Swedish Ginger Thins (Pepparkakor) Recipe
Swedish ginger thins, or Pepparkakor, are delicate, crisp cookies bursting with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Perfectly sweetened with brown sugar and syrup, these traditional Scandinavian treats make an ideal holiday snack or anytime indulgence, offering a flavorful, chewy texture that crisps up beautifully when baked.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-9 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings (approximately 20 cookies)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Swedish
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 160 g flour
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp baking powder (optional)
Wet Ingredients
- 60 g cold butter, cubed
- 50 g brown sugar
- 90 g syrup
Instructions
- Prepare dough: Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blitz until the dough forms and gathers into a ball, ensuring all spices and sugar are evenly incorporated.
- Chill dough: Wrap the dough tightly in cling film or baking paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up, making it easier to roll out and cut.
- Roll and cut cookies: On a well-floured surface, roll the dough out very thinly to about 1 mm thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut the cookies and carefully transfer them with an angled spatula to a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 190°C (375°F) for approximately 8 minutes. Thicker cookies may need an additional minute. Immediately remove from the hot tray and transfer to a wire rack to finish drying and crisping as they cool.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is crucial for easy handling and maintaining the cookie shape during baking.
- Rolling the dough very thin ensures the characteristic crispiness of Pepparkakor.
- Use an angled spatula to transfer delicate cookies to prevent breakage.
- Oven temperatures and baking times may vary, so watch closely in the last few minutes to avoid burning.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container to preserve crispness.
