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 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 6 tbsp white sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp orange extract
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp 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
- Raspberry Thumbprint cookies by Simple And Savory
- 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
We love using pepper in our gingerbread! It gives such a nice depth of flavor!
I love all the flavors in these, and definitely like the bit of pepper in there. Look delicious!
I just love snowball cookies!
I made these and they're fantastic! We can't stop eating them. You can taste all the spices in every bite. I'll never make them without the orange zest and black pepper again.
I've made the Finnish Piparkakut, but haven't tried these yet! They look wonderful. Love all those spices and such a fun tradition with making a wish.
These sound delicious and I hope all your wishes come true.
I LOVE ginger cookies. These sound amazing!
These are so perfect looking, and they sound delicious!
Ginger cookies!
Would zest work instead of extract? If so, how much would you recommend?
I'd use 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest.
I used a little less flour and sugar, and didn't have any treacle. Also I forgot to add the salt, and used vanilla extract instead of orange (we had lemon extract but didn't want to open a new bottle). I think orange extract would have been nice.
I've made the dough, just resting in the fridge. Will leave it for 2 days before I follow the recipe for cooking them. Looking forward to baking them, and my wife and kids eating them.