Katarzynki - Polish Gingerbread Cookies
By
Monica H
@MonisiaH
11
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.
Note: Ironically not all Polish gingerbread includes ginger. If you prefer ginger to mace, feel free to swap the spices.
Ingredients
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2 call-purpose flour
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1/2 csugar
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1/4 tspground cloves
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1 tspcinnamon
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1/4 tspground mace
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1/4 tspcream of tartar
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1 tspcocoa powder
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1 pinchblack pepper
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1/3 choney
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1eggs
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1 tspbaking soda
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·flour for dusting
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FOR CHOCOLATE ICING
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8 ozbar of baking chocolate, or 2 cups of chocolate chips
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2 Tbspunsalted butter
How to Make Katarzynki - Polish Gingerbread Cookies
- Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Preheat oven to 350F.
- Heat honey in a saucepan until it begins to boil. Turn off heat.
- Beat together the egg and sugar until thick.
- Pour in honey while mixing until smooth.
- 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.)
- Turn out gently on a floured surface. Roll out to 1cm thickness.
- Cut into desired shapes.
- Bake 12 - 15 minutes until darker color develops.
- Set aside and allow to cool before dipping into chocolate.
- 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.
- Use tongs to dip cookies in.
- Set cookies on a wire rack to cool.
- Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar if you'd like and a nice tall glass of milk. Yum.
