Kyrddpepparkakor (swedish gingerbread)

These treats have been a part of my Christmas long before I spent a year living in Sweden.  My Mum’s best friend Mary used to make them for us every year as children, when we would celebrate Lucia, piping our names onto hand sized hearts and turning them into Christmas decorations for the tree.  You can imagine the wonderful smell that a room would have with a fresh Christmas tree and these babies on them.  They are slightly chewy in texture and the spicy flavor make a perfect accompaniment to mulled wine, or even just a cup of coffee.

Since moving out of home, no matter where I’ve been in the world, I’ve made at least one batch a year just for the memories.   Really its as though Christmas cannot happen before I’ve been through the routine of making pepparkakor.  Fortunately I’m yet to meet someone who doesn’t like them, so they make perfect home-baked presents, and my family/friends & work colleagues  have always been happy to eat up the spares.

Kyrddpepparkakor / Swedish Gingerbread Cookies (translated as I go so I hope its right!) 

heat oven to 225c

• 100g butter
• 200g brown sugar
• 100ml golden syrup
• 100ml cream
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground cloves
• approx 1kg Plain Flour
• 2 tsp bicarbonate soda

Cream sugar, butter and golden syrup until light in colour. Add cream and spices. Slowly work in flour in portions, blended with bicarbonate soda, until you have a firm dough.  From experience its better if it’s slightly sticky as you’ll need to use some  flour when you are turning this into biscuits anyway.

Wrap your dough in cling wrap and let the mix rest overnight in the fridge.

Roll out dough in small sections and cut with cookie cutter. A small amount of flour will help to stop it sticking to your bench.

Cook for approx 5 mins in oven, or until edges turn golden.  You can decorate with white icing or sift some icing sugar over them.

The dough freezes well if you don’t want to cook the whole quantity at once.

Happy Cooking & Happy Eating,

Leah

This recipe comes courtesy of ICA home brand cookbook.