The Creation of Divinely Scented Honeybread

There is nothing more wonderful than spending time with family. Especially at Christmas time, when the home smells of pine, cinnamon, oranges and cloves. In Prekmurje, baking honeybread is an important part of Christmas preparations, as the kitchen is filled with the scents that take us back to our childhood.

In the Middle Ages, one of the most valued branches of confectionery was honeybread making. First mentions of it date back to the 11th century – the Honeybread of Nuremberg. That area of Germany had a unique geographic location for the development of beekeeping and the founding of the honey guilds. Honey sweetened cookies later conquered the whole of Europe. Honeybread is, to this day, considered a delicacy. There are countless recipes for making honeybread, but the main ingredients stay the same: flour, icing sugar, honey and eggs.

The making of the honeybread of Prekmurje is as follows: thoroughly mix the ingredients, knead and put in a cool place to rest. The following day roll out the dough to a thin layer and cut it with a cookie cutter in any shape you prefer. Place the shapes on a baking tray, bake and wait till cooled. When the honeybread has cooled down, colour them with red food dye and allow to dry. Glaze: egg white, mixed with lemon juice and icing sugar. Put the glaze mix in a piping bag and decorate.