Croatian Pepper Cookies (Paprenjaci)

Submitted by nitko

"History of these cookies goes back to Renaissance times. It is traditional Croatian Christmas cookie. We usually use wooden mould with various characters. You can buy these moulds in Croatia, but I do not think you can purchase anywhere else. These cookies are also a traditional souvenir and if you are flying Croatia airlines I am sure you will get one cookie � just one, it is airplane catering what do you expect (this is not a commercial!)."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 25 cookies
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 450 g flour (for cookies)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons honey (light)
• 1 egg
• 150 g walnuts
• 150 g sugar
• 180 g lard
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

directions

1. Keep lard 20 minutes on room temperature to become soft. Put lard into flour; add sugar, triturated walnut, yolk, and honey, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and pepper. Make crisp dough out of it. Leave the dough 1 to 2 hours in cold place. Make thin (up to 5 mm) flat surface and cut cookies with your wooden mould. If you do not have one, use your mould you have for other cookies (stars, rabbits, ducks, Santa�s etc.). Put them on greased surface and bake them on 200°C about 25 minutes. Serve with hot tea. You can vary spices but be careful: no spice should prevail. I am not sure about number of cookies you will get, depends how big your mould is.

Reviews

[sh1mm3r]

I modified this a bit to use butter instead of lard, and I think I'd decrease the amount of pepper next time by half. Otherwise, delicious, and a unique cookie!