Pepparkakor!

Apologies on the lack of recent blogging, but now I am done done done with finals and can write a little! Christmas break has been wonderful so far, and has been filled with lots of cooking and baking. We will write more soon, but for now, here is the recipe that I've been using for this season's pepparkakor, adapted from two or three recipes in Swedish Recipes Old and New by the American Daughters of Sweden, 1955.

• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves

1. Heat molasses in small saucepan to boiling point. Then boil 1 minute. Add sugar and butter and stir until butter is melted. Cool. Beat in egg.
2. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, and spices. Add to first mixture and mix thoroughly.
3. Cover bowl tightly and refrigerate overnight. Roll out a small portion of the dough at a time on a lightly floured pastry cloth. Roll out thin. Cut desired shape.*
4. Bake at 350 F for 6 to 8 minutes (until edges just begin to darken).

*Optional: add a sliver of almond in the center of the cookie.

Yield: 10 dozen cookies