Piernik Staropolski

Ingredients

• 375 g cake flour (to make your own: for every cup of AP flour, remove 2 Tbsp and replace with 2 Tbsp cornstarch, then sift)
• 0.33 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda (heaping)
• 300 g honey
• 110 g butter (for the dough)
• 30 g milk
• 1 egg (for the dough)
• 4 tsp ground cinnamon (part of spice mix)
• 3 tsp ground cloves (part of spice mix)
• 2 tsp ground ginger (part of spice mix)
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg (part of spice mix)
• 0.75 tsp ground cardamom (part of spice mix)
• 0.5 tsp ground allspice (part of spice mix)
• 0.5 tsp ground coriander (part of spice mix)
• 0.5 tsp ground anise (part of spice mix)
• 0.25 tsp ground pepper (part of spice mix)
• 300 g plum jam (for filling)
• 4 tsp powdered sugar (heaping, for glaze)
• 3 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder (heaping, for glaze)
• 1 egg (for glaze)
• 100 g butter (for glaze)

Steps

1. 1

   If making homemade gingerbread spice mix, combine the ground cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice, coriander, anise, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. 2

   To make the dough, put 110g of butter in a wide saucepan and melt it over low heat without bringing it to a boil.

3. 3

   Turn off the heat and add the honey to the melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

4. 4

   Add one egg and the milk to the still-warm honey and butter mixture and mix well.

5. 5

   In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, salt, baking soda, and 15-20g of the gingerbread spice mix.

6. 6

   Add the wet mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon or a stand mixer on low speed until the dough is completely smooth.

7. 7

   Transfer the dough to a glass or ceramic bowl. Cover it with a clean cloth to allow for very slow evaporation.

8. 8

   Set the dough aside in a cool place, such as the refrigerator, to mature for 1 to 3 weeks.

9. 9

   When the dough has matured, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) using top and bottom heat without the fan.

10. 10

    Place the dough on a floured surface and knead it into a smooth ball. Roll it out on a floured board into a rectangle roughly 30 x 45 cm (12 x 18 inches). The layer should be about 2cm high.

11. 11

    Transfer the dough onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25–30 minutes until it turns a rich brown color, being careful not to let it burn.

12. 12

    Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely. Note that it will harden as it cools but will soften later after resting with the filling.

13. 13

    Cut the cooled baked cake into three equal smaller rectangles.

14. 14

    Spread the plum jam evenly between the layers and stack them.

15. 15

    To make the glaze, mix one egg, powdered sugar, and unsweetened cocoa powder in a bowl.

16. 16

    Boil 100g of butter in a saucepan until it is very hot.

17. 17

    Slowly pour the hot butter into the cocoa and egg mixture while stirring constantly.

18. 18

    Pour the warm glaze over the assembled cake.

19. 19

    Wait for the glaze to harden, then store the cake in a cool place for at least 12 hours before serving. The flavor will continue to improve over the following days.

Notes

The dough must age for at least 1 week, but up to 3 weeks is recommended for the best flavor. Traditionally, this dough was sometimes aged for months. Ensure the storage area for aging is cool (refrigerator is best for modern kitchens).

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cake
• gingerbread
• Polish
• Christmas
• holiday
• baked
• aged