Christmas is a extra time in Scandinavia and Sweden in particular. Tradition and inheritance are extremely foremost to Swedish culture and there are many traditions which are widely upheld. In most former Swedish homes, the smell of home baked foods and desserts fill the air at Christmas time. The Swedes easily love to cook and for many, the holiday season and the Christmas Eve celebration is the highlight of their year.
One recipe, which is very favorite in Sweden, is for a cookie called the Pepparkakor.
Cookie Recipes
Pepparkakor, easily translated, means "pepper cookies" but I've yet to see a recipe that included any pepper. They are similar to the American gingersnap cookie but they are ordinarily thinner, crisper and smoother in texture.
Many refer to this cookie as a "ginger thin" and they are ordinarily called "gingernuts" in the United Kingdom. Also their great taste, pepparkakor cookies are used as Christmas decorations as well. They are often shaped like little men or women, pigs, hearts or goats. If left round, they are decorated with frosting to give them more character.
Using a drinking straw, you can originate a small hole in the pepparkakor cookie prior to baking. After the cookie has cooled, tie the cookie to the Christmas tree with a beautiful white or red colored ribbon.
Swedish Christmas Cookies or Pepparkakor
Makes 2-3 dozen cookies (depending on shape/size)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
8 ounces butter
2/3 cup water
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 egg
1 tablespoon light (or dark) corn syrup
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
Preparation:
The dough should be well-chilled before baking. You can whether start a day early and chill overnight, or start making ready 1-2 hours before the cookies will be needed.
In a heavy pot, combine the molasses, sugars, spices and water. Turn the heat up and bring the compound to a boil while stirring frequently.
Add the butter to the compound (in pads or chunks) and remove the pot from the heat. Continue stirring the compound until the butter has melted and the compound is uniform in consistency. Pour the hot compound into a large mixing bowl. In someone else bowl, combine the flour, corn syrup, egg and baking soda and whisk until well-blended. combine with the hot compound and stir until the dough has formed. Place the dough on a lightly floured board and knead for 1-2 minutes. Wrap the dough in waxed paper and chill until the dough is firm (1-2 hours or overnight).
On a lightly floured board, roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch in thickness (the thinner, the crisper) and whether cut into shapes or make round cookies about 2 inches in diameter. Put the cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and bake for 8-10 minutes until they are golden brown. remove the cookie sheet from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.
About the only thing left to do is to enjoy these breathtaking Swedish Christmas cookies with the ones you love... Enjoy!
Swedish Christmas Cookies - A method To Make Pepparkakor
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