Pryanik

Sweet Pastry | Russian

Pryanik is a pastry, the Russian analogue of German Aachen gingerbread (Aachener Printen) and Nuremberg gingerbread (Nürnberger Lebkuchen). Pryaniki are baked from special gingerbread dough with addition of honey, nuts, candied fruits and raisins. Fruit or berry jam and condensed milk are used as a filling. In appearance, pryanik is typically a slightly rectangular, round or oval shaped plate that is slightly gibbose in the middle; there is usually an inscription or a simple drawing on its upper part made by a gingerbread board. Also, pryanik is often coated with a confectionary sugar glaze. Tula, Gorodets, Vyazma, Pokrov, Kurskaya Korennaya Pustyn and many others are the historic centers for the production of pryaniki.

Ingredients

Flour - 480 g
sugar - 150 g
liquid honey, better meadow or polyfloral honey - 70 g
butter - 50 g
egg - 3 pcs.
baking soda - 0,5 tsp.
lemon juice - 0,5 tsp.
mixture of freshly ground spices (coriander, cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice) - 1 tsp.
peeled almond - 1 cup
sea salt – to taste

Preparation method (receipt)

Put honey, sugar, pour 50 ml of water in a saucepan with a thick bottom and heat to 70-75 °C. Pour in half of the sifted flour and spices. Stir immediately until smooth. Remove from fire and cool completely. Add softened butter, 2 eggs whipped until smooth, a pinch of salt, baking soda, lemon juice and the remaining flour. Knead soft smooth dough. Roll it out into a 5-6 mm thick layer. Cut out different figures using cookie cutters and put them on a baking tray covered with a cooking sheet. Egg the surface and dress with almond halves. Bake at 220-230 °С for 7-9 minutes.