Starogrojski paprenjok

These unique cookies are an icon of Stari Grad, located on the Croatian island of Hvar. Even though they are called paprenjok, they contain no pepper, but are named after the collective word for various warming spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves, which were referred to as papor in Stari Grad until the middle of the 20th century. The cookies are traditionally prepared with honey, prošek, olive oil, saffron, papor (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg), soda bicarbonate, and flour. The dough is then shaped into various imaginative shapes such as roosters, horses, hearts, or clovers, and after the cookies have been baked, they are decorated with dots and lines made from a combination of egg whites, powdered sugar, and a bit of lemon juice. Interestingly, the islanders say that the paprenjok is a natural barometer – when it softens, it means that rain and Jugo wind are on the way, and when it hardens, it signifies the arrival of nice weather and dry Bora wind.