Pryaniki - Russian Honey Spice Cookies

Pryaniki (pre-ah-nee-kee) are honey and spice Russian cookies traditionally served at teas and holidays. These cookies are more cake-like than their German cousins, Pfeffernusse and are finished with a white or chocolate glaze.

To make your life easier, these cookies can be made, shaped and frozen for up to a month or so before baking and glazing.

Redolent of honey and spices, these are an easily made cookie that only gets better with age. While the traditional finish is a white glaze, chocolate and spices have an affinity for each other that can't be beat. My Chocolate Spice Olive Oil Biscotti and Honey Diamonds are perfect examples of this.

Russian Spice cookies, also called honey bread, have been made since the 9th century. When trade began with the Middle East and India in the 12th and 13th centuries spices, many spices were added. As time went on, it seems every family had their special recipe, some highly secreted.

Typically, the cookies were graced with cloves, ginger, citrus fruits, pepper, nutmeg, mint, anise, ginger, and many other flavorings, giving them the name pryanosti or well-spiced. Many of those, along with the Russians love for honey, make up this cookie.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Want to Make Pryaniki
• Recipe Ingredients
• Step by Step Instructions
• Recipe FAQs
• Expert Tips
• Pryaniki - Russian Honey Spice Cookies

Why You'll Want to Make Pryaniki

• Although this doesn't have just 5 ingredients, it is so simple to make. Basically it only requires, melting a few ingredients, adding all the ingredients to the mixing bowl, mixing and chilling. Which makes this ideal for a make ahead cookie.
• But there is more as the saying goes. These cookies need to be aged before finishing. So they can be made, stored and a week later glazed, after which they can be stored for weeks in an airtight container.
• The texture of the cookies makes them easier to eat than say Pfeffernusse or Springerle.
• These are so packed with flavor they taste incredible. Anyone who enjoys a spice cookie is going to ask for the recipe.

Recipe Ingredients

For the Cookies

Ingredients read left to right.

FIRST ROW: Ginger, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper

SECOND ROW: Cinnamon, baking soda, coffee, baking powder, anise extract

THIRD ROW: Water, white vinegar, butter, egg

FOURTH ROW: All-purpose flour, sugar, honey

Glaze

Left to Right:

FRONT ROW: Water, corn syrup

BACK ROW: Powdered sugar, cocoa

Cardamom is an expensive ingredient. Penzy's has it in tiny amounts. Keep it in the freezer when not using. I keep all of my seeds and expensive spices in the freezer where they will last forever.

Anise extract is a popular European flavoring. It is easily found in the spice department of most grocery stores.

The baking soda dissolved in vinegar is key to this cookie so don't skip it. There will be no taste of it in the cookies. By dissolving the baking soda in the vinegar, it produces carbon dioxide gas (C02), which is evident because of the formation of bubbles in the foaming mixture.

These allow for soft and airy baked goods such as cookies, pancakes, and cakes. Baking soda also increases pH levels while reducing gluten. This creates less chewy and more tender baked goods.

Corn syrup is used in the glaze to add sheen and help prevent cracking of the glaze. Corn syrup sold to consumers is not the high glucose variety used in commercial products.

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1. Dissolve the coffee in the water in a small saucepan. Step 2. Add the butter, honey and sugar. Step 3. Heat to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar. Step 4. Whisk in the anise extract and all of the spices. Cool slightly. Place in the bowl of a mixer.

Step 6. Add the baking soda to the vinegar, mixing completely. It will bubble up. Step 6. Add the egg, the baking soda mixture and baking powder. Step 7. Pour all of the flour on top of the liquid. Step 8. Mix on low to medium low, scraping as necessary. The mixture will be a batter more than a dough. Refrigerate the batter overnight.

Step 9. The batter must be cold to scoop. Using a #70 disher/scooper or a tablespoon measure, scoop the cookies and line them up 4 across and 6 down on a parchment lined sheet pan. Roll them into smooth balls. Step 10. Double pan the Pryaniki before going into the oven. One pan is simply put on top of another pan. Step 11. Bake the cookies as called for. Step 12. Sift the powdered sugar for the glaze.

Step 13. Place all of the glaze ingredients in a bowl and stir until completely smooth. Do not use a whisk as it can make a lot of air bubbles that will show on the cookies. Step 14. Dip a cookie, top down, into the glaze. Dip up to the very edge. Place on a parchment lined tray to dry. Step 15. A tray of cookies with the glaze puddled. Step 16. A tray of chocolate glazed cookie. Let the glaze dry completely. This may take up to 48 hours. When completely dry, simply break off the puddled glaze.

Recipe FAQs

If you enjoy these, try out these Hello Dolly Cookies!

Expert Tips

• Sift the powdered sugar or the powdered sugar and cocoa together. Otherwise tiny bumps may show on the finished glazed cookies.
• Be sure to stir the glaze ingredients together. A whisk can incorporate air which can appear on the finished cookie.
• Plan ahead so you allow enough time to let the glaze dry completely.
• The cookies can be dipped in the glaze or they can be placed on a cooling rack and the glaze poured or spooned over them.
• After the cookies are finished, they can be stored in an airtight container for 7 to 10 days.
• These cookies mail well.

If you love these Pyraniki or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating in the recipe card and let me know how it went the in 📝 comments below. I appreciate each of you being here!