Swedish Gingersnaps Recipes

SWEDISH GINGERSNAPS

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and molasses.
• Stir in spices and soda.
• Mix in flour.
• Roll into balls the size of walnuts and then in sugar.
• Place 2-inches apart on cookie sheets.
• Bake in 350° oven for 10-11 minutes until golden brown.

TRADITIONAL SWEDISH PEPPARKAKOR

Steps:

• Sift the flour together with the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom in a mixing bowl.
• Beat the butter together with the white and brown sugars in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg and corn syrup until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until evenly blended. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and wrap tightly each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
• Using 1 portion at a time, work on a floured surface and roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutter, and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven until set, about 5 minutes. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered tins.

PERFECT PEPPARKAKOR

Steps:

• Melt margarine or butter in a saucepan over low heat. Slowly stir in the sugar, syrup and spices. Let cool.
• In a large bowl, mix together baking soda and water. Add egg and beat well.
• Stir in flour and margarine mixture. Mix well.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• Roll out on a well-floured surface until very thin. Cut into desired shapes and place on a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 6 to 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

SWEDISH GINGERSNAPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
• Butter a large cookie sheet.
• Whip cream until almost stiff.
• Combine sugar, molasses, syrup, ginger, lemon rind and baking soda and mix thoroughly. Pour into cream and beat for 10 minutes by hand or four minutes in an electric mixer.
• Add five cups of flour and blend in thoroughly. Beat in remaining flour gradually until dough is just smooth enough to handle but still soft and pliable.
• Wrap in waxed paper and chill several hours or overnight.
• Roll out to one-fourth-inch thickness on a lightly floured board. Cut into fancy shapes, such as animals, boys, girls, stars, hearts and crescents, with cookie cutters about two and a half inches wide, or cut into gingerbread boys or girls in any size.
• Place on cookie sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, or until evenly golden brown.

SWEDISH ORANGE GINGERSNAPS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl or using a standing mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and well combined, beat in one egg.
• Add the molasses, orange juice, and zest. Sift the dry ingredients together and stir into the mixture making a soft, smooth dough. More flour can be added if dough is too sticky.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead the dough three times. Separate dough into three pieces and shape into logs, approximately eight inches long. Wrap logs well in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice logs into circles, 1/8-inch thick or less and place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. When baked, place cookies on wire racks to cool.

PEPPARKAKOR (SWEDISH GINGER COOKIES)

Steps:

• Heat molasses in small saucepan to boiling point.
• Boil 1 minute.
• Add sugar and butter and stir until butter is melted.
• Cool.
• Beat in egg.
• Sift together flour, salt, soda and spices.
• Add to first mixture and mix thoroughly.
• Cover bowl tightly and chill overnight.
• Roll out a portion of the dough at a time on lightly floured pastry cloth.
• Roll out thin.
• Cut into desired shapes.
• Bake in a moderate oven (350F) 6 to 8 minutes.
• The dough may be shaped into a roll and wrapped in waxed paper.
• Chill thoroughly overnight or longer.
• Slice thin and bake in moderate oven (350F).
• These should be stored in an air-tight container - allow flavor to "ripen".

SWEDISH ORANGE GINGERSNAPS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl or standing mixer cream together the butter and sugar until light. Beat in 1 egg and mix in the molasses, orange juice, and zest. Sift together the dry ingredients and stir them into the wet ingredients to make a soft, smooth dough, adding more flour if dough is too sticky. Knead the dough three times on a lightly floured board.
• Shape the dough into 3 logs, about 8-inches long, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice logs into thin circles, less than 1/8-inch thick. Place on lightly greased baking sheets.
• Bake cookies for about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a rack to cool.