pryanik recipe history culture origin

ะงั‚ะพ ะผะพะถะตั‚ ะฑั‹ั‚ัŒ ะฒะบัƒัะฝะตะต ะผะตะดะพะฒะพะณะพ ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะฐ ะบ ั‡ะฐัŽ ะฒ ะผะพั€ะพะทะฝั‹ะน ะทะธะผะฝะธะน ะฒะตั‡ะตั€? Photo source: Liveinternet.ru

Pryanik: The Spice of Russian Desserts

Published: August 5, 2018

Pryanik (ะŸั€ัะฝะธะบ), commonly described as โ€œRussian gingerbreadโ€ or โ€œRussian spice cookies,โ€ is a sweet bread or cookie flavored with spices and sometimes filled with jam, sweetened condensed milk, or caramelized milk. Spices used can include cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cumin, and anise, but recipes can vary fairly widely and many Russian regions have specific Pryanikย recipes and forms that are beloved local traditions.

Why Itโ€™s Called โ€œPryanikโ€

(ะŸะพั‡ะตะผัƒ ะพะฝะธ ะฝะพััั‚ ั‚ะฐะบะพะต ะฝะฐะทะฒะฐะฝะธะต?)

When the precursor of pryanik was first baked in the 9th century, it was made with rye-flour, honey and berry-juice, and known simply as โ€œะผะตะดะพะฒั‹ะน ั…ะปะตะฑโ€ (honey bread). It was only in the 12th-13th century, when Russian trade with the Middle East and India first began, that spices were added, bringing the recipe closer to the gingerbread recipe that had been enjoyed in Western Europe since at least the 11th century.

Gradually, the smell and taste of the spices came to characterize the bread, and recipes featuring spices became the prevalent form of the food by the 15th century. However, it was only in the 17th and the name โ€œะผะตะดะพะฒั‹ะน ั…ะปะตะฑโ€ was replaced with โ€œpryanik,โ€ which comes from the root word โ€œะฟั€ัะฝะพัั‚ัŒ,โ€ meaning โ€œspices.โ€

Interestingly, this shift in name came at the same as Russia was pushing its borders and influence further south and securing positions along the Silk Road โ€“ the trade route that long supported commerce between Europe and the Orient. Among other things, Russiaโ€™s expansion into the route gave it increased access to silk, porcelain, and, of course, spices.

However, while pryanik became widespread in Russia, the use of spices did not, so it remains a fairly unique taste in Russian cuisine. Perhaps because of this, it has also found its way into a vast array of โ€œะฟะพัะปะพะฒะธั†ั‹ ะธ ะฟะพะณะพะฒะพั€ะบะธโ€ (proverbs and sayings).

For example, Russians often use โ€œะบะฝัƒั‚ ะธ ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบ,โ€ (literally: whip and pryanik) where an English speaker might use โ€œstick and carrot.โ€ When Russian peasants first heard of the quote โ€œlet them eat cake,โ€ they apparently phrased it as โ€œั…ะปะตะฑะฐ ะฝะต ัั‚ะฐะฝะตั‚, ะฑัƒะดะตะผ ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธ ะตัั‚ัŒโ€ (there will be no bread, but we will eat Pryanik).

pryanik recipe history culture origin
ะžะฑั‹ั‡ะฝั‹ะต, ะบะปะฐััะธั‡ะตัะบะธะต ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธ. ะ’ะพะพะฑั‰ะต,ย ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธ ะธะผะตัŽั‚ ะผะฝะพะณะพ ั€ะฐะทะฝั‹ั… ัะพั€ั‚ะพะฒ ะฝะฐั‡ะธะฝะบะธ.

If someone wouldnโ€™t do something for a million dollars, you might say that ยซะธ ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะพะผ ะฝะต ะทะฐะผะฐะฝะธัˆัŒยป (you couldnโ€™t tempt (the person) even with Pryanikะบ). If something is music to your ears in English, in Russian it is ยซะบะฐะบ ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบ ะฒ ัƒั…ะตยป (like pryanikย in your ear). Someone can tell you to give yourself a pat on the back by telling you to ยซะบัƒะฟะธ ัะตะฑะต ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบยป (buy yourself ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบ).

