Gingerbread cookies are traditionally baked for Christmas in the U.S. and Europe. But in Russia gingerbread baking has it own history as well. The story dates back to the 17th century.
Confectioners in the town of Tula, 180 kilometers south of Moscow, took up the art of gingerbread baking and perfected it. Since then “pryaniki” as Russian gingerbread are called, have become one of the most recognized symbols of the country.
Today we offer you a recipe that combines traditional Western and Russian techniques to add a bit of a Slavic spirit to your Christmas table.
Here we go:
1. Beat one egg with 150 grams (3/4 cups) of sugar and orange zest (we used orange sugar).
2. Mix 200 grams (1 cup) 20 percent fat (or full flavor) sour cream with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and add a pinch of salt.
3. Blend the egg mix with sour cream.
4. Sift 400 grams (3 cups) of flour through a strainer; add spices according to your preferences (we used cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg).
5. Add the flour into the egg and sour cream blend. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Mix the dough. Then put the dough into the fridge for 30 minutes.
6. Roll out the cooled dough into a centimeter-thick layer. Carve out the dough pieces using cookie cutter pans.
7. Put the cookies into an oven pre-heated to 190 C. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
8. Let the cookies cool and decorate them as you wish.
Merry Christmas!
Russian oven is a new video series devoted to Russian pastries, featuring traditional age-old pies and cakes, inventive cookies and tarts of recent years, plus Soviet classics and much more. Stay tuned!
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