Traditional Swedish Pepparkakor Recipes

PEPPARKAKOR

Steps:

• Add the brown sugar, syrup and water into a saucepan.
• Bring to a boil and immediately remove the pot from the heat.
• Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and add the spices.
• Pour the hot sweet mixture over it and stir until the butter melts. Let cool for 15 minutes at room temperature.
• Combine the sifted flour and baking soda and add over the mixture in the bowl of the stand mixer.
• Using the flat beater, mix everything very quickly until a soft dough forms.
• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator between 24 and 48 hours.
• Preheat the convection oven to 400 F (200°C).
• Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces.
• Start by working a piece of dough and place the other two in the refrigerator during this time.
• On a floured work surface, roll out the dough thinly and form the pepparkakor using cutters in the shape of a heart, star, tree, snowman, or others.
• Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, bake for 4 to 6 minutes or until light brown.
• Watch the baking closely because pepparkakor tend to burn quickly.
• Repeat the operation until all the dough set aside in the refrigerator is used up.
• Place the pepparkakor on a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
• Beat the egg white in a bowl.
• Add the icing sugar and vinegar and beat until the mixture is neither too runny nor too thick.
• Add a little vinegar or lemon juice if the mixture is too thick or on the contrary, add a little icing sugar if the mixture is too liquid.
• Pour the icing into a piping bag fitted with a tip and decorate the cookies.
• Carefully place each cookie on a cooling rack and allow the frosting to set in the open air for at least 2 hours.

SWEDISH PEPPARKAKOR COOKIES

Steps:

• Add the sugar, honey, and milk to a small saucepan. When measuring a "scant" cup of the honey and the milk, you want to it to be just under 1/2 cup, but not closer to 1/3 cup. If you can measure in milliliters, its exactly 100 milliliters.
• Bring to a boil then turn off the heat and let cool slightly.
• Add the butter and the spices to a mixing bowl, and pour the warm syrup mixture over them. Mix until the butter is melted and everything is combined.
• Sift the baking soda, salt, and flour together, and then add to the butter and the syrup mixture. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated.
• Shape the dough into a flat disk, and chill in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out dough to about 3/8" thick and cut out using cookie cutters.
• Arrange cookies on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until slightly puffed and golden.
• Allow to cool completely before icing.
• Mix the powdered sugar with just enough water to make a smooth but thick glaze. Divide the icing into smaller batches if you want to make different colors. You can also flavor the icing with a little vanilla extract or almond extract if you'd like. For pipping lines and small designs, keep your icing pretty thick so that it won't spread, there should be a little resistance when mixing it with a whisk. For covering the entire cookie like the green and blue reindeer, add a bit more water to the icing so that it goes on smoothly and is easier to cover the whole cookie before it starts to dry and crack. Try some icing on a test cookie if you're not sure about the texture!
• For the light blue color I used, add 2-3 drops of food coloring to 1 cup or so of glaze.
• For the darker green/blue color, add a couple drops of green and blue, and a tiny touch of red to tone the color down a bit.
• Place the icing in ziplock bags or a piping bag fitted with a very small tip. Cut a tiny corner off of the ziplock bags if using. Decorate, and allow to harden completely before moving or stacking.

PEPPARKAKOR I

Steps:

• Place butter in a large, heatproof bowl. In a medium saucepan, heat brown sugar, molasses and spices just to boiling point. Add baking soda and stir in. Pour this mixture over the butter and stir until it melts.
• Beat egg and mix in; add flour, a cup at a time, and blend thoroughly. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead 1-2 minutes. Wrap in waxed paper and chill until firm (about an hour).
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
• Roll out to approximately 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured board and cut into desired shapes. Place on greased baking sheets and bake for 8 - 10 minutes.
• Remove from sheets and cool on racks; may be decorated with piped icing or whatever else you like!

TRADITIONAL PEPPARKAKOR (SWEDISH SPICE COOKIES)

Steps:

• Sift together dry ingredients; set aside.
• Cream sugar and butter.
• Add egg and molasses.
• Blend in dry ingredients thoroughly. Let dough stand overnight for easy rolling.
• On a well-floured board, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness.
• Cut into shapes (we usually make gingerbread people) and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
• NOTE: Prep time does not include time to let dough rest overnight.

SWEDISH PEPPARKAKOR

Steps:

• Mix all-purpose flour, pastry flour, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and black pepper together in a bowl and set aside.
• Combine molasses, sugar, and maple syrup in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly to dissolve and remove from heat when a small foam rises to the surface, about 3 minutes. Continue stirring and allow to cool slightly; add butter and let cool to room temperature. Add egg.
• Pour molasses mixture into flour mixture in the bowl and mix until crumbles hold together when pressed. Knead for 2 minutes, focusing on any dry bits. Form into a flat log and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cut dough log into small sections and allow to warm up slightly before rolling out between 2 layers of parchment paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut shapes with a floured cookie cutter or pastry wheel. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 12 minutes; remove cookies before they brown. Cool on a rack.

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.

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".