Even the harder lessons in life can be shown with pryanik.ย For example, ยซะฑะตะท ั€ะฐะฑะพั‚ั‹ ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะพะฒ ะฝะต ะบัƒะฟะธัˆัŒยป (you canโ€™t buy a pryanikย without working) tells us that we must work for what we want. ยซะ›ะพะผะฐะตั‚ัั ะบะฐะบ ะดะตัˆะตะฒั‹ะน ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบยป is what you might say about someone who can never give in when arguing (as a cheap pryanikย is often more like a brick than a cookie). However, sometimes that is how the cookie crumbles.

Pryanik can be baked as a larger loaf, or as smaller cookies, in which case the plural โ€œะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธโ€ is usually used to describe them.

When and How to Eat Pryanik

(ะšะฐะบ ะฟั€ะฐะฒะธะปัŒะฝะพ ะตัั‚ัŒ ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบ?)

pryanik recipe history culture origin
ะŸั€ัะฝะธั‡ะฝั‹ะต ะดะพัะบะธ ะณะพั€ะพะดะตั†ะบะธั… ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะพะฒ.

Pryanik, like most sweet things, were once baked only for special occasions. There is record that pagans in some parts of Russia once baked honey bread or pryanik in the shape of birds or animals and hung the cookies off of trees on certain holidays. This tradition lives on in certain northern areas of Russia and Scandinavian countries with gingerbread ornaments baked for Christmas trees (ั‘ะปะบะธ).

According to Russian TV program ยซะ“ะฐะปะธะปะตะพยป, pryanik was used in the past as a marriage proposal: A young man would offer a lady a pryanik as an indication of his love. If she accepted the pryanik, wedding bells would ring!

Today, ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบ is mass-produced and is served most often as a snack with tea or coffee. However, it can still signify a special occasion. For example, one cannot go to the Russian city of โ€œะขัƒะปะฐโ€ (Tula) without bringing back a fresh โ€œั‚ัƒะปัŒัะบะธะน ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบโ€ (Tulskii pryanik), renowned for its elaborate embossed patterns and messages. In fact, probably no city takes its pryanikย more seriously than ะขัƒะปะฐ, which also has a whole museum dedicated to its tasty confections.

The tulskii pryanik and some other types of elaborate pryanik can be purchased at stores throughout the country and are sometimes used as โ€œััŠะตะดะพะฑะฝั‹ะต ะพั‚ะบั€ั‹ั‚ะบะธโ€ (edible cards), and presented to friends and family as gifts on holidays and celebrations. Interestingly, government officials in the Tula region once prepared a ballot box of their famous tulskii pryanik and presented it to the head of Russiaโ€™s central elections commission when he visited there.

How to Prepare Pryanik

(ะšะฐะบ ะฟั€ะฐะฒะธะปัŒะฝะพ ะณะพั‚ะพะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธ?)

There are many types of pryanik, which can be differentiated just by their appearance. The normal, classic is simple in form โ€“ round with a white glaze. โ€œะŸะตั‡ะฐั‚ะฝั‹ะต ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธโ€ (printed pryaniks) are made with the help of wooden or metallic pastry molds. These include the Tulskii pryanik from Tula, and โ€œะณะพั€ะพะดะตั†ะบะธะน ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบโ€ (Gorodetskii pryanik) from Gorodets in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

pryanik recipe history culture origin
ะคะธะณัƒั€ะบะธ โ€“ ะพะปะตะฝะธ, ะบะพะฝัŒะบะธ, ะฑั‹ั‡ะบะธ, ะบะพั€ะพะฒะบะธ, ะบะพะทะปะธะบะธ, ะฟั‚ะธั‡ะบะธ, ั‚ัŽะปะตะฝะธ โ€“ ะธะผะตัŽั‚ ะพะฑั‰ะตะต ะฝะฐะทะฒะฐะฝะธะต โ€œะบะพะทัŽะปะธโ€. ะšะพะทัŽะปัะผะธ ะธะทะฒะตัั‚ะฝั‹ ะฑั‹ะปะธ ะธ ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธ ะปะตะฟะฝั‹ะต โ€“ ัะปะตะฟะปะตะฝะฝั‹ะต ะธะท ะฟั€ัะฝะธั‡ะฝะพะณะพ ั‚ะตัั‚ะฐ, ะฟะพะดะพะฑะฝะพ ั‚ะพะผัƒ, ะบะฐะบ ะดะตะปะฐัŽั‚ัั ะธะท ะณะปะธะฝั‹ ะธะณั€ัƒัˆะบะธ. ะžัะพะฑะตะฝะฝะพ ะปัŽะฑะธะปะธ ะปะตะฟะฝั‹ะต ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธ ะฝะฐ ั€ัƒััะบะพะผ ะกะตะฒะตั€ะต.

