Mom’s Pryaniki

Baking these cookies bring flashes of childhood memories.. as I flipped through my moms cookbook, there were multiple different recipes for these sugar glazed pryaniki, this recipe stood out because of its simplicity. I bake these very often especially in the fall/winter seasons when my bake mood is ON. My husband loves them, my kids love them and anyone who tries them, approve them.

These cookies are fairly moist on the inside and not overpowering sweet in fact they’re mildly sweetened and the sugar glaze cap combination makes the perfect cookies to enjoy with your cup of tea.

Usually pryaniki are glazed all around, I prefer just dipping the tops to keep the sweetness to a minimum. However you can glaze them all over if you’d like.

The ingredients needed for this recipe are likely pantry staples in most homes, therefore when the baking mood hits, you won’t need to make a trip to the store and can make these anytime.

These cookies can be made either in a stand mixer or in a mixing bowl just mixed by hand until all the ingredients combine. I have done both ways and the results are the same, it just all depends whether i want to bring out my stand mixer or not.

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks

2 cups sugar

16oz of sour cream (2 cups)

1.5tsp baking soda (activate with vinegar)

4 cups All purpose flour (add 1/2 more cup if the dough seems too sticky to roll out.

Glaze:

2 egg whites

2 cups Powdered sugar

(water or milk by teaspoon if needed)

Instructions:

Into a stand mixer (or a mixing bowl) add 2 egg yolks, 2 cups of sour cream and 2 cups of sugar. Stir to combine and then add 4 cups of flour and stir some more on low speed just until the dough comes together. If the dough seems too sticky, add 1/2 cup more flour and mix well until the flour is all incorporated.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll out to a thickness of about 1cm. (lightly dust your rolling pin with flour also to avoid sticking.

Using a round cookie cutter or a cutter of your choice, cut out the cookies, place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper dipping the cutter into flour after each time to avoid sticking. You can also use a glass is you don’t own any cookie cutters.

Once you’ve pressed all the cookies, preheat the oven to 350F and bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are lightly browned. Keep in mind, bake time depends on how big or small your cookies are. (Do not over bake, they will be hard)

While the cookies are baking, combine egg whites with powdered sugar and beat until it is a smooth running consistency. If you whip it for too long the glaze will become thicker and leave bumps on the finished cookies. (which isn’t a problem) but if you want a smoother look, add a teaspoon of milk or water at a time and mix it in until you get the desired consistency.

Once the cookies are baked, carefully dip each cookie top into the glaze while the cookie is still hot. (careful not to burn your fingers) and allow to cool on the baking sheet. As the cookie cools, the glaze will turn from glossy to a matte look, this is when you know the cookie is ready to enjoy.

Store on the counter in a cookie jar, bowl covered with plastic wrap or any airtight container to keep the cookies soft.

Enjoy with your cup of tea or coffee!

If you make this recipe, i’d love to hear how it went in the comments below. Better still, snap a photo and tag it on Instagram with #alenashomecooking. I love seeing your creations.

Shop Ingredients/Tools:

Some of the kitchen items that make my life easier you may consider… a full size baking sheet helps to bake more cookies at a time, a rolling pin with thickness rings helps to have all even sized cookies. The bench scraper makes cleaning the dough off the counter a breeze. (Affiliate links)