Mother-in-Law's Swedish Pepparkakor Cookies

These mouth-watering Swedish Gingersnap Pepparkakor Cookies are a family Christmas baking tradition in my husband's family.



I've had the recipe for decades but never made them until recently. They are great dipping cookies and I promise you won't be able to stop at just one!



These mouth-watering Swedish Pepparkaka or Pepparkakor ginger cookies with soft centers are great for dipping and a family Christmas cookie tradition.

The motivation for finally trying my Mother-in-law's cookie recipe is because we lost her in September and I want to keep the family tradition going in her memory.



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Swedish Gingersnap Pepparkakor Cookie Recipe

The cookies are more commonly known as Pepparkakor but Mr. Frugalista's family affectionately pronounces them PepparKAKA cookies.



The name is derived from Peppar meaning pepper and kakor meaning cookie. Apparently, at one time the recipe included pepper but over the generations, it was eliminated.



The Swedish custom was to place a cookie in the palm of your hand and make a wish. Using the index finger or thumb of your other hand, you would tap the cookie in the middle. If it broke into three pieces, your wish would come true.



These mouth-watering Swedish Pepparkaka or Pepparkakor ginger cookies with soft centers are great for dipping and a family Christmas cookie tradition.

The shape of the cookies was also symbolic and commonly cut in stars, hearts, men, women, pigs, or goats. The animals symbolizing fertility or mid-winter feast.



Heart shapes were thought to make you gentler and kinder. My mother-in-law was a very quiet, kind, and gentle woman and so I choose the heart shape to honor her.



These mouth-watering Swedish Pepparkaka or Pepparkakor ginger cookies with soft centers are great for dipping and a family Christmas cookie tradition.

Pepparkakor cookies are decorated with white icing piped along the edges but they can be left plain like my mother-in-law preferred them.



I chose to make mine look more festive by giving them a light dusting of powdered sugar. I hope my mother-in-law would approve.



These mouth-watering Swedish Pepparkaka or Pepparkakor ginger cookies with soft centers are great for dipping and a family Christmas cookie tradition.

This recipe has been added to my annual Christmas baking list along with my mother's Shortbread Cookies. Another recipe that has been steeped in tradition for generations that I continue in her memory.



Pepparkakor Cookie Ingredients

These are the ingredients to make these mouth-watering Swedish Christmas cookies. I've included a printable recipe card further down in the post.


  • 3 1/2 cups of flour
  • 1 tbsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tbsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup molasses


These mouth-watering Swedish Pepparkaka or Pepparkakor ginger cookies with soft centers are great for dipping and a family Christmas cookie tradition.

The cookies are a two-day affair but so worth the wait. You make the dough one day and let it stand in the fridge overnight before baking them the following day.



These mouth-watering Swedish Pepparkaka or Pepparkakor ginger cookies with soft centers are great for dipping and a family Christmas cookie tradition.

How To Make Pepparkakor Cookies

  1. Sift the dry ingredients, except for the sugar, in a separate bowl.
  2. Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add the eggs and molasses.
  4. Stir in dry ingredients in increments until well blended.
  5. Shape the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.
  6. Let stand in the fridge overnight.
  7. Cut the dough into 4 pieces.
  8. Roll the dough on a floured surface 1/8 inch thick.
  9. Cut the cookies with a heart, star, or gingerbread man cookie cutters dipped in flour.
  10. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  11. Bake in 350°F oven for 10 minutes until lightly brown around the edges.
  12. Makes approximately five dozen cookies.


Helpful Tips

  1. Wait approximately ten minutes after taking the chilled dough out of the fridge before rolling it.
  2. Dip the cookie cutters in flour first because they have a tendency to stick.
  3. Don't overcrowd the cookie sheet (like pictured below) because the cookies rise and spread.


These mouth-watering Swedish Pepparkaka or Pepparkakor ginger cookies with soft centers are great for dipping and a family Christmas cookie tradition.

Can I freeze Pepparkakor cookies?

Yes, you can. I froze these after they were sprinkled with powdered sugar. Layer the cookies between sheets of wax or parchment paper in air-tight food storage containers.



As promised, here is the printable recipe card should you want to make these Swedish Pepparkakor Cookies.




Swedish Pepparkakor Cookies


Swedish Pepparkakor Cookie Recipe
Recipe Yield: 5 dozen cookies
Author:
prep time: 30 M cook time: 10 M total time: 40 M
Also known as Pepparkakor, these mouth-watering Swedish Ginger Cookies have been a Christmas tradition in my husband's family. They have that ginger snap on the outside with soft centers on the inside. Great dipping cookies!

ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 cups of flour
  • 1 tbsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tbsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup molasses

instructions:

How to cook Swedish Pepparkakor Cookies

  1. Sift the dry ingredients, except for the sugar, in a separate bowl.
  2. Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add eggs and molasses.
  4. Stir in dry ingredients in increments until well blended.
  5. Shape into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.
  6. Let stand in the fridge overnight.
  7. Cut the dough into 4 pieces.
  8. Roll out the dough on a floured surface 1/8" thick.
  9. Cut with heart, star, or gingerbread men cookie cutters dipped in flour.
  10. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  11. Bake in 350°F oven for 10 minutes until lightly brown around the edges.
  12. Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies.

