Vyazemsky gingerbread: history and traditions, recipe with photo

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

The very word "gingerbread" comes from "spices". This type of gingerbread was very popular in pre-revolutionary Russia. The dessert recipe had its own regional characteristics. Moscow, Tula, Gorodets gingerbread were known. But the small town of Vyazma surpassed them all. Until the 18th century, it was known only for the production of linen tow. But with the invention of a unique recipe, the name of the city became popular throughout Russia.

Even Pushkin noted that Moscow is famous for its brides, and Vyazma for gingerbread. After the revolution, all bakeries operating in the town were liquidated. But the old recipe has survived. This article is devoted to Vyazma gingerbread. Photos of these elegant products, the history and traditions associated with them, and, most importantly, the recipe for making at home will be given below. Of course, your culinary masterpiece will turn out not so painted, but no less tasty.

Vyazemsky gingerbread: history

Russian people got acquainted with spices not very long ago, since the reign of Peter the Great. But Vyazma and here was "ahead of the rest." Back in 1646 inIn the book of the scribe Boborykin and clerk Titov, a certain “gingerbread man” was mentioned. But the dessert from Vyazma is famous not only for antiquity. The Smolensk region, where the town is located, has never lacked honey. People often used it instead of expensive sugar. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that honey was included in the recipe of the local gingerbread.

Thus, products from Tula and Moscow mixed with molasses began to yield to Vyazma products in taste, fragrantness and sweetness. Gingerbread business reached a special development in the 19th century. Eight factories fought for a potential buyer, thereby improving the quality of their products. The enterprise of a certain Sabelnikov turned out to be especially prosperous. His gingerbread was even delivered to the court of the Queen of Great Britain. The field marshal of Russia (and a native of the Smolensk region) His Serene Highness Prince Potemkin especially loved them.

Traditions associated with Vyazma gingerbread

In Vyazma, as already mentioned, before the revolution there were 8 private industries. They competed with each other not only to make their products tastier, but also more beautiful. Indeed, in Russia there was a wonderful tradition of presenting acquaintances, especially children, with gingerbread. They were brought to the estate from a trip to the capital by a landowner, as well as a peasant returning from a fair. And gingerbread from Vyazma not only melted in your mouth, but looked like delicious decorations.

Most of all, small rectangular items were valued. They were "printed", that is, with a printed pattern on the front side. Due to its small size, it fit on the gingerbreadonly the first half of the word "Vyazma". But the Elm seal was the standard of quality. “Gingerbread with three letters”, as people said then, cost many times more than similar sweets from Tula and Moscow. The Sabelnikov factory also produced large tabletop-sized souvenirs, decorated with ornaments on both sides.

The Lost Recipe

After the October coup, all gingerbread enterprises "passed over to the people", that is, they closed. In 1925, the Soviet government tried to revive the production of the famous honey products. For this purpose, a pavilion was installed at the agricultural and industrial exhibition in Moscow, where “gingerbread from Vyazma” was sold. But these products were actually baked in the capital, and they tasted very different from the original ones. The recipe seemed to be lost forever. From the former factories, only printed boards remained, on which products were rolled out.

But in 1978, recipes for four types of gingerbread were found in the chest of a deceased resident of Vyazma. As it turned out, the woman was a descendant of the cook Prokhor, who worked at the Sabelnikov factory. Undertook to revive the production of Vyazma gingerbread Vyazemsky bakery. Now this enterprise produces products from choux pastry, and also uses old recipes found. According to them, the dough must be hit with a rolling pin for a long time in order for air to escape from it. These "broken gingerbread" are quite viscous, and they can be stored for up to three years.

Souvenir from Vyazma

Today no one will remember that this town in Smolenskarea was once the center of linen production. Now its name is associated exclusively with honey gingerbread. Of course, the Vyazma residents themselves, who, if they have not tried pre-revolutionary sweets, can judge their taste from the stories of grandparents, assure that modern products differ from the original Sabelnikov factory. Perhaps the chef Prokhor did not write down everything or specifically indicated the wrong proportions.

Some people remember that baking sheets at the Sabelnikovs' production were smeared with beeswax. Others say the dough needs to be worked very quickly to keep it fluffy. One way or another, two types of Vyazma gingerbread are produced at the local bakery. Airy, custard, soft, melting in the mouth; and according to old recipes, "broken". These latter are of three types: with candied fruits, peanuts and almonds. Since “broken gingerbread” has a long shelf life, they are produced as souvenirs, in beautiful boxes, and stamps with views of pre-revolutionary Vyazma are placed on the sides of the products.

