November 29, 2007

Prianiki for the Holidays


Ginger is a root spice from Indo-Malaysia long used in Oriental cuisine and heralded for its medicinal qualities. It soothes an upset stomach, invigorates the circulatory system and can help prevent the onset of the common cold. As early as 2000 BC, ginger was used in cooking, mainly in ginger - honey cakes available only to the wealthy and royal. Finally, in the 1200s AD, European explorers and traders introduced ginger to the West. Soon, a recipe of flour, precious honey and ginger spice was created and gingerbread was born. Medieval European ladies would bake this flat bread in various shapes such has hearts to ward off evil. Gingerbread was most plentiful, during this time, in Germany because of its extensive trade with the East. By the 1800s and the introduction of molasses, gingerbread became a maninstay of all, not just the wealthy. We are all familiar with the German folktale of Hansel and Gretel which prompted the creation of gingerbread houses, still popular today.

Russian Prianiki

Gingerbread, or prianiki, was a favorite treat throughout Europe including Russia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland. In the beginning, prianiki was made of flour, honey and sometimes, egg. With the creation of leavening agents, such as baking soda and baking powder, prianiki took on height. Honey was an essential ingredient as refined sugar was not available in Europe or Russia yet.

Each country developed trade guilds who endeavored to create a better product than the next. Similar to bread baking, prianiki became a matter of pride for many communities. During the 1500 to 1800s, some of the most popular bakers of ginger bread were Nuremberg in Germany, Torun in Poland and Tula, Vyazma and Arkhangelsk in Russia. In Tula, bakers garnished their prianiki with berry jams while Vyazma introduced the use of molasses. Arkhangelsk created fancy little shaped cakes, bathed in colored icings.

Traditional prianiki is dense, spicy and chewy, not crunchy as is the case with modern ginger cookies. Prianiki were and are made in many shapes and are often stamped with a wooden press to produce a design on the surface of the cake. Possibly the most popular prianiki comes from Tula, south of Moscow and famed home of metal crafts and samovar production. Not surprising considering prainiki is perfect with a hot, dark cup of tea!

What follows is a traditional Russian recipe for prianiki. It's easy to prepare and sure to be a joy during the Holidays, or any time throughout the year. This recipe will make about 15 - 18 cakes. Of course, you can cut your dough into any desired shape.

Ingredients
1 oz butter
6 oz honey (I like wildflower honey best)
6 oz jam (plum is preferred, quince is good too)
1 egg
8 oz plain flour
2 oz icing sugar (confectioner's sugar)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp each cardomon, ginger, and cinnamon
1 tbs crushed blanched almonds
2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation
- Cream together butter and honey
- Add egg and beat
- Blend in baking soda, spices and almonds
- Add enough flour to make a soft ball of dough
- Cover with waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour
- Heat oven to 350 F and prepare a lightly floured board
- Roll out dough to 1/8" thickness
- With a 2 - 3" floured cutter, cut out an even number of circles
- Cut each circle in half
- Spread half with jam and place other half on top, sealing edges
- Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes
- Reduce oven heat to 325 F and bake for 10 more minutes
- Cool cakes on a wire rack
- Combine lemon juice and icing sugar, drizzle over cooled cakes
- Enjoy!


This is the definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine, layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context. Get A Taste of Russia.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955