Pepparkakor are Swedish ginger cookies traditionally served at Christmas time. They are less sweet and have a slightly more complex flavor.
If you celebrate Christmas, then you know that now is the time to get your tree (or assemble your fake one), decorate it, string up the lights, hang your stockings, and best of all — bake Christmas cookies! Best of all, our Christmas Cookies Week sponsor, Nielsen-Massey, is giving one lucky winner a set of 8 of their extracts and flavors. See the entry widget just above the recipe to enter to win!
All this week, I and 33 other food bloggers will be posting Christmas cookie recipes, and today in particular, some of us are focusing on international cookies. Last year, I shared a favorite from my own heritage, Scottish shortbread cookies. This year, I'm going Scandinavian with Swedish ginger cookies, called Pepparkakor.
Peppar means pepper and kakor can mean cookie or cake. Modern versions of this recipe don't actually include any pepper, but the one I'm sharing does. You can also include a dash of cayenne pepper, if you like, but I thought these had great flavor without it.
They are similar to gingersnaps or gingerbread cookies that are common in the United States, and like gingerbread, this cookie dough can be cut into shapes. But as you need to work with the dough when it's very cold, I thought it would be easier to scoop and roll into balls.
Unlike American gingerbread, pepparkakor isn't usually iced or frosted for serving. They are either eaten plain, or with a sprinkle of turbinado sugar before baking.
In researching pepparkakor, I learned that it is tradition to hold a cookie in the palm of your hand. Make a wish, and with the index finger of your other hand, tap the cookie until it breaks into three pieces. Then, your wish will come true!
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Pepparkakor (Swedish Ginger Cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 8 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 6 tablespoon white sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- 2 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon orange extract
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the butter, both sugars, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, orange extract, salt, cloves, and pepper. As the butter melts, whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer. Remove from heat. Cool until just warm to the touch, about 30 minutes.
- Whisk the egg into the cooled mixture until smooth. Pour over the dry ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until no dry flour remains. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Heat the oven to 350 F with racks in the upper- and lower-middle positions. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Working with a tablespoonful of dough at a time, use dampened hands to roll into balls. Arrange 12 dough balls on each baking sheet, spacing evenly.
- Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the balls on each sheet and use the bottom of a dry measuring cup to flatten each to about ¼ inch thick. Remove the plastic and bake until richly browned, 14 to 16 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Slightly adapted from Dawn Yanagihara's recipe as seen on Christopher Kimball's Milk Street
See more Christmas Cookies:
- Alfajores (dulce de leche sandwich cookies) by Caroline’s Cooking
- Candy Cane Tassies by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies by The Bitter Side of Sweet
- Crystallized Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love and Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Dutch Speculaas Cookies by Palatable Pastime
- Easy Sugar Cookies by Bear & Bug Eats
- Empire Cookies by Red Cottage Chronicles
- Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cookies by Making Miracles
- Gingerbread Men Cookies by The Freshman Cook
- Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Cookies by Books n Cooks
- Holiday Sugar Sprinkle Butter Cookies by Family Around the Table
- Italian Rainbow Cookies by Everyday Eileen
- Loaded Festive Chocolate Chip Cookies by Daily Dish Recipes
- Makrut Macaroons by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Mocha filled Sandwich Cookies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Oatmeal Raisin Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Pecan Caramel Turtle Bars by Tip Garden
- Pepparkakor (Swedish Ginger Cookies) by The Redhead Baker
- Peppermint Candy Canes by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Peppermint Crinkle Cookies by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
- Peppermint Macarons by House of Nash Eats
- Peppermint Mocha Shortbread Cookies by Cooking with Carlee
- Peppermint Shortbreads by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Pistachio Wedding Cookies by Soulfully Made
- Raspberry Filled Coconut Snowflakes by Making The Most of Naptime
- Rum Logs by Corn, Beans Pigs and Kids
- Vanilla Bean Pizzelles by Love and Confections
- White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Cookies by Kate’s Recipe Box
Bud Friley
Tuesday 23rd of November 2021
I need to make a correction in my previous post. I did not ADD an extra 1/2 tsp orange extract to the recipe, I INCREASED the amount from 1/4 to 1/2. Again, I can’t begin to thank You for the recipe.
Bud
Monday 23rd of August 2021
I searched for decades to find a cookie I enjoyed as a child in Germany. These cookies are as close as I have found. The only change I made was an extra 1/2 tsp of orange extract. NAILED IT! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Doug
Tuesday 16th of March 2021
wow! I've tried a few recipes and had "ok" results. These are the real thing! AND, if you want to try them a little softer in the middle, just eat then the same day you make them! By tomorrow, they'll be as crunchy as the edges! First Rate! Thanks Doug
Jennifer
Saturday 12th of December 2020
Hi, could I use gf flour with this recipe instead?
Coleen
Monday 14th of December 2020
I have no experience substituting gluten-free flours, so I'm not able to advise.
Niko
Wednesday 9th of December 2020
Hi! First of all, fun that you choose Swedish baking. I found this post when trying to find an English recipe for an American friend. Anyway, as you might have realised, I'm Swedish and I just wanted to comment on a couple of things. About wishing, you only tap the pepparkaka once (and usually with a "finger knuckle ") and IF it breaks in three pieces, your wish will come true. Kids usually try and find the best place to tap the cookie to make it break in three parts. I've also never seen a pepparkaka with any kind of sugar on top (I googled turbonado sugar and don't think I've seen it on top of anything). Not that there's anything wrong to put sugar on top of them and someone in Sweden probably do. Well, that was my little comments, which isn't meant as criticism, by the way.