toppings sound really good. Thanks for the ideas!
Did you spray the muffin pans or butter them so they won’t stick? Or was there enough butter in the dough already?
Sorry for the late reply, but no I don’t spray them because there is enough butter in the recipe so they do not stick.
i had to make these for school and you were a BIG help!!
Always happy to help 🙂
Made it and love it.. I am very surprised how it turned out.. Thank you for step by step instructions.
THESE ARE DELICIOUS, have been making them often since I first tried them from your website! thanks a lot love it! so does the fam:) which is always a good thing right? hhhahhaa
Hi Natasha – how long do these keep well in the fridge? I am going to try and make them for a church event this Saturday. If I make them Friday, will that be okay? Thanks!
They do keep pretty well in the fridge. You can make cookie part even several days ahead. The meringue topping is best fresh but still works the day before.
Hmm. looks good, I will try to make these sometime in the near future. For those of you that have a hard time making the baskets you can buy them at Cash&Carry store, they have 2 different sizes and are very neat looking and yammi too. I made my korzinki out of these. They are in freezers in big brown boxes. Sometimes I have to ask for them because they store them in the back in their big freezers (I think they call them tart shells) and you do have to bake them.
I have a recipe of a cream(belkoviy krem) that is with egg whites but it is safe for those who have concern of raw egg whites because it has cooked syrup that is mixed in to it. It is used to top Korzinochki or decorate cakes(I had my mother in law find out a recipe from a lady that professionally bakes cakes and uses this recipe).
Ingredients: 3 egg whites
For Syrup: 1.5 cups sugar & 1/2 cup water.
Beat 3 egg white. At the same time as you start beating your egg whites put the syrup in a pot on the stove to cook.
When the syrup comes to a boil, turn on your timer for 6 minutes(or just time 6 minutes). Reduce heat and let it boil, when 1 minute is left mix in 1/4 tsp dry lemon powder(limonnaya kislota) in the syrup.
Reduce the speed on your mixer and slowly (w/thin stream)pour the syrup into the beaten egg whites. Continue to beat 1-2 minutes more and your cream is ready.
It is really easy and it is a popular Russian cream that professional bakers use on cakes or Korzinochki.
Thank you for sharing Lena – I’ll have to try that!
I like this idea. I will definitely try this…I wonder how it will work with lemon preserves.
The lemon preserves sounds like a nice comination. I also saw a gal post my recipe to facebook and she stuck a raspberry into the side of the meringue on each one – they looked very cute!
So, I tried these babies! To start off they turned out really good! But, I had a few adjustments I had to make on my own. First of all, for some odd reason my dough apparently(now looking at your pictures) was too soft and I had a hard time rolling it into balls. I also didn’t want to add more flour, because I didn’t want them to come out tough. So what I did is I used two spoons to put the dough in the mini muffin tins and then I would wet my two index fingers in warm water and spread the dough around inside the muffin well. They rurned out great this way. ( The first batch I didn’t do this and they came out looking more like muffins, but when I did my little technique they came out looking more like korzinki). LOL. And also I used your mom’s frosting, though it’s very delicious, I also agree with Natalya that it wasn’t soft enough and therefore it didn’t look as cute on the korzinki as your meringue did. And I didn’t beat it long at all. Any suggestions on that? And also oddly I didn’t come close to making a 106 of these from the recipe, only about 60 or so. But overall, they still turned out very yummy. Just with the frosting not as pretty as I wanted them too 🙂
Your technique might be even better than mine – my korzinki kinda looked like little muffins too, but they still worked out – you only need a little space to put the raspberry preserves. I don’t know why it would have been hard to roll them. I’m glad they turned out good anyway, but it sounds like it would take a little more time to have to get your fingers wet for every one of them. The # of korzinki just depends on how big your dough balls are. I’m not sure what else to suggest for a topping – you may have better results with the troobochki frosting if you use a pastry bag with a star or flower tip to make them look nicer. Hope that helps!
Hi Natasha,
I was intending to ask you the same thing about the mayo. Ussualy I make my own mayo and, to make it, I use all you have mentioned above +…mustard. Never bought any mayo, but I hope the store bought one doesn’t have mustard in it :). I will buy a jar especially for this recipe.
Now, since I’m here, please let me say a word of appreciation about what are you doing here. I have discovered your blog not so long ago. I was born in Northern Romania, I leave in Canada but I love Moldavian/Ucrainean/Russion food. Bucovina’s cuisine got a lot of influence and i’m glad about that.
Besides, I love Jesus Christ very much as well! So, lots of reason to pass by 🙂
I”m so glad you found the site as well. God bless you and enjoy the recipes!
Hey Natasha, I just have a quick question. What does mayonnaise do for baking? I actually used this recipe and everybody from my family loved these. Thanks!
I think it makes the cookie softer. Mayo is made of eggs, oil, vinegar, lemon juice.. which are common cooking ingredients so it makes sense to use it. It was in the original recipe 🙂
Thanks, Natasha! I think its all about practice!
I made some this weekend and for some reason they did not turn out as I want them to be. I used mini-muffins dish, but looks like it was suppose to be in the regular muffin dish. Mostly I thnik that was the problem, they turned out more like muffins to me. Then I used the same topping like from your mom’s recepie and cream was too hard, I think it should have been more softer. This is the first time I ever did korzinki before, so it was not relly good experience. Over all the taste is good and we still ate them.
