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The pryaniki “Nezhenka” are a sweet delight. They taste incredibly tender, fluffy and soft. Moreover, these Russian gingerbread cookies stay fresh for a long time. They are ideal for a round of coffee, to take with you on the go or even to give as a gift. You can find a detailed pryaniki “Nezhenka” recipe with the exact quantities and step-by-step instructions here at the very bottom.
What does the name mean?
“Nezhenka” translated from Russian means something that is very tender and soft. The name was given to pryaniki because of their taste.
They are very tender, soft and fluffy on the inside. The pryaniki practically melt in your mouth.
By the way, it is similar with the mini cakes “Nezhnost” and their name.
Dough with hot milk
The secret of the pryaniki “Nezhenka” is in the dough from which they are made. It is made with hot milk, which is brought to a boil and then immediately mixed with flour.
As a result, after baking, the pryaniki have an incredibly moist, tender and fluffy consistency. Moreover, they stay fresh for a long time.
By the way, the dough for my vegetarian pelmeni and strawberry vareniki is prepared in a similar way. Only boiling water is used instead of milk.
Different flavors
You can add different flavors to the classic pryaniki “Nezhenka”.
For example, mix fresh orange or lemon zest into the dough, as I did in the vegan pryaniki recipe. You can also spice it up with different spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg or gingerbread spice, similar to the caramel pryaniki and honey pryaniki.
Sugar icing alternative
Classically, the icing for pryaniki is made of sugar and water cooked to a certain temperature. This gives them their typical white spots after drying.
Pryaniki with such an appearance can also be found in German supermarkets. I made this kind of icing for the pryaniki “Nezhenka”, just like for the pryaniki with sour cream.
Some prepare an egg white sugar glaze at home and coat pryaniki with it. With such a glaze the pastry has a snow-white color.
However, for this you use a raw egg white. If you don’t mind eating raw eggs, you can also make such a glaze.
You will need the white of one egg and about 125 grams of powdered sugar. Whip the two ingredients into beaten egg whites. With the help of a kitchen brush, coat the pryaniki with it.
These pryaniki “Nezhenka” are
- tender,
- fluffy,
- moist,
- soft,
- incredibly tasty,
- aromatic,
- long shelf life,
- more delicious than those from the supermarket,
- easy and quick to make,
- ideal for dessert with coffee, tea or to take with you on the road,
- classic of Russian cuisine.
How to make pryaniki “Nezhenka”: tips and tricks
- The amount of flour specified in the recipe may vary. Add the flour baking powder mixture in portions to the liquid mass until your dough gets the necessary consistency. It should be firm, but not dry.
- Do not roll the dough too thin, but at least 1 cm thick, so that the pryaniki taste moist and tender after baking.
- Do not bake the pryaniki longer than necessary. They should not get too brown in the oven.
- To measure the temperature of the icing, you will need a kitchen thermometer.
- Be careful with the icing, because it is very hot. Also, work with it as quickly as possible, because it sets quickly.
- Store the pryaniki “Nezhenka” in an airtight container at room temperature.
Did you make the pryaniki “Nezhenka” according to this recipe? I’m looking forward to your result, your star rating and your comment here below, how they turned out and tasted to you.
Looking for more delicious Russian pastry recipes? Try some more:
- Napoleon puff pastry slices with kefir – old recipe
- Nut rogaliki – walnut rugelach with addictive potential
- Plushki – popular Russian layered sugar buns
Pryaniki "Nezhenka"
Equipment
- kitchen thermometer
Ingredients
for the pre-dough
- 250 ml milk
- 250 g sugar
- 125 g flour
- 1 pinch of salt
for the dough
- pre-dough
- 1 egg
- 50 ml vegetable oil
- approx. 635 g flour
- 25 g baking powder
- 1 pinch of ground vanilla bean
- flour for the work surface
for the icing
- 170 g sugar
- 85 ml water
Instructions
Preparation of the pre-dough
- Mix flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Bring milk to a boil very briefly, immediately pour it into the flour mixture and whisk until homogeneous.
Preparation of the dough
- Add vegetable oil and vanilla to the milk mixture, stir it and let it cool to lukewarm.
- Add egg and mix again with a whisk to a homogeneous mass.
- Mix flour with baking powder, add it in portions to the milk mixture and knead it into a firm dough.
- On the floured work surface, roll out the dough to about 1 cm thick and cut out round cookies from the dough using a round cookie cutter or a drinking glass.
- Spread the cookies a little apart from each other on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake them in a preheated oven at 356 °F (180 °C) for about 15 minutes.
- Let the pryaniki cool down.
Preparation of the sugar icing
- Put sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly so that the sugar dissolves before the syrup boils.
- Let the sugar syrup boil over medium heat, without stirring it, until it reaches 230 °F (110 °C).
- Remove the icing from the heat and leave to cool to approx. 167 °F - 176 °F (75 °C - 80 °C) for 7 - 10 minutes.
Coating the pryaniki with the sugar icing
- Dip a kitchen brush briefly into the icing again and again and rub it quickly but vigorously over the surface of each pryanik in turn (be careful, it's hot).
- Spread the pryaniki "Nezhenka" on baking paper and allow the icing to dry.
Notes
- The amount of flour may vary. Add the flour baking powder mixture in portions to the liquid mass until your dough gets the necessary consistency. It should be firm, but not dry.
- Do not roll the dough too thin, but at least 1 cm thick, so that the pryaniki taste moist and tender after baking.
- Do not bake the pryaniki longer than necessary. They should not get too brown in the oven.
- To measure the temperature of the icing, you will need a kitchen thermometer.
- Be careful with the icing, because it is very hot. Also, work with it as quickly as possible, because it sets quickly.
- The time for cooling the pre-dough and pryaniki, as well as for drying the sugar icing is not included in the preparation time.
- Note the detailed tips and tricks for making the pryaniki "Nezhenka" above in the post.
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