Dessert

Brown butter and muscovado pryaniki

Name: Brown butter cookies recipe
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 100g dark muscovado sugar (substitute dark brown sugar); 100g icing sugar mixture; 70g unsalted butter, chopped; 100g mild runny honey (or golden syrup); 80g dark muscovado sugar (substitute dark brown sugar); 1/4 tsp bicarb soda; 190g biscuit, pastry and cake flour; 50g rye flour; 1/2 tsp ground allspice; 1/4 tsp each ground nutmeg and baking powder; 1 large egg, at room temperature

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by Natalie Paull

CHEF

Dec 01, 2023

“Toasted butter and malty muscovado sugar makes these softly spiced humps the sweetest cookie in the jar. A scoop of rye flour brings an earthy flavour and a slight heft to the chew. If you want to skip the sugar syrup coating, a thin icing sugar glaze or dark chocolate dip are equally delicious options.” – Natalie Paull

100g dark muscovado sugar (substitute dark brown sugar)
100g icing sugar mixture

Pryaniki dough

70g unsalted butter, chopped
100g mild runny honey (or golden syrup)
80g dark muscovado sugar (substitute dark brown sugar)
1/4 tsp bicarb soda
190g biscuit, pastry and cake flour
50g rye flour
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp each ground nutmeg and baking powder
1 large egg, at room temperature

Method

1.

For the dough, cook the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it begins to colour and foam. Remove from heat and stir in the honey, sugar, bicarb and 1 1/2 tbs water until smooth and combined.
2.

Sift the flours, spices, baking powder and 1/4 tsp fine salt over a medium bowl. Add the egg to the butter mixture and stir until combined, then add the dry ingredients. The dough will be like gluey mashed potato. When no floury streaks remain, scrape into a small bowl lined with plastic wrap and chill, covered, for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
3.

Preheat oven to 160°C/140ºC fan-forced. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Roll heaped tbs into balls and place on prepared tray, leaving 4cm between each. Bake for 20-25 minutes until pale, puffy domes and still soft to touch – you want cooled pryaniki to be soft, not crisp.
4.

While the pryaniki cool slightly on tray, make the glaze by simmering the dark muscovado sugar and 2 tbs water in a small saucepan for 2 minutes over medium-low heat until a thin syrup. Set aside to cool slightly. Working one at a time, brush top and base of warm pryaniki with warm syrup and return to baking tray. When all pryaniki are glazed, roll each in icing sugar and set on a cooling rack to dry.