The meringue can take on different textures depending on how long you beat it. I don’t know what went wrong with the actually cookie part. They do look sort of like muffins as you can see in the picture. If they puffed up like muffins, maybe try mold them down more before baking next time. Hope that helps.
what a perfect idea for parties too! i throwing a christmas party and this just went to the top of my list for desserts!!!
just thought id give an update-made them for the party and everyone loved them. thank you so much for a great recipe!
Hi Alina, Thank you so much for letting me know. I’m so happy to hear it was a success for you 🙂
Natasha, thank you for this awesome recipe! These are totally scrumptious!!! I had a little mess-up though when I was making them…The last two ingredients (mayo and flour) call for 3 1/2 of each ingredient and I read them both as 3 1/2 cups! Imagine my confusion and then disappointment when I realized I just added 3 1/2 cups of mayo into my mix!!! LOL I was so mad. I just wasted a entire jar of mayo. But I wanted to try them so I started over and when I was finally finished it was almost midnight! But they were sooo GOOD! Thank you 🙂
oh no!! I’m glad you did make them again and liked them.
Making them for thanksgiving thanks for the recipe!
Hi Natasha I just have a question about the butter when baking I usually put unsalted butter but for this recipe is it suppose to be salted or unsalted butter.
Use unsalted. I’ll specify that in the recipe. I always use unsalted unless I mention it otherwise.
Do you chill the them in the frig for a day before eating? or right away?
You can serve them right away or chill them until ready to serve. They should be kept refrigerated if you aren’t eating them right away.
Thank you! I can’t wait to try these (and a ton of your other recipes as well). I have no idea how you and your hubby do not weigh 5000 pounds yet! I would be eating all day long if I had food like this sitting around all the time 🙂
ha ha, truth is, we both lost weight when I started cooking more. But thank you, I’ll take that as a compliment! 🙂
Two questions: the lemon juice for the meringue mixture; when does that get added to the egg whites?
And– is it safe to eat the meringues like this? I’m mostly familiar with meringues that have been baked; these have not, and I’m a little worried about giving raw egg whites to my little sister!
Thanks in advance!
Jilla
HI Jilla, Add the lemon juice to the egg whites at the same time as the sugar. Sorry I must have missed that. Also, if you are concerned about the egg whites, you can bake them then put them on. They are safe to eat for most people. I know people make frostings out of meringue (raw egg whites). I probably wouldn’t recommend them for pregnant women and small children. I keep them refrigerated until I serve them. My mom sometimes puts a frosting on top, its the same frosting as for troobochki (another russian dessert): 4 oz cream cheese, softened, beat with 2 tbspn sugar and 1 tbspn lemon juice, then stir in an 8oz tub cool whip. That should be a very good topping as well!
Eating raw eggs does carry a very small risk of salmonella food poisoning, and like Natasha said, should not be eaten by pregnant women, small children, the elderly, or by those with weakened immune systems. I would personally take the (very small) risk and eat these (unless prego)–I often don’t fully cook my eggs for breakfast anyway–but probably wouldn’t serve them at a large gathering as you never know who might be eating them.
It sounds like they would be yummy with the alternative frosting too–Natasha, you could add that at the end of your recipe so it’s there when the recipe is printed out. Just a thought.
Good idea; I will make that change. Thanks!
You can still make a meringue. The one that this recipe has is a French meringue. There are three different types of meringues – French, Italian, and Swiss. Italian and Swiss meringue has the egg whites cook while stirring. A Swiss meringue is made by whisking the egg whites and sugar in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. You want them to get to 130 F. After doing it once you won’t need a thermometer. There’s a certain consistency to look for. It foams up and almost triples in volume. Then you continue to whisk off heat until soft peaks. The Italian one is trickier. First, you beat the egg whites a bit to get them integrated. It is best to have your stand mixer on at low speed the whole time while this next step is happening. In a pan add equal parts sugar and water. This sugar syrup is cooked until the soft-ball stage (aka 234-240 F). Again, never used a thermometer. There is a technique to check it for soft-ball. It is not as risky as it sounds. Have a bowl of ice water nearby. Place thumb and pointer in water to numb fingers up a bit. Grab the sugar syrup as it is cooking. Quickly place in ice water. Take out and roll sugar between fingers. What you’re looking for is something that will roll into a soft ball. Hence, the name. You take this syrup and pour slowly into the egg whites as they are being whisked. Then you can crank up the mixer and whisk until soft peaks. Hope you enjoyed my little meringue lesson, lol.
Wow thanks Tim – I did enjoy the meringue lesson :). For the swiss one – do you just use a regular whisk to get it to triple in volume or do you use an electric egg beater?
After I put meringue on the korzinki, I put them back in the oven for about 10 minutes at 200 degrees. That makes them a little bit stiff on the surface and creamy on the inside. Out all the creams out there egg frosting is my favorite.
That is a great idea and it cooks it somewhat to make it a little safer. Thanks so much for sharing your tip!
oh ok… the karzinki they have at russian store are hard.. usually the ones made for weddings where they put whipping cream and either a raspberry of blaberry on top (or any fruit).. but since these crumble easily i see why the other ones wouldn’t be as good.
If you do decide to try them with the store-bought cookies, let me know how they turn out.
soooooooooo cute!
Natasha,
these look too cute.. I was wondering if they will be as good if instead of making the korzinki i can buy the ones that are sold at the russian store?
Do you think that would work????
I’m not sure what they have at the russian store. Without knowing what those are like, I couldn’t say yes or no. These korzinki are like shortbread cookies, they crumble easily. They are not a hard cookie.