Pierniczki (Polish Gingerbread Cookies)
porcje: 33 cookies
składniki
for the cookie dough:
- 3 tablespoons (60g) honey
- 1/3 cup (65g) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60g) butter cold or warm
- 1 tablespoon gingerbread spice mix see notes for a simple recipe
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder any kind
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour scooped and leveled, not scooped
additionally (optional):
- plum preserves if making stuffed cookies
- 1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips + 2 teaspoons coconut oil/butter if dipping the cookies in chocolate
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar + 2 teaspoons water + 2 teaspoons lemon juice if planing to decorate the cookies with icing
wykonanie
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- In a medium pot, combine the honey, sugar, butter, gingerbread spice mix, vanilla, cocoa powder, and salt. Heat over medium-low heat until everything is melted, well-combined, and the sugar is almost dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside to cool for about 10 minutes. The mixture can be warm but it should not be hot.3 tablespoons (60g) honey, 1/3 cup (65g) brown sugar, 1/4 cup (60g) butter, 1 tablespoon gingerbread spice mix, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cocoa powder, 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Once the mixture has cooled, whisk in the egg, followed by the baking soda.1 large egg, 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- Add the flour and stir with a spoon until roughly combined. Transfer the mixture to a counter or rolling mat and knead until a dough forms.2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- The dough shouldn’t be sticky and should be ready to roll out. If it's too sticky, press the dough into a disc, wrap it in cling foil, and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/3 inches (3/4 cm). Cut out shapes and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Gather the scraps, roll out the dough again, and repeat until all the dough is used.
- To make stuffed cookies (a popular option in Poland, especially store-bought): roll the dough out thinner and cut out shapes. Place 1–2 teaspoons of plum preserves on one shape, then cover it with another. Press the edges together to seal, and bake as you would the unstuffed cookies.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes. The cookies should be soft and not browned. If the cookies are thinner, they may bake faster and will be crunchier than soft. Dark baking sheets may require 7–8 minutes, while lighter baking sheets may take closer to 9 minutes. Consider baking a test batch to determine the ideal time for your oven.
- Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Decorate as desired, either with icing or by dipping them in melted chocolate.
- For the icing: Whisk all the ingredients together, then dip the cookies into the icing.
- For the chocolate glaze: Melt the chocolate with the oil or butter, then coat the cookies. Set them aside to allow the chocolate glaze to harden.
- Enjoy!
uwagi
- Storage: Please note that pierniczki cookies naturally become harder over time—this is their typical characteristic due to the honey. It is common practice to store pierniczki in a cookie tin with small pieces of apple to help soften them (ensure the apple skin, not the flesh, touches the cookies). Remember to replace the apple pieces every 2–3 days to prevent mold. Stored this way, the cookies will last for several weeks and stay nice and soft, thanks to the apple trick.
- The amounts of the icing and chocolate glaze are for the whole batch of cookies which is about 33 cookies.
- For a homemade gingerbread spice mix you will need: 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, 1/8 teaspoon ground coriander (optional), pinch of ground black pepper. You can use this spice mix for all gingerbread recipes.
- How to correctly measure flour: I’m using the “spoon and level method” so 1 cup of flour in my recipes weighs 125g. Fluff the flour by stirring it in the bag/flour container with a spoon. Spoon the flour and sprinkle it into your measuring cup. Sweep off the excess flour with the back of a knife. I recommend using a digital scale for perfect and consistent results.
- Calories = 1 cookie (about 1/33 of the recipe, without the glaze/icing). This is only an estimate!
Wartości odżywcze
Kalorie: 52kcal