Russian Spiced Biscuits Pryaniki Recipes

Steps:

• Cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in honey and egg. With mixer on low, add flour mixture; mix just until a dough forms. Dough will be soft. Divide dough in half, wrap each half in plastic, and pat into rectangles. Refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Working quickly with one rectangle at a time, roll out dough 1/4 inch thick on a well-floured surface, turning, lifting, and flouring dough (and rolling pin) as needed. Using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out rounds and transfer to prepared sheets. Brush off excess flour; freeze until firm, 1 hour. Repeat process with remaining dough.
• Top half the rounds with 1 teaspoon each plum jam. Brush edge of dough lightly with water, then top with another dough round and press edges together to seal. Reshape each cookie into a neat circle, if necessary, on sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and dry, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets.
• Glaze: Whisk together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Dip the top of each cookie in glaze, then transfer to a wire rack until glaze is set, 1 hour. Glazed cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.

Steps:

• 1. Separate 2 eggs and reserve 1 egg white. (Discard the other egg white or use it for another recipe.) Whisk the 2 egg yolks in a bowl with butter, honey and remaining egg. Sift flour, baking powder and spices into a bowl and combine. Make a well in the centre, add egg mixture and gradually combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• 2. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Using damp hands, shape tablespoonfuls of mixture into 24 balls and place on the trays. Flatten them slightly and bake, swapping the trays halfway, for 15 minutes or until cooked through and golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• 3. To make meringue, whisk reserved egg white with sugar to soft peaks, then spread 1 tsp meringue mixture over each biscuit. Drizzle with chocolate and allow to set before serving.