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Paprenjaci
Paprenjaci: Croatian honey, walnut and black pepper biscuits pressed with patterns
Paprenjaci have been baked in Zagreb and the villages of northern Croatia for centuries, and today they are on the list of Croatian heritage foods, sold at Christmas fairs and as gifts in pretty tins. The dough is sweetened with honey and spiced with cinnamon, cloves and a surprising amount of black pepper, then pressed into carved wooden moulds so each biscuit carries a flower, bird or heart. They are firm at first, with a slow peppery heat behind the honey, and soften after a few days. Serve them with tea, mulled apple juice or coffee. The usual slip is forgetting to flour the mould, so the dough sticks and the pattern tears; dust it every time. Chef's tip: grind the pepper as finely as you can, almost to a powder, so you get warmth in every bite rather than hard specks.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
- 5 ½ oz runny honey
- 3 ½ oz unsalted butter
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 14 oz plain flourplus extra for the moulds
- 3 ½ oz ground walnuts
- 1 ½ tsp finely ground black pepper
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 pinch salt
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Warm 5 ½ oz runny honey, 3 ½ oz unsalted butter and 3 ½ oz caster sugar in a small pan over a low heat, stirring, for 3–4 minutes, until melted and smooth. Cool until lukewarm.
15 minStep 2: Beat 1 egg and 1 tsp lemon zest into the honey mixture.
1 minStep 3: Mix 14 oz plain flour, 3 ½ oz ground walnuts, 1 ½ tsp finely ground black pepper, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp ground cloves, ¼ tsp grated nutmeg, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda and 1 pinch salt in a large bowl.
2 minStep 4: Pour in the honey mixture and knead into a firm, smooth dough that no longer sticks to your hands. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
35 minStep 5: Heat the oven to 350°F and line two trays. Roll the dough on a floured surface to 5 mm thick.
5 minStep 6: Dust a wooden biscuit mould with flour, press it firmly into the dough and cut round the shape with a knife; if you have no mould, cut rounds and press a pattern in with a fork or a carved rolling pin.
15 minStep 7: Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown at the edges and firm on top. Bake the trays one at a time.
25 minStep 8: Cool on a rack and store in an airtight tin; they soften and their spice deepens over 3–4 days and keep for a month.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does paprenjaci take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 65 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of runny honey?
- Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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