Piernik with Chocolate 2

Piernik in Poland is associated with the Christmas season and would be made for Christmas Eve and for Christmas Day, it would also be made for Święty Mikołaj – December 6th – St Nicholas Day. This is a day for present giving in Poland to children and I would always get a piernik shaped and decorated to look like the bishop that was St Nicholas.

I came across this recipe, which has grated dark chocolate added to the mixture and the result is excellent.  I posted it last year as Piernik with Chocolate.  Here I have added a sour cherry jam topping which makes it even better!

Ingredients

• 250ml of runny honey
• 220g of granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1.5 teaspoons of mixed spice (or 0.5 teaspoons each of ground cardamom, cinnamon & cloves)
• 350g of plain flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 100g of grated dark chocolate (I used one with 74%cocoa)
• 100g of mixed peel
• To serve
• Sour Cherry Jam & Icing Sugar

Method

• Grease and line a 32 x 22 cm tin.
• Pre-heat the oven to GM3 – 160°C.
• Whisk together the honey, sugar, eggs and spices.
• Mix the flour and the baking powder together and mix this in.
• Stir in the grated chocolate and the mixed peel.
• Pour the thick batter into the tinand smooth down the top.
• Bake for 60 – 65 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
• Leave to cool in the tin.
• *
• Warm 2 – 3 tablespoons of sour cherry jam to make it easier to use.
• Remove the piernik from the tin.
• Brush the top of the piernik thickly with the jam and leave to cool and set.
• Dust the top with icing sugar.
• Cut into rectangles or triangles to serve.