Vánoční perníčky

The story

Perník, soft Czech gingerbread cut into stars and hearts and decorated with icing, belongs to a tradition that has a special, almost fairy-tale layer in the Czech lands: this is a country with a long history of perníkové chaloupky — gingerbread houses that call to mind the witch's cottage in Hansel and Gretel, a tale with especially deep roots in Central European folklore. The dough is flavored with honey, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, then rested in the refrigerator at least overnight, and in many homes for several days, so that the spices mature and the dough softens for shaping. Some towns, such as Pardubice, are known for local varieties of perník sold as a specialty all year round, not only at Christmas. Decorating perník with white or colored icing is a favorite winter activity for children, with parents steadying the piping bag. For Czech families in the diaspora, baking and decorating perník is one of the easiest and most enjoyable traditions to pass on to children, whether or not they speak Czech.