Piernik is Polish gingerbread.
A generously spiced cake with gingerbread spice mix, layered with plum jam and covered with chocolate glaze.
The name gingerbread comes from the old Polish word “pierny,” which means “peppery”.
Generally, gingerbread is a sweet and spiced cake made with wheat or rye flour, honey, sugar, fats, eggs, water or milk, leavening agents, and spices.
According to some food historians, the earliest known recipe for gingerbread dates back to Greece around 2400 BC.
In Poland, in Krakow, the first guild of gingerbread makers (kichlary, from the German: Küchler) was founded.
In the 17th century, gingerbread here was sold in pharmacies as an effective medicine for many ailments and, like in other countries, was a symbol of prosperity and high social status.
And it was in the 13th century that in Poland, in the city of Toruń, they began producing Torunskie pierniki, which were later imported to Sweden by German immigrants.
The famous spiced cookies, typical of Scandinavia but also popular among German-speaking peoples, are:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6People
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Oven
- Cuisine: Polish
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients for 9 x 5 inch pan:
- 2 tablespoons gingerbread spice mix
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- to taste plum jam
- 1 cup milk (or water)
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 3 tablespoons cream
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate
- to taste sliced almonds (or walnuts)
Tools
- 1 Pan 9×5
Steps
Mix the gingerbread spices with cocoa, add honey, sugar, butter, 2 tablespoons of plum jam, and salt.
Heat and add milk (or water).
Remove from heat, add eggs, baking soda, and flour.
Pour into a 9×5 pan and bake at 320°F for 1 hour.
Cut lengthwise and fill with more plum jam.
For the glaze: bring cream to a boil with chocolate. Spread the glaze over the piernik and decorate with almonds or walnuts.
Do NOT confuse with prjanik which are cookies or spiced breads typical of Orthodox Christmas in Russia
Do NOT confuse with prjanik which are cookies or spiced breads typical of Orthodox Christmas in Russia
Among these, the most famous is the spiced bread typical of the city of Tula in Russia.
It is rectangular and made of flour, honey, nuts, berries, grapes, spices (lemon, mint, vanilla, ginger, anise, caraway, nutmeg, cloves) and garnished with chocolate as a decoration. Served on a large serving platter, it’s the quintessential holiday dessert.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
What spices are in Gingerbread?
The gingerbread spice mix is usually made up of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, coriander seeds, cardamom, nutmeg, anise, star anise, allspice, and black pepper.
