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Fafernuchy
Honey and carrot Christmas cookies
Fafernuchy: small hard Masurian Christmas cookies of honey and grated carrot
Old Masurian and Warmian households baked fafernuchy weeks before Christmas and kept them in tins, where they slowly mellowed; children found them in their stockings and on the Christmas plate. They are small, hard, pebble-like biscuits, sweetened with honey and given a gentle colour and moisture from finely grated carrot, with a little spice in some homes. Expect a proper crunch, made for dunking in tea. A common mistake is expecting them to be soft straight from the oven; they are meant to be firm and soften only a little in the tin. Chef's tip: grate the carrot on the finest side of the grater so the dough stays smooth and holds its shape.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 2 carrotsabout 200 g, very finely grated
- 4 oz runny honey
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- 1 egg
- 12 ½ oz plain flourplus a little for rolling
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 pinch salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 2 carrots, 4 oz runny honey and 2 ⅞ oz sugar in a small pan and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring, until the carrot is soft and the mix is thick and jammy. Cool for 10 minutes.
20 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan) and line two baking sheets.
1 minStep 3: Beat 1 egg into the carrot mix. Combine 12 ½ oz plain flour, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 pinch ground cloves and 1 pinch salt and work them in to make a firm, smooth dough that doesn't stick.
5 minStep 4: Roll the dough on a floured worktop into ropes 1.5 cm thick and cut them into 2 cm pieces. Space them on the sheets.
8 minStep 5: Bake for 22–25 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool on a rack; they crisp up as they cool. Store in a tin for up to 3 weeks.
25 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fafernuchy take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of carrots?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
- What can I use instead of runny honey?
- Maple syrup or golden syrup, same amount.
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