Other types of pryanik could be flat, shaped, or even molded and are often glazed or iced. As an example of the Christmas-tree pryanikย mentioned above, there is a specific type of pryanik from the Arkhangelsk and Olonets regions of Northern Russia known as โ€œะบะพะทัŽะปะธโ€ (kozuli) or โ€œะปะตะฟะฝั‹ะต ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธโ€ (molded pryanik). Coming from pagan origins, their shapes depict the figures of animals, usually taking the form of a horse, which was a symbol of the sun and a guard against evil, or a deer, the protector and a symbol of the continuing cycle of life. Traditionally, they were made by molding the pryanik dough to form the 3D-shaped cookie, but some are baked in 2D shapes, and decorated with icing to paint the features of the animal. Today, kozuli are used as Christmas decorations, and as ornaments for the yuletide tree. Kozuli derive their name from the Russian word for โ€œgoat,โ€ which was once a powerful symbol of fertility and which is still a common shape for the cookies to take.

There are many different styles of pryanik, and a myriad of recipes for each style. Feel free to tweak the amount and types of spices used to flavor the pryanik. Concentrated juice can be used to color the dough and glaze. Add nuts or berries to fillings if you so please. A true โ€œะฟั€ัะฝะธัˆะฝะธะบโ€ย (pryanik bakers; this was once a full-time profession in Russia!) should have their own secret recipe.

Pryanik Recipes!

(ะ”ะฐะฒะฐะน ะฟั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะธะผ!)

See below for a free recipe for various Russian pryaniki. See also the free videos online. If you are interested in cooking from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and other places in Eurasia, make sure to see our full, free Eurasian Cookbook online! You might also be interested in the following specialized cookbooks weโ€™ve enjoyed:

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ย 

ะ”ะพะผะฐัˆะฝะธะต ั‚ัƒะปัŒัะบะธะต ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธ Home-made ั‚ัƒะปัŒัะบะธะน ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบ
ะ˜ะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹ ะดะปั ั‚ะตัั‚ะฐ:
  • 1 ัั‚ะฐะบะฐะฝ ัะฐั…ะฐั€ะฐ
  • 2 ัะนั†ะฐ
  • 125 ะณ. ะผะฐั€ะณะฐั€ะธะฝะฐ (ะผัะณะบะพะณะพ)
  • 3 ัั‚ะพะปะพะฒั‹ั… ะปะพะถะบะธ ะผั‘ะดะฐ
  • 1 ัั‚ะพะปะพะฒะฐั ะปะพะถะบะฐ ะผะพะปะพั‚ะพะน ะบะพั€ะธั†ั‹
  • 1 ั‡ะฐะนะฝะฐั ะปะพะถะบะฐ ัะพะดั‹
  • 2.5 ัั‚ะฐะบะฐะฝะฐ ะฟัˆะตะฝะธั‡ะฝะพะน ะผัƒะบะธ
  • 1 ัั‚ะฐะบะฐะฝ ะฟะพะฒะธะดะปะฐ (ะปัŽะฑะพะต ะณัƒัั‚ะพะต ะฟะพะฒะธะดะปะพ, ะธะปะธ ะฒะฐั€ะตะฝัŒะต)

ะ˜ะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹ ะดะปั ะณะปะฐะทัƒั€ะธ:

  • 5 ัั‚ะพะปะพะฒั‹ั… ะปะพะถะตะบ ัะฐั…ะฐั€ะฐ
  • 2 ัั‚ะพะปะพะฒั‹ั… ะปะพะถะบะธ ะผะพะปะพะบะฐ

ะกะฟะพัะพะฑ ะฟั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะปะตะฝะธั:

