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.
Looks lovely!
LikeLiked by 1 person