Christmas in Poland begins early, with the arrival of St Nicholas on 6 December, a tradition marked by the giving of gifts of fruit, cookies and small toys to children. The delicious scent of homemade gingerbread cookies fills the air in homes, marking the beginning of the season. Balancing the warm ginger, many traditional Polish gingerbread recipes include local honey and other festive spices, with some recipes dating back to the 13th century and the city of Toruń, where you can still find an abundance of gingerbread museums and workshops, should you ever visit. After baking, the cookies can be stored in a tin and later hung on the tree or included as a stocking filler. They improve in flavour over time and soften slightly. Children love to help with this simple recipe, and as an alternative to decorating my cookies with royal icing, I will often drizzle over melted chocolate and decorate with poppy seeds and small flecks of candied clementine peel. You can cut cookies into any shape, but our family favourite is a mix of hearts and stars.
Makes about 60 small cookies
For the cookie dough
butter 125g
light brown sugar 125g
runny honey 150g
plain flour 450g
baking powder 2 tsp
ground cinnamon 1 tbsp
ground ginger 1 tbsp
cocoa powder 1 tbsp
salt a pinch
egg 1, beaten
