Honey comes in many flavors from a variety of honey bees all around the world, so we look for culinary traditions and recipes from exotic lands with unique customs of their own to share with you on our Wednesday blog.
While searching for a popular sweet treat recipe to share with you, we came across the delightful lady, Ania. We are happy to share her Spiced Honey Christmas Cookies with you today.
These spiced Polish honey cookies are called Pierniczki. They are soft, stuffed with plum butter and covered with lemon icing. Ania says they are similar to more traditional gingerbread cookies.
As always, we recommend you watch the entire 6:12-minute video by Ania’s Kitchen all the way through, and then make the recipe yourself. It is a very well structured and easy-to-follow presentation.
INGREDIENTS:
1 kg all purpose flour
3 tsps baking powder
4 Tbsps of cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp molasses
200 ml of sour cream
250 grams butter 1 cup and 2 Tbsps
1/2 cup of icing sugar
400 grams of honey
8 egg yolks
3 egg whites
4 tsps of pumpkin spice
1 tsp of vanilla extract
plum butter
1/2 cup of icing sugar
1 Tbsp of lemon juice
sprinkles as desired
INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat your honey with pumpkin spice, molasses and vanilla extract. Remove from heat and add butter to melt. Let it cool down. Mix flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder together. Beat the egg whites until they make stiff peaks and then slowly add sugar. Add egg yolks one by one, constantly beating. Add the flour mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in the egg mixture, honey mixture and sour cream at the end. Mix until all is incorporated. Transfer to a bowl lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 24 hours. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 2 mm thick and cut out your favorite shapes. Put a little bit of plum butter on one and cover with one more. Seal the edges. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper and transfer your pierniczki. Bake in preheated oven to 180 degrees Celsius for around 10-12 minutes. Mix icing sugar with lemon juice and hot water until spreading consistency and decorate your pierniczki. Add sprinkles if you like.
These are subtly flavored cookies with a pleasantly surprising flavor. Ania would be delighted if you subscribe to her YouTube channel and if you enjoy the cookies, please give her video a like as well.
Enjoy!