NOTES:

Prep time does not include letting dough stand in the fridge overnight.
Calories
916.30
Fat (grams)
38.78
Sat. Fat (grams)
23.42
Carbs (grams)
133.47
Fiber (grams)
3.07
Net carbs
130.40
Sugar (grams)
65.45
Protein (grams)
10.80
Sodium (milligrams)
1023.52
Cholesterol (grams)
134.81
Created using The Recipes Generator


All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.



Thanks for stopping by the Interior Frugalista today! If you try these Christmas Gingersnap Cookies, I'd love to hear what you think about the recipe.



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These mouth-watering Swedish Pepparkaka or Pepparkakor ginger cookies with soft centers are great for dipping and a family Christmas cookie tradition. #gingersnaprecipe #cookerecipe #christmascookierecipe #holidaybaking #swedishcookierecipe

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Comments

  1. What a beautiful tradition and remembrance. My daughters would love fortune-telling via cookies! I can't wait to give this recipe a try. It's sure to remind my husband of his Swedish grandmother, too.

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    Replies
    1. I hope you enjoy the cookies and that they bring back memories of your husband's Swedish heritage.

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  2. Oh my goodness Marie!! Does cookies look delicious!! I'm definitely going to try the recipe. Thank you!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Christine! I hope you enjoy the cookies as much as we do during the holidays. Thanks for stopping by for a visit 😊

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  3. I do so much enjoy a good dipping cookie with my coffee. These sound scrumptious and I like the addition of the powdered sugar. I'm sure you dear MIL would be pleased that you have taken up her tradition.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Shirley, considering my husband is an only child, I'm sure she would be happy to see the tradition continues. More about her traditions coming on Wednesday 😉

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  4. I love the tradition of these cookies! Some of the best cookies come from family and it's great that this recipe can be passed down. I think dusting the powdered sugar over top makes it festive and it looks great. Pinned.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Erlene, I don't know what took me so long to make them. They'll definitely be added to my annual Christmas baking list because they are so dang tasty!

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  5. I love family recipes, the evoke so many memories, smells and sweet moments! These look so yummy!!

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    Replies
    1. These definitely do that Kathleen and they are so delicious. I can't wait to serve them to guests.

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  6. What a wonderful way to honor your mother in law's memory! They look delicious. Pinned.

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  7. Marie, such a beautiful way to honor your mother in law and keep her holiday tradition. I have never made this cookies, but look forward to giving them a try. Thank you for sharing. Pinned!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Lynne, this was my first time making them and they've definitely been added to my annual Christmas baking list.

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  8. Marie, I'm gonna bake some of those yummy-sounding cookies! I've already printed out the recipe.

    Also, when I click on the entries for the giveaway nothing happens. Is it only me? Help!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to hear you're going to give the cookies a try, Naomi. I hope you like them as much as we do! As for the giveaway, did you log into the rafflecopter using either Facebook or an email address? It seems to be working on my end. Let me know if that didn't work either.

      Delete
  9. These look delicious, Marie! I have never made Pepparkaka Cookies before, but I will definitely be trying them out this year! Pinned!

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    Replies
    1. Be prepared to have them call your name if you decide to bake them - so so tasty!

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  10. These look so delish! When you come with your flip flops to sit by the fire, try to sneak a box of these through customs. LOL... we shall munch and sip tea and laugh the day away.....pinned... XO

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well wouldn't that be grand! Your warm and cozy outdoor fireplace is just begging for a good chat with gingerbread cookies.

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  11. These look delicious and what a terrific way to honor your mother-in-law's memory. Thanks for sharing to Inspire Me Monday I am pinning this recipe to try later.

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  12. These look delicious, Marie! How special that it's a family recipe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They really are tasty Beverly but they keep calling me from the freezer. LOL

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  13. Your cookies look delicious Marie! I bet they smell wonderful while they are baking! Thanks for sharing with us at the Snickerdoodle Link Party! They will be one of my features this Saturday!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for featuring these cookies, Roseann, I really appreciate it! xo Yes, the house did smell wonderful when making them.

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  14. These look delicious, Marie! I love the photo with the powdered sugar! Looks for festive! Thanks for sharing at Tuesday Turn About... the party returns from the Christmas break this Tuesday, 1/7. Hope to see you there, and Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Julie, these cookies were such a hit during the holidays. They were calling my name from the freezer far too often so I made up some festive jars and gave them all away. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. LOL

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  15. I made these at our local country fair when I was very young with the help of my Swedish Grandmother and won. I have not made for years, thanks for inspiration!

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    Replies
    1. That is wonderful! I'm not surprised they won because they are so darn delicious. They are great dunking cookies too, eh!

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  16. Replies
    1. They are so good, Paula, and dangerous because they'll keep calling your name from the freezer. They are great dipping cookies too.

      Delete

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