katarzynki - polish gingerbread cookies

★★★★★ 3
a recipe by
Monica H
Michigan City, IN

When I was a little girl - oh, who am I kidding... I ALWAYS LOVED these and ALWAYS WILL even now when I'm a big girl! When I get any chance to go to the city to the polish market, I stock up on these like Y2K people stocked up on water and gasoline. They are so good at any time; not just Christmastime. There are variations; these can be made with various fruit fillings in the middle or glazed with a sugar glaze instead of chocolate. I like the traditional shape of the Katarzyna, but also you can make them round, heart-shaped, or whatever you like.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Katarzynki is a traditional Polish gingerbread cookie. They're crunchier and thicker than the American-style gingerbread cookie. Honey and a touch of brown sugar are used so the cookies are not super sweet. After they're baked, the cookies are dipped in chocolate which adds a little more sweetness. The fall spices, chocolate coating, and crunchy texture make them perfect to serve with hot cocoa or coffee. This is a wonderful old-fashioned cookie that's easy to make. Get creative when decorating them. We kept some with just the chocolate, added white chocolate to some, and dusted a few with powdered sugar.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
★★★★★ 3
serves a bunch
prep time 20 Min
cook time 30 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For katarzynki - polish gingerbread cookies

  • 2 c
    all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 c
    sugar
  • 1/4 tsp
    ground cloves
  • 1 tsp
    cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp
    ground mace
  • 1/4 tsp
    cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp
    cocoa powder
  • 1 pinch
    black pepper
  • 1/3 c
    honey
  • 1
    eggs
  • 1 tsp
    baking soda
  • flour for dusting
  • FOR CHOCOLATE ICING
  • 8 oz
    bar of baking chocolate, or 2 cups of chocolate chips
  • 2 Tbsp
    unsalted butter

How To Make katarzynki - polish gingerbread cookies

Test Kitchen Tips
Ironically not all Polish gingerbread include ginger. If you prefer ginger to mace, feel free to swap the spices.
  • Dry ingredients in a bowl.
    1
    Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Preheat oven to 350F.
  • Heating honey in a saucepan.
    2
    Heat honey in a saucepan until it begins to boil. Turn off heat.
  • Eggs and sugar in a bowl.
    3
    Beat together the egg and sugar until thick.
  • Pouring honey into the eggs and sugar.
    4
    Pour in honey while mixing until smooth.
  • Folding dry ingredients into the egg, honey, and sugar mixture.
    5
    Fold dry ingredients into the egg, honey, and sugar mixture; don't over-mix. (Start to fold with a spoon and then fold by hand until just combined.)
  • Rolling out the dough.
    6
    Turn out gently on a floured surface. Roll out to 1cm thickness.
  • Cutting out shapes with a cookie cutter.
    7
    Cut into desired shapes.
  • Gingerbread cookies baking in the oven.
    8
    Bake 12 - 15 minutes until darker color develops.
  • Gingerbread cookies cooling on a wire rack.
    9
    Set aside and allow to cool before dipping into chocolate.
  • Chocolate and butter melting in a double boiler.
    10
    While cooling, set up a double-boiler system on the stove. (I just use a pot of boiling water and set another small rounded-bottom pot like a mini-wok type thing on top of it). Melt butter and chocolate in the pot. Stir to combine.
  • Dipping cookies in the chocolate.
    11
    Use tongs to dip cookies in.
  • Chocolate coated cookies cooling.
    12
    Set cookies on a wire rack to cool.
  • Dusting cookies with powdered sugar.
    13
    Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar if you'd like and a nice tall glass of milk. Yum.
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