Pepparkakor -- Gingersnaps
==========================

These are the gingersnaps that are ubiquitous in Sweden around
Yule. It takes a lot of time to bake out all the dough. 

NB: This is a two-day recipe!
              ^2^
150 pieces

Oven temperature: 200C (400F) for 5-10 minutes. 
Watch them closely, they get burnt very easily!

300 millilitre (10 fl oz) sugar
100 millilitre (3.5 fl oz) water
50 millilitre (1.6 fl oz) treacle (molasses)
7 millilitre (.25 fl oz) ground cinnamon
7 millilitre ground (.25 fl oz) ginger
7 millilitre ground (.25 fl oz) cloves
200 grammes (6.6 oz) butter or margarine
(Optional: 30 millilitre {1 fl oz} brandy)
1000 millilitre (1 liquid quart) wheatflour (not selfraising)
10 millilitre (.3 fl oz) bicarbonate (=baking soda?)

Bring sugar, water, treacle (molasses) and spices to a boil. Let
cool. Add fat little by little (and brandy, if used). Stir
vigorously. Add flour mixed with bicarbonate. Work the dough quickly
and let it rest in the refridgerator till the next day.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1-2 millimeter. This is best done
on the non-stick paper. Punch out the desired forms with cooky
cutters* and carefully remove the remaining dough. Bake. Repeat until
no dough remains. Dough can be stored for at least a week in an
airtight container in the refridgerator. No adverse effects are
reported from eating moderate amounts of dough. :)

*Traditional shapes of cooky cutters are: woman, man, heart,
pig. Other common shapes include: goat, star, spruce, circle.

Let the gingersnaps dry and cool for an hour or so before storing them
in airtight containers. They are usually served as they are but the
can be decorated with white icing. Common decorations include adding
more "realistic" detail to shapes such as pigs. A new idea would be to
make five-pointed stars and inscribe a pentagram or a circle with an
equal-armed cross.

Wishing on pepparkakor
======================
Place a heartshaped pepparkaka in the palm of your hand. Firmly knock
on it once with the knuckle of your other hand. If it breaks into
exactly three pieces, you can wish on the pepparkaka. It's important
that you make your wish silently and not tell anyone about it, or it
won't work.

/ Ceci H.

OBS receptet härstammar från ett inlägg i LysKOM