Perník Gingerbread Slice
This recipe for perník, Bohemian gingerbread flavored with old Czech spices, is made on a baking sheet. The spices enhance its taste, surprising you in a pleasant way.
Servings 12 slices
Ingredients
Gingerbread Slice Batter:
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 and ¼ cups (250 g) coarse sugar
- 3 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 2 Tbsp dark cocoa Dutch type
- ½ cup (120 ml) oil sunflower or Canola
- 1 and ½ cups (360 ml) milk lukewarm
Gingerbread Spice Mix:
- 3 pcs cloves
- 1 tsp aniseed
- 2 pcs allspice
- 1 tsp cinnamon ground
- 1 tsp lemon zest freshly ground
- 1 tsp orange zest freshly ground
Miscellaneous:
- 1 cup (330 g) fruit marmalade or jam preferably a tangier one; for the decorative grid
- 1 Tbsp fat to grease the baking sheet
- 1 Tbsp flour to dust the baking sheet
Instructions
Preparing the gingerbread spice mix:
- Grind anise, allspice, and cloves in a spice grinder (electric or manual). Strain the ground mixture through a coarse sieve to remove any tough spice residue.
- Add ground cinnamon.
- Wash the orange and lemon carefully and grate about a teaspoon of fresh zest from each citrus. Add it to the mixture and stir.
Making gingerbread slice:
- Grease a baking tray and dust it with flour.
- With an electric hand mixer, beat the eggs with the coarse sugar until foamy. Be patient; it will take five minutes.
- In a bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder and cocoa.
- Gradually add the flour, milk, and oil to the whisked eggs. Beat slowly with an electric mixer. Finally, stir in the gingerbread spice mix.
- Pour the gingerbread batter onto the prepared baking sheet and use a spatula to level the surface.
- Heat the marmalade in a saucepan so that it is warm but not hot. If it is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water and stir into a semi-liquid mixture. Fill a pastry bag with a cut-off tip (about ¼ inch / 0.5 cm) with the marmalade mixture thus prepared. Use the bag to make a slanting grid across the surface of the pastry.
- Bake the gingerbread in a preheated oven at 340 °F (170 °C) for 30 minutes.
Notes
- SERVING: Let the gingerbread cake cool completely, and then cut it into slices of approximately 3x3 inches (7x7 cm). Serve with a good cup of coffee or tea.
- BAKING SHEET: I baked the gingerbread slice on a 12x14 inch (30x35 cm) baking sheet. Feel free to use a bit larger baking sheet; the resulting gingerbread won't be as tall. You may need more jam for the grid.
- The gingerbread slice will puff up quite a bit on the baking sheet, but the jam grid will compress the dough, creating a nice plastic effect on the surface.
- Use a more distinctive marmalade. The marmalade gives the gingerbread cake a significant flavor boost. I mixed plum jam with currant jam.
- Warmed marmalade will be easier to pipe. If it's too stiff, thin it with a bit of water while heating. Whisk well to a smooth mixture with no clumps.