  1. ะŸะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐะนั‚ะต ัะฐั…ะฐั€, ัะนั†ะฐ, ัะพะดัƒ, ะบะพั€ะธั†ัƒ ะธ ะผั‘ะด.
  2. ะ”ะพะฑะฐะฒัŒั‚ะต ะผะฐั€ะณะฐั€ะธะฝ (ะผัะณะบะธะน). ะฅะพั€ะพัˆะพ ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐะนั‚ะต ะธ ะฟะพัั‚ะฐะฒัŒั‚ะต ะฝะฐ ะบะธะฟัั‰ัƒัŽ ะฒะพะดัะฝัƒัŽ ะฑะฐะฝัŽ ะฝะฐ 10-15 ะผะธะฝ. ะŸะตั€ะธะพะดะธั‡ะตัะบะธ ะฟะพะผะตัˆะธะฒะฐะนั‚ะต. ะฃ ะฒะฐั ะฟะพะปัƒั‡ะธั‚ัั ะพะดะฝะพั€ะพะดะฝะฐั ะฒะพะทะดัƒัˆะฝะฐั ะผะฐััะฐ.
  3. ะ”ะพะฑะฐะฒัŒั‚ะต ะพะดะธะฝ ัั‚ะฐะบะฐะฝ ะฟั€ะพัะตัะฝะฝะพะน ะผัƒะบะธ. ะŸะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐะนั‚ะต ะธ ะพัั‚ัƒะดะธั‚ะต. ะ’ ะพัั‚ั‹ะฒัˆะตะต, ั‚ั‘ะฟะปะพะต ั‚ะตัั‚ะพ ะฟะพัั‚ะตะฟะตะฝะฝะพ ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะปัะนั‚ะต ะพัั‚ะฐะฒัˆัƒัŽัั ะฟั€ะพัะตัะฝะฝัƒัŽ ะผัƒะบัƒ. ะฅะพั€ะพัˆะพ ั€ะฐะทะผะตัˆะธะฒะฐั ะฒะธะปะบะพะน, ะฐ ะฒ ะบะพะฝั†ะต ะทะฐะผะตัะฐ โ€’ ั€ัƒะบะฐะผะธ.
  4. ะ ะฐัะบะฐั‚ะฐะนั‚ะต ั‚ะตัั‚ะพ ะฒ ะฟะปะฐัั‚ ั‚ะพะปั‰ะธะฝะพะน 0,5 ัะผ ะธ ั€ะฐะทั€ะตะถัŒั‚ะต ะฝะฐ 9 ะบะฒะฐะดั€ะฐั‚ะพะฒ. ะกั‚ะพะป ั…ะพั€ะพัˆะพ ะฟะพัั‹ะฟะฐั‚ัŒ ะผัƒะบะพะน, ะฐ ั‚ะพ ั‚ะตัั‚ะพ ะผะพะถะตั‚ ะฟั€ะธะปะธะฟะฝัƒั‚ัŒ.
  5. ะะฐ ะพะดะฝัƒ ะฟะพะปะพะฒะธะฝะบัƒ ะบะฒะฐะดั€ะฐั‚ะฐ ะฟะพะปะพะถะธั‚ะต ะฟะพะฒะธะดะปะพ, ะฝะฐะบั€ะพะนั‚ะต ะฒั‚ะพั€ะพะน ะฟะพะปะพะฒะธะฝะพะน ะธ ั…ะพั€ะพัˆะพ ะฟั€ะธะดะฐะฒะธั‚ะต ะฟะพ ะฑะพะบะฐะผ ะฟะฐะปัŒั†ะฐะผะธ. ะขะตัั‚ะพ ะพั‡ะตะฝัŒ ั…ะพั€ะพัˆะพ ั„ะพั€ะผะธั€ัƒะตั‚ัั ะธ ัะบะปะตะธะฒะฐะตั‚ัั, ะฝะฐั‡ะธะฝะบะฐ ะฝะต ะฒั‹ั‚ะตั‡ะตั‚.
  6. ะ’ะธะปะบัƒ ะพะฑะผะฐะบะฝะธั‚ะต ะฒ ะผัƒะบัƒ ะธ ะฝะฐะดะฐะฒะธั‚ะต ะฟะพ ะฑะพะบะฐะผ ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะฐ โ€“ ะดะปั ะบั€ะฐัะพั‚ั‹.
  7. ะ’ั‹ะปะพะถะธั‚ะต ะฝะฐ ัะผะฐะทะฐะฝะฝั‹ะน ะผะฐัะปะพะผ ะปะธัั‚ ะฟะตั€ะณะฐะผะตะฝั‚ะฐ ะธ ะฒั‹ะฟะตะบะฐะนั‚ะต ะฒ ะณะพั€ัั‡ะตะน ะดัƒั…ะพะฒะบะต ะฟั€ะธ ั‚ะตะผะฟะตั€ะฐั‚ัƒั€ะต 180 ะณั€ะฐะดัƒัะพะฒ 10-12 ะผะธะฝัƒั‚ โ€“ ะฒั€ะตะผั ะทะฐะฒะธัะธั‚ ะพั‚ ะดัƒั…ะพะฒะบะธ โ€“ ะฝะพ ะฝะต ะฑะพะปัŒัˆะต! ะŸะตะบัƒั‚ัั ะฑั‹ัั‚ั€ะพ โ€“ ะฒั‹ ัƒะฒะธะดะธั‚ะต, ะพะฝะธ ั…ะพั€ะพัˆะพ ะฟะพะดะฝะธะผัƒั‚ัั ะธ ะฟะพะดั€ัƒะผัะฝัั‚ัั.
  8. ะŸะพะบะฐ ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธ ะฟะตะบัƒั‚ัั, ะฟั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒัŒั‚ะต ะณะปะฐะทัƒั€ัŒ: ัะผะตัˆะฐะนั‚ะต ัะฐั…ะฐั€ ะธ ะผะพะปะพะบะพ, ะฟะพัั‚ะฐะฒัŒั‚ะต ะฝะฐ ะพะณะพะฝัŒ ะธ ะผะตัˆะฐะนั‚ะต ะดะพ ั€ะฐัั‚ะฒะพั€ะตะฝะธั ัะฐั…ะฐั€ะฐ. ะ”ะพะฒะตะดะธั‚ะต ะดะพ ะบะธะฟะตะฝะธั ะธ ะบะธะฟัั‚ะธั‚ะต 5-6 ะผะธะฝัƒั‚.
  9. ะšะฐะบ ั‚ะพะปัŒะบะพ ะธัะฟะตะบัƒั‚ัั, ัั€ะฐะทัƒ ะณะพั€ัั‡ะธะผะธ ัะผะฐะถัŒั‚ะต ะณะปะฐะทัƒั€ัŒัŽ ะธ ะดะฐะนั‚ะต ะพัั‚ั‹ั‚ัŒ.
Ingredients for the dough:
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 125 grams of margarine (softened)
  • 3 tablespoons of honey
  • 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon of soda
  • 2.5 cups of wheat flour
  • 1 cup of filling (any thick filling such as jam)

