Tula-Style Spiced Honey Gingerbread Cookies with Sugared Print

Be the first to rate

(No Ratings Yet)

Loading...

These iconic Russian spice-honey cookies hail from the city of Tula and are recognizable by their stenciled sugar pattern on top. The dough is gently warmed with honey and a complex spice blend, then stamped or stencilled with a thin icing glaze before baking.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 345 kcalCalories
• 9 gFat
• 5 gSaturated Fat
• 62 gCarbs
• 3 gFiber
• 32 gSugar
• 6 gProtein
• 160 mgSodium
• 180 mgPotassium
• 35 mgCalcium
• 2 mgIron
• 1 mgVitamin C
• 55 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the dough

• 300 g rye flour
• 100 g all-purpose flour
• 180 g wildflower honey
• 110 g granulated sugar
• 80 g unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda, sifted
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

For the sugared print glaze

• 1 large egg white
• 220 g powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp cold water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Combine the honey and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture is fluid, about 4-5 minutes; do not boil.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, and black pepper. Let the spiced honey cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the softened butter, eggs, and salt until smooth.
3. Sift in the rye flour, all-purpose flour, and baking soda, mixing with a wooden spoon until a soft, slightly tacky dough forms. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 25 minutes.
4. Line two baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 1 cm thick and cut into ovals or rectangles using a 9 cm cutter. Place the cookies on the sheets, leaving 3 cm between them.
5. Bake in a preheated 175°C (350°F) oven for 14-16 minutes, until the tops are firm and lightly golden at the edges. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.
6. While the cookies cool, whisk the egg white, powdered sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and water together until a smooth, thick but pipeable icing forms (add extra water drops if needed).
7. Place a stencil or cut-out paper template (the classic Tula design is an oval frame with a figure and banner) over each warm cookie and spread a thin, even layer of the icing across the stencil with a palette knife, revealing the pattern when the stencil is lifted.
8. Return the iced cookies to the turned-off oven (or a 90°C / 200°F oven) for 4-5 minutes to set the icing surface until matte and dry to the touch.
9. Let the cookies cool completely on the rack; the printed glaze will harden into a crisp, decorative layer atop a tender, fragrant spice-honey crumb.
10. Serve with strong black tea or coffee, and store in a sealed tin up to 2 weeks for the flavors to mellow and deepen.

Cook’s Notes

• Use a good-quality wildflower or buckwheat honey; the darker the honey, the deeper the spice notes after baking.
• For an authentic touch, rest the dough overnight in the fridge; the rye flour and spices meld into a richer, more complex flavor.
• Make a simple paper stencil with the classic Tula coat-of-arms or a folk motif to get the iconic printed look without special equipment.
• Apply the icing while the cookies are still slightly warm so the glaze adheres fully and dries into a smooth layer.
• Tradition allows a thin layer of fruit jam or sweetened poppy-seed paste between two cookies, but plain single-layer pryaniki are the most classic form.

You might also like

European

Russian Stuffed Whole Fish with Buckwheat and Mushrooms

European

Russian Potato Salad with Ham and Pickles

European

Russian Sour Meat and Sausage Soup

European

Russian Anthill Shortbread Cake (Muraveinik)