Moscow-Style Spiced Honey Gingerbread

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Soft, aromatic Russian pryaniki are honey-sweetened spice cookies with a tender crumb and fragrant warmth from ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. This Moscow-style version is rolled, cut into squares, and finished with a light lemon glaze for a glossy crackle.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 195 kcalCalories
• 6 gFat
• 3.5 gSaturated Fat
• 34 gCarbs
• 1 gFiber
• 21 gSugar
• 3 gProtein
• 115 mgSodium
• 55 mgPotassium
• 18 mgCalcium
• 1.4 mgIron
• 0.5 mgVitamin C
• 120 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the dough

• 1/2 cup (170 g) clover honey
• 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups (320 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 tablespoons whole milk

For the lemon glaze

• 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon water, as needed

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the honey, sugar, and butter, stirring until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves; remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and salt until evenly blended.
3. Beat the eggs into the cooled honey mixture one at a time, then stir in the milk until smooth.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
5. Lightly flour a work surface and roll the dough out to about 1/2-inch (12 mm) thickness. Cut into 3-inch squares or rectangles and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
6. Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 12-15 minutes, until the tops are set, lightly puffed, and just turning golden at the edges; the cookies should remain soft in the center.
7. While the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, whisk the powdered sugar with the lemon juice in a small bowl, adding water a few drops at a time until the glaze is smooth and pourable.
8. Drizzle or brush the glaze over the warm cookies and let it set before serving.

Cook’s Notes

• Do not overbake; Moscow pryaniki are prized for a soft, cake-like interior that sets as it cools.
• For a deeper, darker color and traditional flavor, use buckwheat honey or replace 2 tablespoons of honey with molasses.
• Chill the dough fully so the sticky dough rolls out cleanly without sticking to the surface.
• Sandwich two cookies with a thin layer of raspberry jam for a filled pryanik variation common in old Moscow recipes.
• Store in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 1 week; the flavor actually deepens after a day.

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