Ingredients for the glaze:

  • 5 tablespoons of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of milk

Method:

  1. Mix the sugar, eggs, soda, cinnamon and honey.
  2. Add the margarine (softened). Mix well, and place the mixing bowl in a hot double boiler for 10-15 minutes. Stir periodically. You will get a homogenous frothy mixture.
  3. Add one cup of sifted flour. Stir and allow it to cool off. To the cooled, warm dough, gradually add the remaining sifted flour. Mix well with a fork, and, at the end, knead with your hands.
  4. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 0.5 cm, and cut into nine squares. Cover the table well with flour, or the dough may stick.
  5. On one half of the square, place some filling, and cover it with the second half of the square (by folding) and seal the edges well with your fingers. If the dough is shaped and sealed well, the filling will not flow out.
  6. Dip the fork in flour, and press the fork tines along the edges of the ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบ for decoration.
  7. Place the ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธ on a greased baking sheet, and bake in a hot oven at 180ยฐC (350ยฐF) for 7-12 minutes, depending on the oven, but no longer! They bake quickly โ€“ watch for them to turn brown and well-risen.
  8. While the ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธ are baking, prepare the glaze: Mix the powdered sugar and milk, put it over heat and mix to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5-6 minutes.
  9. Once the ะฟั€ัะฝะธะบะธ are baked, brush on the hot glaze immediately, and let it cool.

