When I compare my dessert preferences now to those of my childhood, I realise that not much has changed. As a child, I absolutely loved spice cookies called Medenjaci, which were made with honey and cinnamon. Quite similar to Pfeffernüsse, only made larger and without any glaze.
But what I really loved was the actual spice combination, as I enjoy it to this day. And that combination is the essence of these cookies, as well. The timeless blend of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, beautifully enhanced by apricot jam and dark chocolate, they are simply divine with a cup of tea.
Incredibly easy to make, completely dairy-free and egg-free, of course, they take no longer than an hour from start to finish. Personally, I like to enjoy them slightly warm with a dash of icy cold jam, without any glaze, but I do recommend glazing them, for a wonderful balance of flavours.
Ingredients
For the vegan cookies
200 grams plain flour
50 grams whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon baking soda
90 grams granulated sugar
50 millilitres water
50 millilitres vegetable oil
60 grams vegan honey
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the filling and glazing
75-100 grams thick apricot jam
150 grams dark chocolate (75% cocoa solids)
Preparation
Set the oven to preheat to 180°C. Take a large bowl and sift in both types of flour, spices, and baking soda, and whisk them together well. Add in the sugar and whisk to combine. In a medium saucepan, combine water, oil, honey, and vanilla, and bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, pour it over the dry ingredients, and mix with a wooden spoon until a soft dough comes together. Briefly and lightly knead with your hands to make it into a proper dough, divide it into 16 equal pieces, roll them into balls, and arrange them on a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment. They do not spread much while baking.
Using the tip of your finger or the end of a wooden spoon, make an indentation in the centre of each little dough ball, and bake them immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C for about 10-12 minutes. They should not change their colour a lot; only perhaps get lightly golden on the bottom. Remove them from the oven and let them cool down on the baking sheet. If desired, gently press on the indentations with either a tiny measuring spoon or the end of a wooden spoon, to make them more prominent.
When they are barely lukewarm, place the apricot jam into a piping bag and generously fill each cookie. Place them into a sealed container so they don’t dry out and melt the chocolate, either on low heat or in the microwave. Glaze each cookie to your liking, either by dipping it into the chocolate or pouring the chocolate over it, and let the glaze set. Yields 16 medium cookies.
