Russian spiced biscuits (pryaniki)

Pryaniki are Russian spiced biscuits that are similar in texture to a honey jumble and are commonly made for festive occasions. These small biscuits are a moreish treat to accompany a warm cup of tea or coffee.

• makes

  24

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 3 eggs 
• 40 g unsalted butter, melted 
• 265 g (¾ cup) honey 
• 450 g (3 cups) plain flour 
• 3 tsp baking powder 
• ½ tsp ground cardamom 
• ½ tsp ground cloves 
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon 
• ½ tsp ground ginger 
• 55 g (¼ cup) caster sugar 
• melted dark chocolate, to serve

Refrigeration 1 hour
Drink match Tea from a samovar will complement these sweet treats, as will traditional Russian sbiten, a hot drink made with honey, spices, jam and water or red wine.

Instructions

Separate 2 eggs and reserve 1 egg white. (Discard the other egg white or use it for another recipe.) Whisk the 2 egg yolks in a bowl with butter, honey and remaining egg. Sift flour, baking powder and spices into a bowl and combine. Make a well in the centre, add egg mixture and gradually combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Using damp hands, shape tablespoonfuls of mixture into 24 balls and place on the trays. Flatten them slightly and bake, swapping the trays halfway, for 15 minutes or until cooked through and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To make meringue, whisk reserved egg white with sugar to soft peaks, then spread 1 tsp meringue mixture over each biscuit. Drizzle with chocolate and allow to set before serving.

Photography by John Laurie.

As seen in Feast magazine, December 2011, Issue 4.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.