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ะšะพะทัŽะปะธ Kozuli
ะ˜ะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹ ะดะปั ั‚ะตัั‚ะฐ:
  • 400ะณ ั€ะถะฐะฝะพะน ะผัƒะบะธ
  • 300ะณ ะฟัˆะตะฝะธั‡ะฝะพะน ะผัƒะบะธ
  • 1 ัั‚ะฐะบะฐะฝ ะผะพะปะพะบะฐ
  • 1 ัั‚ะฐะบะฐะฝ ะผั‘ะดะฐ
  • 5 ัˆั‚. ัะธั‡ะฝั‹ั… ะถะตะปั‚ะบะพะฒ
  • 2 ัั‚ะพะปะพะฒะพะน ะปะพะถะบะธ ัะฐั…ะฐั€ะฐ
  • 2 ัั‚ะพะปะพะฒั‹ั… ะปะพะถะบะธ ัะผะตัะธ ะผะพะปะพั‚ั‹ั… ะฟั€ัะฝะพัั‚ะตะน (ะบะพั€ะธั†ั‹,
  • ะบะฐั€ะดะฐะผะพะฝะฐ, ะณะฒะพะทะดะธะบะธ, ะฐะฝะธัะฐ)
  • ะฟะพะป-ั‡ะฐะนะฝะพะน ะปะพะถะบะธ ัะพะดั‹
  • 4 ัั‚ะพะปะพะฒั‹ั… ะปะพะถะบะธ ั‚ะพะฟะปั‘ะฝะพะณะพ ะผะฐัะปะฐ

ะ˜ะฝะณั€ะตะดะธะตะฝั‚ั‹ ะดะปั ะณะปะฐะทัƒั€ะธ:

  • 1 ัˆั‚. ะฑะตะปะพะบ ะธะปะธ ะฝะตะผะฝะพะณะพ ะฒะพะดั‹
  • 1 ัั‚ะฐะบะฐะฝ ัะฐั…ะฐั€ะฝะพะน ะฟัƒะดั€ั‹
    ัะฒะตะบะพะปัŒะฝั‹ะน ะธะปะธ ะบะปัŽะบะฒะตะฝะฝั‹ะน ัะพะบ (ะฟะพะดะบั€ะฐัะธั‚ัŒ ะณะปะฐะทัƒั€ัŒ)

