Pepparkakor (Gingersnaps)

Traditionally speaking Swedes have gingersnaps (Pepparkakor) all year long (usually I just buy them), but at Christmas time it's kinda fun to make them.  I always make them in the shape of little gingerbread men and women but they can also be made in the shape of hearts or pigs.  I think I'll stick with the gingerbread men just for my traditional needs.

 Ingredients 

7 oz. brown sugar

7 oz. white sugar

7 oz. dark corn syrup

3/4 cup water

10 oz butter

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons ground ginger

2 tablespoons ground cloves

1 tablespoon baking soda

2 lbs flour (You can use rice flour if you prefer not to have wheat)

Method

Heat the brown and white sugar along with the corn syrup and water in a pot. Add the butter and let it melt.  Stir in spices and baking soda.  Then mix in the flour until you reach a smooth consistency.  Place dough in the refrigerator to cool for at least 3 hours, over night is best.  Then take the dough and knead it on a large cutting board, adding flour (or rice flour) if it gets sticky.  Roll it out and cut into your desired shapes and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Cool on a rack and decorate to your liking. 

I purchased these cool edible pen pictured below.  They are great to have around!

Cute Gingerbread men.

These are great to have around and make decorating easy!

Snicker Doodles

While I was growing up my Grandmother Evelyn was my savior when I would cook dinners for our small family of three.  My Dad worked three jobs and would run home to eat quickly and then would head off to another job.  My Mother was doing the same thing.  I remember her working two jobs at one point as well.  They were really hard workers so it was my job to get my homework done and cook the dinners.  Now, with this being said you can only image all the mistakes I made!  One time in particular, I decided to boil the water for the pasta as the directions on the back of the box suggested.  But, instead of draining the pasta when it was al dente, (I'm SURE this word was NOT in my vocabulary at the time) I let the pasta sit in the water until my dear old Dad got home from work.  To my surprise, it was like a brick!  I called my Grandmother of course who, first laughed and then told me I needed to start over.  Oh well, I guess we sometimes learn things the hard way!  With all of this being said my Grandmother gave me this easy cookie recipe.  I'm sure she was secretly thinking, "I sure hope she can't mess this one up?"

These are wonderful with a cup of hot tea on a cold winter's day!

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons cream of tarter

1 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Method:

1)  Mix the first 3 ingredients until creamy.

2)  Mix the rest of the ingredients

3)  Roll the dough into 1/2 inch balls and roll the balls into a mixture of Cinnamon and sugar (I use 1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, but adjust this to your liking)!

4) Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes.

 

The Best Butter Cookies

My friend Anne is known as the 'Cookie Lady" in our neighborhood.  Every Friday (without fail) she brings homemade cookies down to the bus stop for all the children (Parents too)!  All the kids in the neighborhood and those that just are lucky enough to ride this bus get a fresh, hot and gooey, chocolate chip cookie.  As the bus rounds the bend you can see the children's faces waiting in anticipation.  This really is down home Minnesota living at it's best!  I tell you this story because I'm not the 'Cookie Lady' but, once a year (Christmas time) I break out the rolling pin and make what we think are the BEST BUTTER COOKIES EVER!

2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla
4 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 350.  With as electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add egg yolks and vanilla and continue to mix.  Mix flour and salt together and add to the wet ingredients.  When ready to bake roll out the cookie dough, cut into desired shape and place on a cookie sheet which is covered with parchment paper.  Bake for about 10 minutes (depending on your oven).  Do not allow to brown in the oven.  Once cool decorate with the below Cream Cheese Frosting!

Evelyn's Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 pound powder sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Mix all ingredients together and apply to cookies.  Use any food coloring you wish!
These cookies also freeze nicely!