Braune Pereshki
Mennonite “brown cookies”
YIELD
A lot
PREP. TIME:
about 3 hours
COOKING TIME:
10 minutes
Introduction
About this Recipe
These cookies were a Christmas tradition with a unique flavour. They are absolutely irresistible and get better with time as the flavour of the jam and the star anise permeate the cookie. The store well and can be freezed. My son calls these Jampenadas!
Ingredients
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon ground star anis (if you can’t find ground star anis you can grind whole star anis in a coffee grinder)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 3/4 cups flour
560 ml Jam
the amount is approximate, equal to 2 regular jars of jam
– use a dense jam, mostly fruit, plum is good, jellies don’t work
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
In a large mixing bowl, blend brown sugar with butter til smooth, add in sour cream and honey then add eggs one at a time.
Step 2
2. In another bowl, mix together dry ingredients then blend into the butter mixture until smooth.
Step 3
wrap the dough in plastic film and chill in the fridge a couple of hours or up to 2 days.
Step 4
remove dough from fridge. Preheat oven to 400° F. Prepare 2 large baking sheets with a nonstick baking sheet or parchment paper.
Step 5
Using generous amounts of flour, roll 1 inch balls. On a floured surface, flatten the balls to small disks with something smooth, flat and heavy, for instance, use a pickle jar filled with beans and press down with the flat lid side.
Step 6
Use a rolling pin, thin each disk to create a circle of dough approximately 3 inches wide.
Step 7
Place a dollop of jam in the middle of each circle, try to leave a 1/4 inch clear of jam at the edges. With a pastry brush, brush a very little water half way around the edge and then fold the circle over and press lightly around the edges. I you feel the need for a clean edge use a circular cookie cutter to trim the pocket. (collect trimmings to create more cookies)
Step 8
Place the cookies on prepared baking sheets, depending on your oven you may want to do this one at a time to ensure even baking. Bake for 10 minutes.
Step 9
Remove, and cool on cooling racks.
Step 10
Glaze the finished cookies (glaze recipe) or eat them as they are.
Braune Pereshki
INGREDIENTS
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon ground star anis (if you can’t find ground star anis you can grind whole star anis in a coffee grinder)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 3/4 cups flour
560 ml Jam (the amount is approximate and is about equal to 2 regular jars of jam – a dense jam, mostly fruit, like plum is good, jellies don’t work)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a large mixing bowl, blend brown sugar with butter til smooth, add in sour cream and honey then add eggs one at a time.
2. In another bowl, mix together dry ingredients then blend into the butter mixture until smooth.
3. wrap the dough in plastic film and chill in the fridge a couple of hours or up to 2 days.
4. remove dough from fridge. Preheat oven to 400° F. Prepare 2 large baking sheets with a nonstick baking sheet or parchment paper.
5. Using generous amounts of flour, roll 1 inch balls. On a floured surface, flatten the balls to small disks with something smooth, flat and heavy, for instance, use a pickle jar filled with beans and press down with the flat lid side.
6. Use a rolling pin, thin each disk to create a circle of dough approximately 3 inches wide.
7. Place a dollop of jam in the middle of each circle, try to leave a 1/4 inch clear of jam at the edges. With a pastry brush, brush a very little water half way around the edge and then fold the circle over and press lightly around the edges. I you feel the need for a clean edge use a circular cookie cutter to trim the pocket. (collect trimmings to create more cookies)
8. Place the cookies on prepared baking sheets, depending on your oven you may want to do this one at a time to ensure even baking. Bake for 10 minutes.
9. Remove, and cool on cooling racks.
10. Glaze the finished cookies (glaze recipe) or eat them as they are.
NOTE: The original recipe called for 2 Tablespoons of ammonium carbonate (hirschhornsalz or baker’s ammonia) rather than baking powder and baking soda. If you choose to use the traditional method, handle with care, don’t inhale, don’t eat the dough raw and allow cookies to cool entirely before consuming, some research shows a link between the use of ammonium carbonate and the formation of carcinogens)
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