Is it possible to use an old recipe at home

When in the 80s they decided to revive the production of Vyazma gingerbread, it turned out that many ingredients were simply impossible to get. Let's start with flour. In Vyazma gingerbread, sieve rye or wheat grain was used. In the USSR of the 80s, they did not hear about such delights. The so-called gingerbread in the country of victorious socialism was made from simple dough, while before the revolution they used various methods: “sour” base, “custard”, “frost-aged”. Weregingerbread "single-copper", but also produced with the addition of wine must, berry juice, rose water.

But the basis of such desserts, of course, were spices, which in Russia were called "dry spirits". The list of obligatory spices included ginger, nutmeg, cloves, vanilla. But manufacturers often added bitter orange (orange peel), cumin, anise, mint, fennel, black pepper, cardamom, coriander, saffron, thyme or star anise to the dough. The old recipe for Vyazemsky gingerbread cannot be put into practice also because they were cooked in special ovens on alder wood. And the local bakery is fully mechanized with gas ovens.

Most close to the original recipe

But let's still try to bake gingerbread, similar to the famous "Vyazma" gingerbread.

1. First, sift 480 grams of flour into a bowl.
2. Now let's prepare the "dry perfume" mixture. To do this, take out the seeds from four boxes of cardamom and crush them in a mortar with five cloves.
3. Add another third of a teaspoon of ginger and cloves.
4. A glass of honey (preferably acacia or lime, but not buckwheat) is heated until foam forms. Shoot it.
5. Mix the spices and half of the prepared flour into the honey. Stir and cool to room temperature.
6. Add the rest of the flour, 4 egg yolks, four tablespoons of ghee and half a packet of baking powder.
7. Stir the dough for at least 20 minutes.

Shaping and baking

Next, you need to act very quickly. After all, the dough for Vyazma gingerbread “tightens” in the air and the products initially turn out to be hard, as if stale. The oven should already be preheated to 200 degrees. If you have gingerbread molds, great.

1. We drive in the dough, helping ourselves with a wooden mallet. If there is no form, it does not matter either. After all, we want to recreate the taste of the famous gingerbread from Vyazma.
2. Roll out the dough in an even layer from 7 mm to 1 centimeter thick.
3. Cut out circles with an inverted cup or cut into even squares with a knife.
4. We cover the baking sheet with cooking paper, lay out the products.
5. Bake for 10 minutes.

Decorate items

Ready-made gingerbread should be covered with icing or icing. Choose what you like best. If you believe the reviews, Vyazma gingerbread is more authentic in sugar glaze. It is very easy to make.

1. Pour 4 tablespoons of sugar into a saucepan, pour half as much water.
2. Put the container on the fire, bring to a boil and wait for the moment when not small, but large bubbles will go.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add a little lemon juice so that the syrup does not sugar when it cools. You can flavor the icing with vanilla, grated zest, or mint tea.
4. Cool down to 70 degrees and beat with a mixer. The icing will turn white.
5. This mass should be smeared with a brush while still hot gingerbread.
6. Products should cool down gradually, in the ajaroven.

Aising decor

If we want to be perfect in everything, let's decorate Vyazma gingerbread with a special sugar-protein mass, which chefs call Royal Icing. To make it, you need to beat one chilled protein well with ¾ cup of powdered sugar. The last component should be added in portions, sifting to avoid lumps. Until the icing is frozen, you can create various patterns and inscriptions from it. White egg glaze looks very impressive on the brown surface of the gingerbread. We leave the products to dry for about an hour.

Custard gingerbread stuffed

In Vyazma they also made this type of baking. Heat in a saucepan:

• 100 g sugar,
• 50g honey,
• 30ml water and
• 50g butter.

1. When the crystals are completely dissolved and the mass is about to boil, you need to remove the container from the heat and pour in 120 g of sifted flour.
2. Stir the choux pastry and cool to room temperature.
3. Sift another 120 g of flour.
4. Mix it with dry spices (nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon are required) and half a teaspoon of baking powder.
5. Stir this flour into the choux pastry, adding the yolk as well.
6. Make a tight lump, let it rest for a quarter of an hour.
7. Roll out the dough, cut out rectangles.
8. Put half of each stuffing. It can be marmalade, candied fruit, nut-chocolate paste.
9. Cover with the other half of the dough to make a square "envelope".
10. Bake Vyazma gingerbreadwith filling 10 minutes at 200 degrees.
11. Finished products are optionally covered with sugar icing or icing.

Have you ever tried these outlandish gingerbread from Vyazma?