Gingerbread Honey Cookies "Pryaniki"
Soft, spiced Russian honey cookies with a thin honey glaze — pryaniki, the printed honey-cakes sold at every winter fair for centuries. Fragrant with honey and warm spice, tender inside.
Why you'll love this recipe
- An old world recipe, made the way it always was
- One of the most-requested recipes here
- Not one spoon of refined sugar
- Sweetened with real honey
- Makes enough for 20
What you'll need
Everything here is a real ingredient you can find in a normal shop. Nothing artificial, no powders pretending to be sugar. Here is the full list, with the quantities I actually use.
- 1/2 cup (170 g) raw honey
- 1/3 cup (75 g) butter
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- Zest of 1 orange, pinch salt
- 3 tbsp honey warmed with 1 tbsp hot water
How to make it
Warm honey and butter until melted; cool slightly, then whisk in the egg.
Combine flour, baking soda, spices, orange zest and salt; stir into the wet to a soft dough. Chill 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line trays.
Roll dough into 20 balls (or roll out and cut shapes); place on trays.
Bake 10–12 minutes until puffed and just set. While warm, brush with the honey glaze for a shine.
Storage
Keep it covered in the fridge and it will hold for three to four days. If you are making it ahead, hold back any fresh topping until just before you serve so nothing goes soft. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months.
Gingerbread Honey Cookies "Pryaniki"
Soft, spiced Russian honey cookies with a thin honey glaze — pryaniki, the printed honey-cakes sold at every winter fair for centuries. Fragrant with honey and warm spice, tender…
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (170 g) raw honey
- 1/3 cup (75 g) butter
- 1 egg
- 2 1/2 cups (300 g) whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp cloves, 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- Zest of 1 orange, pinch salt
- 3 tbsp honey warmed with 1 tbsp hot water
Instructions
- Warm honey and butter until melted; cool slightly, then whisk in the egg.
- Combine flour, baking soda, spices, orange zest and salt; stir into the wet to a soft dough. Chill 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line trays.
- Roll dough into 20 balls (or roll out and cut shapes); place on trays.
- Bake 10–12 minutes until puffed and just set. While warm, brush with the honey glaze for a shine.