ะŸั€ะธะณะพั‚ะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต

  1. ะœะพะปะพะบะพ ะธ ะผะฐัะปะพ ะฟะพะดะพะณั€ะตั‚ัŒ ะดะพ 60โ€“70ยฐะก, ะฟะตั€ะตะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ, ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะผั‘ะด, ั€ะฐัั‚ั‘ั€ั‚ั‹ะต ั ัะฐั…ะฐั€ะพะผ ะถะตะปั‚ะบะธ, ะฟั€ัะฝะพัั‚ะธ, ะพะฑะฐ ะฒะธะดะฐ ะฟั€ะพัะตัะฝะฝะพะน ะผัƒะบะธ ะธ ัะพะดัƒ. ะ’ั‹ะผะตัะธั‚ัŒ ั‚ะตัั‚ะพ. ะ ะฐัะบะฐั‚ะฐั‚ัŒ ัะปะพะตะผ ั‚ะพะปั‰ะธะฝะพะน 1 ัะผ. ะ’ั‹ั€ะตะทะฐั‚ัŒ ั„ะธะณัƒั€ะบะธ ะฒ ะฒะธะดะต ั€ะพะณะฐั‚ั‹ั… ะถะธะฒะพั‚ะฝั‹ั…, ะปะธะฑะพ ะฝะพะถะพะผ, ะปะธะฑะพ ัะฟะตั†ะธะฐะปัŒะฝั‹ะผะธ ั„ะพั€ะผะพั‡ะบะฐะผะธ ะดะปั ะฟะตั‡ะตะฝัŒั.
  2. ะ ะฐะทะปะพะถะธั‚ัŒ ะณะพั‚ะพะฒั‹ะต ั„ะธะณัƒั€ะบะธ ะฝะฐ ะฟั€ะพั‚ะธะฒะฝะต ะฝะฐ ั€ะฐััั‚ะพัะฝะธะธ 1 ัะผ ะดั€ัƒะณ ะพั‚ ะดั€ัƒะณะฐ ะธ ะฟะพัั‚ะฐะฒะธั‚ัŒ ะฒ ั€ะฐะทะพะณั€ะตั‚ัƒัŽ ะดะพ 200 ยฐะก ะดัƒั…ะพะฒะบัƒ, ะฝะฐ 10โ€“12 ะผะธะฝ.
  3. ะ”ะปั ะณะปะฐะทัƒั€ะธ ัะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ ะฑะตะปะพะบ ะธะปะธ ะฒะพะดัƒ ะธ ัะฐั…ะฐั€ะฝัƒัŽ ะฟัƒะดั€ัƒ ะดะพ ะพะดะฝะพั€ะพะดะฝะพัั‚ะธ. ะะตะฑะพะปัŒัˆัƒัŽ ั‡ะฐัั‚ัŒ ะณะปะฐะทัƒั€ะธ ะผะพะถะฝะพ ัะผะตัˆะฐั‚ัŒ ัะพ ัะฒะตะบะพะปัŒะฝั‹ะผ ะธะปะธ ะบะปัŽะบะฒะตะฝะฝั‹ะผ ัะพะบะพะผ ะธ ะธัะฟะพะปัŒะทะพะฒะฐั‚ัŒ ะดะปั ัƒะบั€ะฐัˆะตะฝะธั. ะ“ะพั‚ะพะฒั‹ะต ะบะพะทัŽะปะธ ะพัั‚ัƒะดะธั‚ัŒ, ะฟะพะบั€ั‹ั‚ัŒ ะณะปะฐะทัƒั€ัŒัŽ ะธ ัƒะบั€ะฐัะธั‚ัŒ!
Ingredients for the dough:
  • 400g rye flour
  • 300g wheat flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup honey
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ground spice mix (cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, anise)
  • half-teaspoon of baking soda
  • 4 tablespoons of clarified butter

Ingredients for the glaze:

  • 1 egg white or a little water
  • 1 cup of powdered sugar
    beetroot or cranberry juice (to tint the glaze)

Preparation

  1. Warm milk and butter to 60-70ยฐะก (140-158ยฐF) and mix. Add honey, egg yolks mixed with sugar, spices, both types of sifted flour and baking soda. Knead the dough. Roll it out 1 cm thin. Cut figures in the shape of horned animals, either with a knife or special molds for cookies.
  2. Arrange the prepared figures on a baking sheet at a distance of 1 cm from each other and put in an oven preheated to 200ยฐC (400ยฐF) for 10-12 minutes.
  3. For the glaze, mix the egg white or water and powdered sugar to a uniform mix. A small portion of the glaze can be mixed with cranberry juice or beetroot juice and used for decoration. When the ะบะพะทัŽะปะธ are ready, cool, cover with glaze and decorate!

Our Favorite Videos about Pryanik

Make a pryanik cake with Russian celebrity chef Alexander Seleznev. He offers lots of good pointers for making a truly tasty pryanik.

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Observe the making of a mass-produced pryanikย with a range of toppings, designs, and fillings. This is promotional video for a Russian delicatessen chain called โ€œะฃ ะŸะฐะปั‹ั‡ะฐโ€ that can be found in many places in western Russia.

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โ€œะŸะพะบั€ะพะฒัะบะธะน ะŸั€ัะฝะธะบโ€ (Pokrovskii Pryanik) is a company from the city of Vladimir that specializes in making pryanik. This promotional video takes you into their bakery, and shows the different types of pryanik,ย and the various fillings used.

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This video from ยซะ“ะฐะปะธะปะตะพยป, a television program on Russiaโ€™s ะกะขะก channel, provides a great introduction to tulskii pryanik, from the origins of its name, to the processes in which the molds and pastry are made. The video gives an interesting glimpse into how the intricate molds are carved, and the pryanik baking process.

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About the author

Eugenia Goh

Eugenia Goh is an international studies major at the University of Denver. She studied for a semester with SRAS in Kyrgyzstan on our Central Asian Studies course before transferring to Moscow to study for another semester on our Russian Studies Abroad course.

View all posts by: Eugenia Goh