We decided to try one more Russian recipe for our Around the World in 12 Dishes series. Pryankiki is a Russian/Ukraine cookie and it contains no margarine, shortening or butter. We decided to try this recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen (it’s her mom’s recipe). These cookies are soft, and with the mint glaze, it was almost a cross between and doughnut and a scone. These cookies were good, however the mint was a bit much for us. If we make these again, I’m going to try it without the mint.
Praniki Ingredients:
- 2 large egg yolks (reserve whites for glaze)
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 lb (2 cups) sour cream
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more flour for hands
Mint Glaze Ingredients:
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
- 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine 2 cups of sugar and 2 egg yolks (reserve whites for the glaze).
Whisk together egg yolks and sugar until consistensy of snow.
Whisk in 2 cups of sour cream until creamy.
In a little dish or a large spoon combine 1 teaspoon baking soda and add about 1/2 teaspoon vinegar just to get it to bubble, mix it together slightly. Then add this, plus 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to mixture. Whisk everything together until well blended.
Natasha’s Kitchen used a dough hook on her stand mixer to mix in the flour. I must warn you this dough gets very sticky. Slowly add flour (4 1/2 cups), about 1/2 cup at a time, so that it mixes more thoroughly.
Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon of dough into a well floured hands and form into balls about the size of golf balls and slightly flatten. I recommend not letting the kids (unless they are older) handle the dough. It’s super sticky and very difficult to work with. Place the cookies on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes, or until they are just barely beginning to golden. Remove immediately.
On high speed, beat together the 2 large egg whites until it is a thick foam and has tripled in volume. Reduce speed to the lowest setting and add 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon peppermint extract until well blended. Scrape down the bowl as necessary using a spatula. Set mixer to a medium speed for about 2 minutes until it is creamy. It mixes together quickly (do not beat the mixture too much or it will become watery).
As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, dip each cookie into the glaze and spread the glaze evenly over the tops. Careful not to burn your fingers. After it is glazed, place cookie on a cool, dry surface. By the time you are finished glazing the tops, they will have hardened so you can start turning them over and glazing the bottoms. Make sure glaze completely covers the cookie, it will keep the cookie soft longer. The glaze should become firm quickly, then serve. We enjoyed the taste of these more after they cooled down completely.
Enjoy!
If you missed our other Russian posting, you definitely won’t wan to miss it! Russian Piroshki is one of my new favorite dishes!
Please check out our partner blogs and their Russia ideas through out the month of June: Adventures In Mommydom, Creative Family Fun, Glittering Muffins, Kitchen Counter Chronicles, Make, Do & Friend, Mom 2 Posh Lil Divas, Mummymummymum,Rainy Day Mum, Red Ted Art, The Educators’ Spin On It and The Outlaw Mom!