Recipe: This is one of the oldest Czech Christmas cookies – it's prepared 'under water'

In the Czech Republic, the cukroví (Christmas cookie) tradition is deeply rooted in our culture. Every family guards its set of recipes, passed down from one generation to another. There are a multitude of varieties and we usually prepare several types – it isn't unusual to find up to fifteen different cookies on the Christmas table.

Podvodnice are also special due to the fact that it is one of the rare Czech Christmas cookies (if not the only one) that is yeast based. Most of the others are biscuit-like cookies without yeast.

What makes these cookies highly unique, however, is that they do not rise in the open-air but under water! Hence the name: "podvodnice" which comes from the word "pod vodou" meaning "under water" though oddly enough the literal translation from Czech into English actually means "female fraudster."

While today's Christmas celebrations focus more and more on gifts, these cookies bring us back to the traditional Christmas values – they are easy, simple, inexpensive, without special decoration, modest and humble, yet tasty and delicate. We may remind ourselves that this is just what we need to make Christmas great! Who needs posh gifts when the most important aspect of the season is to be surrounded by our loved ones. 

This recipe from my grandmother calls for just a few ingredients: