Jewish Bow Tie Cookies (Egg Kichel)

By
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek
Barbara Rolek is a former chef who became a cooking school instructor and award-winning food writer.
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Updated on 12/29/22
Jewish Bow Tie Cookie or Egg Kichel
Camino Books
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Dough Resting Time: 30 mins
Total: 85 mins
Servings: 18 servings
Yield: 36 cookies

Bow tie cookies were a staple at Jewish neighborhood bakeries but, sadly, these mom-and-pop bakeries are disappearing at an alarming rate because they can't compete with the pricing leverage of the in-house bakeries of big-box stores. The prices might be lower, but you're paying for preservatives and, often, inferior quality and taste.

If made correctly, kichels are light, airy and crunchy—a perfect foil for sweet wine, schnapps, coffee or tea. This egg-rich recipe calls for 4 large eggs and 9 large egg yolks. Use the leftover egg whites in a recipe like this meringue torte.

This recipe for Jewish bow tie or egg kichel (eier kichelach) is from Stanley Ginsberg and Norman Berg's "Inside the Jewish Bakery: Recipes and Memories from the Golden Age of Jewish Baking" (Camino Books, 2011). The authors also shared this recipe for rainbow cookies, another Jewish bakery favorite.

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough:

  • 4 teaspoons granulated sugar

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 4 large eggs, beaten

  • 9 large egg yolks, beaten

  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons rum flavoring

  • 3 1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

For the Sugar Coating:

  • 3 cups granulated sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Place the rack on the middle shelf of the oven and heat to 350 F.

  3. Combine 4 teaspoons sugar, salt, eggs, egg yolks, vegetable oil, vanilla, rum flavoring in a large bowl or stand mixer. Slowly add in the flour a cup at a time, scraping down the sides to make sure everything is combined and beat with the paddle attachment on low speed (1 or 2 on a KitchenAid) until a smooth dough is achieved and the gluten is well-developed—about 20 minutes.

  4. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and knead for 2 to 3 minutes until it no longer sticks. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes to relax the gluten.

  5. Spread half (1 1/2 cups) of the granulated sugar to be used for coating on your work surface and roll the dough out on it to 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar on the top surface.

  6. Using a sharp knife or a pizza wheel, cut the dough into 1x2-inch rectangles. Give each strip a half twist to form the bow tie and arrange on a parchment-lined cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.

  7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the bow ties are golden brown. It’s important that the cookies be fully baked, otherwise, they’ll collapse when they cool.

  8. Remove to a rack and let cool for 3 to 4 hours until cold and thoroughly dried out. Store immediately in plastic to retain freshness.

  9. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
358 Calories
13g Fat
53g Carbs
7g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 18
Amount per serving
Calories 358
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 145mg 48%
Sodium 170mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 53g 19%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 34g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 26mg 2%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 78mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)