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Day 8 of Cookiemas 2025.
This is called Padobranci, a cookie from the Balkans, which is a region in Southeast Europe.
This was suggested as part of a viewer’s comment, and they mentioned not a lot of people are familiar with culinary traditions from the Balkans.
Personally I don’t have as much exposure to those dishes and recipes, so I definitely wanted to try them for Cookiemas today!
It’s a cookie sandwich, and the sandwich parts are made of a meringue with crushed nuts mixed in. I used walnuts for this one but I also found recipes that used almonds.
Then the middle is filled with a chocolate custard that I cooked over veryyy low heat. It’s nice because you get to use up the egg yolks you separated from the whites earlier to make the filling!
The cookies will be scraggly or have some cracks after baking – that’s totally ok!
How to Make Padobranci Step-by-Step
For full list of ingredients and detailed steps, check out the bottom of this page.
I’ll be honest, the process to make Padobranci is pretty involved. While it isn’t quite as much work as a regular macaron, you’re essentially making a basic macaron. You’ll whip egg whites into stiff peaks while adding some nuts. Then you’ll create a custard and pipe them between the baked cookies.
Check out these photos to see it all come together.
Begin by whipping the egg whites while adding the powdered sugar one spoon at a time.
Once you hit soft peaks, add vinegar and more powdered sugar and get to stiff peaks.
Fold in the ground nuts. Don’t mix too much.
Scoop the egg whites onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake in the over.
Now make the custard. Start by mixing powdered sugar and egg yolks over a very low flame. You have to constantly stir without stopping. Once that is mixed, add the chocolate.
Add the butter and continue mixing until everything is incorporated and it becomes glossy. Pass through a sieve and set aside to let it cool.
When the cookies are done baking, remove from the oven.
Once the custard has come to room temperature, pipe the custard onto one cookie and use another to make the classic macaron sandwich.
Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on high speed until soft peak forms, around 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly add in 1/3 of the powdered sugar, one spoonful at a time.
- Once soft peaks have formed (the egg whites are fluffy, but droop down when you lift your whisk), add the vinegar. Then continue adding in the rest of the powdered sugar one spoonful at a time, until all the sugar has been mixed in.
- Whisk until egg whites have formed stiff peaks and look glossy (the mixture will stand up straight and look pointy when you lift your whisk).
- Add 1/3 of the ground walnuts (or almonds) into the egg white mixture, and gently fold until fully incorporated. Repeat this process until all the nuts have been folded in.
- Preheat the oven to 300℉ (150℃) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Using a spoon or piping bag, drop meringue into little circles on the parchment paper, spaced about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then turn off the oven. Use a wooden spoon to keep the oven door cracked open, allowing the cookies to sit in the oven for another 25 minutes before removing from the oven.
- In a small saucepan over very low heat, whisk together the egg yolks and powdered sugar. You want the heat as low as possible AND you need to constantly stir without stopping so it does not curdle. Alternatively, if you are experienced, you can use a bain marie.
- Once combined, add the chocolate and mix until melted.
- Turn off the heat and add the butter, and whisk until fully incorporated. Allow the custard to fully cool before using.
- Push the custard through a sieve to remove lumps. Allow the custard to fully cool to room temperature before using. You can put in the refrigerator to accelerate the process but if you go past room temperature it will be harder to pipe.
- Place chocolate custard inside piping bag, and pipe an even layer onto a meringue cookie (you may also just use a knife or spoon to spread the filling) Place another cookie on top to make a cookie sandwich.
- Enjoy!
Tools & Equipment
Ozeri Food Scale
Especially with baking, a food scale is extremely helpful as it measures weight, not volume, which is more accurate. You should use weight measurements if a recipe provides them.
KitchenAid Stand Mixer
I absolutely LOVE my tilt head stand mixer. I can’t imagine baking without it.
Cookie Scooper (Vollrath #40 – 3/4 ounce)
The purple Vollrath #40 scooper is the one that has 3/4 ounce capacity. It is perfect for cookies and I have three other sizes as well. It has never failed me.
Silicone Baking Mat (Silpat)
This is the silicone baking mat I use most often. I use it more for shaping and portioning rather than actual baking but this is what you would want to use for macarons.
Other Cookiemas 2025 Recipes:
This was Day 8 of Cookiemas! Here’s the other days:
- Caramel Cuts. Really just brown sugar blondies. Very soft and tasty from Doug’s childhood
- Anzac Biscuits. An Australian oat cookie with coconut. I actually had to make this again at the request of my mom.
- Vaniljekranse. Danish Butter Cookies. Like the ones you find in the tins.
- Sagu Keju. Tapioca and Cheese Cookies. Very powdery and cheesy.
- Roccoco. An Italian spice cookie. Full of holiday flavors.
- Korekomki. A Bulgarian ballerina cookie that is like pie crust covered with vanilla sugar.
- Mbatata. African cookies made with sweetpotatoes and raisins.