Swedish Pepparkakor Cookie Recipe

Marrying into a Swedish family means learning their traditions and customs and tasting lots of new dishes and desserts. One of my favorite treats native to Scandinavia is this lovely crunchy ginger cookie known as pepparkakor. You may have seen boxes of Anna's brand pepparkakor in the grocery store or at a Christmas party. They're delightful! 

I decided to try my very-not-Swedish hand at baking up a batch of my very own pepparkakor. I am SO glad I did. The recipe is simple. The most challenging part is rolling out the tacky dough to 1/8 inch thick. It needs to be thin in order to create that perfect crunch. Give it a try. Everyone will be glad you did! I shared these with my friends at a women's gathering and some of the ladies commented that they couldn't stop eating them. :) 

Swedish Pepparkakor Cookie Recipe

(crunchy ginger cookies)

recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Makes 4-6 dozen cookies, depending on size 

Ingredients

3/4 cups butter, softened

3/4 cups sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp water

1/2 cups molasses

1 whole large egg

3 cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Cream together the butter and sugar. Dissolve baking soda in the water and stir into the creamed mixture. Add the molasses and egg.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt and then stir into the creamed ingredients until well blended. 

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. This will develop the flavors. 

Preheat oven to 350F.

Roll the dough to 1/8″ thickness on a lightly floured surface. Use your favorite cookie cutters or the traditional round/wavy edged cutter. Arrange on an ungreased cookie sheet. They can be placed pretty close together as they do not spread. 

Bake for 8–10 minutes or until edges begin to brown.

Cool on a rack and store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks. 

Enjoy!

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Frosted Ginger Cookies Recipe

Britt & Mel circa 2006

Today is a guest post recipe from my in-real-life friend, Brittney. You will LOVE this recipe. I have eaten more than my share of these cookies. :)
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Hi Mel's readers! My name is Brittney and I was blessed to be her roommate and her Canadian best friend through 4 years of college! We were each others maid of honours! This cookie recipe is something she and I enjoyed many times throughout the 4 years! They're a great treat at Christmas, but are just as good all year round too!



Frosted Ginger Cookies Recipe

recipe from Dave & Melaney Austin, Brittney's parents 

Makes 6 dozen cookies

Ingredients

for the cookies:

1-1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

2 tsp vanilla extract

4-1/2 cup flour (or a little less)

1 Tbsp ground ginger

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

for the frosting:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 cups confectioner sugar

2 Tbsp butter

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in molasses and vanilla. Mix well. 

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Gradually stir them into the creamed mixture. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet and baked 12-15 minutes--or until cookies spring back when touched (do not overbake!) Remove to wire rack to cool. 

for the frosting:

In a medium saucepan, bring sugars and butter to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, bring to a boil. Remove from heat (mixture will appear curdled). Cool for 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla and salt. 

Spread onto warm cookies. 

this was my 20th birthday party--7 years ago.

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Gingersnaps

I have always always always loved gingersnaps. You know the know the old fashioned kind you could buy in a bag at your local grocery store? The kind my grandma used to keep in her pantry, perfect for dipping in her daily cup of tea. I loved those crunchy cookies something fierce. The flavor of the molasses and spices was spot on, but that crispness was really something special. 

I've made Spicy Molasses Cookies many many times and it is by far my favorite molasses cookie recipe. But the thing is, those are amazingly soft, chewy cookies. I wanted crunchy. 

I did some internet scouring and discovered the secret--a longer baking time. That's it! I could use my same trusty recipe and just bake them longer! Genius! 

These cookies turned out exactly like I imagined! For the crunchy cookie lovers in your life, this is your recipe! 

Gingersnaps

recipe by adorkablerecipes.blogspot.com (originally adapted from thepioneerwoman.com)

makes 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp cardamom

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

extra sugar for coating

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large bowl, beat together shortening, sugar, molasses and egg. In a second bowl combine dry ingredients with a whisk. Stir the dry mixture into the creamed ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. 

Scoop out dough by the tablespoon and roll into sugar. Place on a cookie sheet, 1-2 inches apart. 

Bake for 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool for 2-3 minutes on the pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Note: The longer baking time achieves the crispy, crunchy characteristic of the true gingersnap. 

