Pryaniki Recipe

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice and salt.

2. In a separate large bowl, beat with an electric mixer at high speed the egg yolks and sugar until they are pale yellow and thick.

3. Heat the honey in a small saucepan over low heat until it liquifies. Cool slightly so the heat doesn't scramble the eggs.

4. Stir the melted honey and the vanilla into the beaten egg mixture.

5. Mix in the dry ingredients to form a stiff dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

6. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

7. Place parchment paper the size of your cookie sheets on a clean surface. 

8. Using a cookie scoop, portion out mounds of dough on the prepared cookie sheets leaving 1 inch between cookie. They will flatten out somewhat but still retain a domed shape. Alternatively, roll out a portion of the dough directly onto the parchment paper.

9. Use your favorite cookie cutter shape or, more traditionally, a round 1 1/2-inch cutter. Cut rounds of dough spacing 1 inch between. Pick up scraps of dough and repeat with remainder of dough on another lined cookie sheet.

10. Lightly brush the tops of each cookie with honey.

11. Bake for 10-20 minutes, or until just golden, rotating the sheets halfway through for even baking.

12. Transfer to racks to finish cooling.

Icing

1. In a bowl, add the confectioners’ sugar and enough water (1 to 2 tablespoons) and whisk together to form a thin icing.

2. Spread on cooled cookies with a pastry brush.