THE FESTIVAL CARNET
Christmas Pepperkaker with Spices
Fine Norwegian-inspired biscuits, crispy and fragrant with ginger, cinnamon and pepper.
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Fine Norwegian-inspired biscuits, crispy and fragrant with ginger, cinnamon and pepper.
The name refers to a family of cookies and the formulas vary by household. This homemade adaptation uses a brown food syrup and a hint of pepper, with accessible gestures and a fine cut.
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The preparation step by step
Melt on low heat
Put 100 g of butter, 120 g of syrup and 90 g of brown sugar in a saucepan. Heat gently to melt the butter, stirring. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Add the cream
Pour the 60 g of cream into the mixture. Spoon mixture to obtain a homogeneous liquid. It should no longer be hot when joining the flour.
Weighing the spices
Mix the 300 g of flour with ginger, cinnamon, pepper, clove, bicarbonate and salt. Carefully weigh the small quantities: pepper and cloves must perfume without dominating.
Gather the dough
Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients. Mix with the spatula and then gather the dough without kneading. It remains soft as long as the butter is warm.
Firmed in cold
Flattened to 2 cm, covers and places 1 hour in the refrigerator. The dough can wait at night in the refrigerator; then allow a few minutes at room temperature to spread it.
Roll out very thinly
Preheat to 170 °C, conventional oven setting (no fan). Spread between two sheets of paper at 2 to 3 mm. This small thickness gives the expected crisp; thick pieces would be another cookie.
Cut Stars and Hearts
Cut the shapes from 4 to 5 cm and place them 2 cm away on a cold plate. Gather the offcuts once, without incorporating much flour.
Baked in small batches
Cook 7 to 8 minutes per plate, monitoring from 6 minutes. The edges should brown slightly and the centres firm. Allow up to six small batches, or 48 minutes cumulative. Reuse the plates only after cooling; the exact number depends on your cookie cutters.
Let get crispy
Leave the biscuits on the plate for 3 minutes before transferring them to a rack. Wait 30 minutes after the last batch to evaluate the crisp.
Range without frosting
Store cold cookies in a dry box. This version remains natural to keep its finesse and spices; no icing is planned.
Conservation. Store completely cold cookies in an airtight box, in a cool and dry room. Consume them within 5 days. Separate the filled biscuits from those that need to stay crunchy.
Recipe proposal with quantities and step by step. Times vary depending on the material: follow also the markers of texture and cooking.
The benchmarks for success
One plate, one thickness
Group pieces of comparable size on the same plate. Keep the second baking tray cold: a paste placed on hot metal would melt before cooking.
The dough becomes sticky
Put it back in the fridge for 10 minutes instead of adding large amounts of flour. Repeat the display between two sheets of baking paper.
Questions Before You Start
Is pepper mandatory?
The small amount gives a discreet warmth. You can omit it without changing the structure, but keep the other spices at the scheduled doses.
Can I replace brown syrup with honey?
Honey gives another scent and can change the crispiness. Use the syrup indicated for this version; the card of the gingerbread gentlemen is formulated with honey.
Why are they soft?
They may be too thick, not completely cooled or stored in a wet box. The thickness of 2 to 3 mm is an essential reference.
Baking tips for this recipe
- Preheat the oven according to the plug and prepare the mold before mixing the last ingredients.
- Uses the dimensions and cooking mode indicated: a higher or wider mold changes the cooking of the center.
- Follow the visual cues of step by step in addition to the duration. Respect the intended cooling before unmoulding or decorating.
Substitutions and variations
To replace a main ingredient, choose another sheet designed with the one you want to use. Changing the proportions of fat, sugar or liquid can change the hold of the dessert.
More treats for your Christmas table
Recipes that share ingredients or the same preparation family.