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Pumpkin Ginger Nut Muffins

 I was looking for a pumpkin muffin recipe for two reasons--
1. It's pumpkin time, people!
2. I needed a "to go" meal to send with our teens when we leave at 6am Saturday morning for a Bible Quiz.
Elise at Simply Recipes came through for me again!
These muffins are dense and hearty, while maintaining a perfect spice--ideal for harvest time weather.

Pumpkin Ginger Nut Muffins Recipe
adapted from Simplyrecipes.com
makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/3 cup melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts or pecans, optional
2 Tbsp well chopped candied ginger, optional


Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium sized bowl, sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda.
Mix the pumpkin, melted butter, eggs, 1/4 cup of water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. (If you over-mix, you get little tunnels...like I did. oops!) Fold in the candied ginger and chopped nuts.
Spoon mixture into a prepared muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes. If the muffins are lightly browning and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean, then they are cooked.  Cool on a wire rack.

Ultimate Ginger Cookies

Do NOT attempt to make or eat these cookies if you don't really love ginger. 

Ginger is a strong, pungent root which is unmistakable. 

People either love it or hate it. 

If you're in the latter category, run!

If you're in the former, then hold onto your hats. 

This is like a ginger or molasses cookie on crazy ginger steroids. 

But I love them. 

Kevin could only eat one bite before taking a cookie-snacking-break.

The whole reason I made Brown Eyed Baker recipe to begin with was because my adventurous husband saw the crystallized ginger package in the grocery store. He really wanted to try it. I figured, what's the harm in that? Well, come to find out, crystallized ginger is not at all like the dried mango or pineapple pieces you find in trail mix. This stuff is NOT to be eaten if not incorporated in a recipe. It looks delicious, but it's pretty intense. So tread carefully. And ENJOY! I know I did!

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker and Ina Garten. 

Make 24-30 cookies. 

Ingredients

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoons ground cloves

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed

¼ cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup unsulfured molasses

1 egg, at room temperature

1¼ cup chopped crystallized ginger (6 ounces)

Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined.

Scoop the dough with two spoons or a small ice cream scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1¾-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar and place them on the baking sheets.

Bake for 10-13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Recently I borrowed a great cookie resource from my local library--Martha Stewart's Cookies. I'm not in any way, shape or form a Martha fan, but I AM a fan of cookies and this cookbook is choc full of great recipes.  Some of them are just ridiculously extravagant for my taste, but I was pleasantly surprised to discovery so many "everyday" recipes.  When I tagged the page with this particular recipe, I noted that it contained fresh ginger and fresh nutmeg.  Though I didn't pick up any nutmeg (just sprinkled in a teeny tiny bit of dry nutmeg), I did buy fresh ginger for the first time as I wanted to follow the recipe as closely as possible.  I was also surprised at the lack of egg in the ingredients and the relatively large amount of molasses called for. Most molasses cookie recipes call for 1/4 cup molasses when about 2 cups of flour are needed.  This, however, only has 1 and 1/2 cups flour (plus 1 Tbsp!) and needs 1/2 cup molasses.  I hate using so much of a slightly pricey ingredient, but again, I wanted to try the recipe as written before making modifications.  

These cookies are quite amazing for the sophisticated palate, but would probably be a bit too "spicy" and overwhelming for younger foodies.  I love storebought gingersnaps and I believe these have a tang quite comparable to those molasses variety cookies.  They are obviously not "snaps"--in fact they're quite soft and gooey.  

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups plus 1 Tbsp all purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp ground giner

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 

1 Tbsp unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

1 Tbsp freshly grated peeled ginger

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp boiling water

7 ounces (~1/2 cup) best quality semi-sweet chocolate, cut into 1/4 inch chunks (or chips)

1/4 cup granulated sugar 

Directions

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  In a bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and cocoa.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and fresh ginger on medium speed until lightened, about 4 minutes.  Add brown sugar; beat until combined.  Add molasses; beat until combined. 

In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in boiling water.  Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture.  Beat in baking soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture.  Mix in chocolate; turn ont plastic wrap.  Pat out to a 1 inch thickness; seal with wrap.  Refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or overnight. 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls; place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Chill 20 minutes.  Roll in granulated sugar. Baked until surfaces just being to crack, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through.  Let cool on pan 5 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.  Cookies are best the day they are made, but can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days. 

Makes: 2 dozen cookies