These cookies instantly take me back. As a Polish immigrant family, we’d get these from the European deli to enjoy throughout the year, but especially during Christmas, so they’re very nostalgic for me. Even though they’re referred to as gingerbread, they don’t actually include any ginger! My recipe is soft, warmly spiced, and dipped in chocolate that doesn’t require tempering. They somehow taste even better a few days after baking!
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Pierniczki (Polish Gingerbread Cookies)
Soft, warmly spiced Polish pierniczki cookies dipped in chocolate for a festive finish. These classic Christmas cookies are easy to make, keep beautifully at room temperature, and are perfect for gifting or shipping.
Ingredients
Method
Cookies
- Add 90 g honey, 40 g granulated sugar, 30 g unsalted butter, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the butter has melted and the mixture just starts bubbling.
- Take off the heat and stir in 1 large egg yolk and 30 g sour cream until smoothly combined.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together 240 g all-purpose flour, 10 g cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, and pinch fine sea salt. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir together. Once it becomes too difficult to continue stirring, knead it with your hands until completely combined into a smooth dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until it slightly firms up, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or perforated baking mats. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to ¼" (6 mm) thick. Peel the parchment off of one side, flip it over, and peel it off the other side to make the cut cookies easy to release.
- Use cookie cutters in any shape you like (I recommend using a size of around 1 ½–2" / 4–5 cm wide) to cut out as many shapes as you can. Arrange them on the baking sheet with about ½" (1.2 cm) of space between. You can re-roll the scraps many times, and even press the very last bit of dough into a cookie cutter so there's no waste.
- Bake until the cookies have slightly puffed and look matte on top. Because the cookie dough is already brown it's difficult to tell when the cookies are done by colour alone, but it should take around 8-12 minutes. Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Dip
- Add 200 g dark or semisweet chocolate and 2 teaspoons neutral oil to a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each one, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Drop a cookie into the bowl upside-down and use a fork to flip it over. Tap it to let the chocolate drip off, and drag it along the edge of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate. Place on a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet. Once all the cookies have been dipped, cover the sheet and pop into the fridge or freezer until the chocolate has set (about 10–20 minutes).
- The cookies keep well at room temperature for at least 2–3 weeks. They're perfect for making ahead for the holidays and will hold up very well for shipping, too!
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