Step-by-Step Cakes by DK Publishing

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Gingerbread variations

Swedish Spice Cookies

A version of the traditional Swedish Christmas cookies. Roll them as thin

as you dare (and bake for less time) for a truly authentic result.

Special equipment

3in (7cm) cookie cutters (any shape)

Ingredients

11 ⁄ 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

2 tsp baking powder

(^3) ⁄ 4 cup sugar
a few drops of pure vanilla extract
(^1) ⁄ 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp ground ginger
(^1) ⁄ 3 cup honey
1 large egg, separated
4 tsp milk
9 tbsp butter, softened and diced
11 ⁄^4 cups ground almonds
chopped hazelnuts or almonds, to decorate
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line
2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2 Sift the flour and baking powder into a
bowl. Add all the other ingredients except
the chopped nuts. With a wooden spoon,
bring the mixture together to form a soft
dough. Use your hands to shape the
dough into a ball.
3 Roll the dough out on a lightly floured
surface to
1
⁄ 4 in (5mm) thickness. Cut out
the cookies with the shaped cutters, and
place on the baking sheets, spaced apart
to allow them to spread. Beat the egg
white and brush over the cookies, then
sprinkle with the nuts. Bake for 8–10 minutes,
or until lightly golden brown.
4 Remove from the oven and allow to cool
on the sheet for a few minutes, then
transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
STORE These gingernut cookies will keep in
an airtight container for 3 days.

BAKER’S TIP

These are based on a Swedish Christmas

cookie called Pepparkakor.To decorate a

Christmas tree in traditional Swedish style,

cut the cookies into heart shapes and use

a straw to cut a hole out of the top before

cooking. Once baked, you can tie the cookies

on to the tree using red ribbon.

Gingernut

Cookies

The addition of chopped nuts makes

these cookies extra special.

MAKES

45

30

MINS

8–10

MINS

Method

1 With an electric hand mixer, cream the

butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, corn

syrup, and molasses. Sift together the flour,

salt, and spices in a separate bowl. Add

the flour mixture to the cookie batter and

bring it all together to form a rough dough.

Chilling time

1 hr

Special equipment

3in (7cm) heart or star cookie cutters

Ingredients

9 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

(^2) ⁄ 3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tbsp corn syrup
1 tbsp light molasses
11 ⁄ 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
pinch of salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
MAKES
60
20
MINS
10
MINS
8 WEEKS,
UNBAKED
8 WEEKS,
UNBAKED
2 Briefly knead until smooth, place in
a plastic bag, and chill for 1 hour.
3 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Roll the
cookie dough out on a lightly floured surface
to a thickness of^1 ⁄ 8 in (3mm) and cut out heart
or star shapes with the cookie cutters.
4 Transfer the cookies to several non-stick
baking sheets and bake in the top third of
the oven for 10 minutes until edges darken
slightly. Leave the sheets for a few minutes,
then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
STORE The cookies will keep in an airtight
container for 5 days.