Perfect Pepparkakor Food

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.

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 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!

GINGERSNAPS (PEPPARKAKOR)

Steps:

• Bring sugar, syrup, ginger, and cloves to a boil in a medium saucepan.
• Place the butter in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the baking soda to the sugar mixture, then pour over the butter.
• Stir until the butter is melted.
• Add the egg and flour. Mix until thoroughly blended.
• Knead the dough, then place in the refrigerator to chill.
• Roll out the dough on a floured board to 1/16 inch thickness.
• Using a knife or fancy cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes.
• Place cookies on a greased (or nonstick) baking sheet.
• Bake at 325F for 8-10 minutes.
• Cookies will firm up as they cool.
• Re-roll the scraps and repeat until all of the dough is used.

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.

PEPPARKAKOR(SWEDISH PEPPER HEARTS)

Steps:

• Mix flour, spices and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until blended. Beat in water gradually; beat in flour until well blended; dough will be soft.
• Divide into four sections. Shape each fourth into a one-inch-thick circle on a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease cookies sheets. On a lightly floured surface, with a floured rolling pin, roll a quarter of the dough at a time to one-eighth-inch thick. Cut out three-inch-wide hearts. Place one inch apart on cookie sheets and bake 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. May be frosted with butter icing, using maraschino cherry juice instead of milk to make the frosting.