Medenjaci (Croatian Gingerbread Honey Cookies)

Medenjaci are light gingerbread cookies from Croatia. This holiday favorite is sweetened with honey instead of molasses and spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

Disclaimer and Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a commission at no extra charge to you. The icing for the cookies uses raw eggs. Consuming raw eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions. Be safe about the source of your eggs, use pasteurized, or substitute with meringue powder.

I didn’t like gingerbread much as a child, but I have definitely developed a taste for these spiced cookies lately. While I enjoy the flavor of the German Lebkuchen, Medenjaci may have just won as my new favorite. Medenjaci are Croatian gingerbread cookies spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. They are a bit lighter in color and flavor thanks to the use of honey instead of the molasses and brown sugar that is more common here in the United States.

This recipe from Tamara Novacoviç features a cut-out style of cookie, but I have also seen them formed into small rounds of dough that may or may not be topped with a glaze. The cookies are a great choice for edible presents during the holidays since they keep their soft and chewy texture for at least a couple of weeks (while stored in an airtight container at room temperature).

The cookies are decorated simply with an egg white-based royal icing. If you are unable to use raw egg whites, they can be substituted with pasteurized egg whites or meringue powder.

We recently made these cookies again (on December 17th, 2017) and the kids opted to top the cookies with an array of colorful sprinkles. Lots and lots of sprinkles.

They enjoyed picking out different shapes for the cookies- including fish, stars, tractors, trees, gingerbread people, and even dinosaurs. We recently came across these Dinosaur Fossil Cutters and the dough held up really well to the shape/stamp. It made filling in the icing quite easy.

The royal icing does use a raw egg white. If you are nervous about or unable to eat raw eggs, pasteurized egg whites are available in many grocery stores.

Gingerbread

Looking for more gingerbread recipes? Try these Piparkakut (Finnish Gingerbread Cookies), Pierniki (Polish Spiced Gingerbread), and Maple Gingerbread Scones.

Medenjaci (Croatian Gingerbread Honey Cookies)

Medenjaci (Croatian Gingerbread Honey Cookies)
Adapted from Honest Cooking
2-3 dozen

Cookies:
3 cups (390 g) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
Royal Icing:
1 egg white
pinch salt
2/3 cup (150 g) powdered sugar

To make the cookies: In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in honey, vanilla, and egg. Slowly add flour mixture until just combined.

Separate the dough into 2 halves and form each half into a disc. Wrap each disc in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or lightly grease.

Lightly flour work surface and roll 1 disc of chilled dough until 1/4 inch thick. Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters and, if needed, use an offset spatula to transfer to prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until edges begin to turn golden, 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Repeat with other disc of dough.

To make the icing: in a medium bowl, beat egg white and pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Continue beating and slowly add powdered sugar. Add more powdered sugar for a stiffer icing. Place in piping bag and use desired tips to decorate cookies. Add food coloring to the icing if desired or top the cookies with additional decorations.

Once icing has hardened, store in airtight container at room temperature.