Christmas

Baking Through Fika: Pepparkakor (Gingerbread Cookies)

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When I first bought the Fika cookbook and saw this recipe I knew we’d be making these for Christmas.  But as all things seem to go in my house, I almost forgot to make them!  Here they are just in time.

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I thought it was going to be this perfect afternoon with my two older kids.  All laughter and smiles, Christmas music playing in the background, my little guy playing happily in his high chair watching us and not fussing.  But once I started getting everything together for our cookie decorating I was reminded that rarely does that perfect experience you’ve created in your head actually come to fruition.  Not only is that just the way life goes, but kids are just unpredictable.  My daughter was having a longer than normal nap, and if we wanted to get finished before dinner we had to go on without her.  My son was just impatient with the process of getting it all ready.  I had the cookies made ahead of time, but had to make frosting and gather sprinkles, and then I had to explain to him what to do when all he wanted to do was do it!  A few times while I was getting everything set up he said, “I think I’ll just go do legos/play outside/get my cars instead, mom.”

Thankfully he did sit down with me for a good while and decorate.  And he liked it! He was even bummed when we ran out of cookies to decorate.  I’d love to instill, if not a passion for cooking and baking, at the very least a good understanding of the kitchen in my kids. I recently started participating in Kids Chefs Club.  Every month you receive a cooking tool, a card with activities and recipes, and access to online content to help your child learn about being safe in the kitchen, kitchen tools, nutrition and basic kitchen skills.  The first month my son got the apron he’s wearing in the pictures below.  Every time he helps me cook he wants to put it on.  We are going on our third month.  My kids’ desire to help me with meals has increased a great deal.  That has been both very exciting and very challenging.

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Cooking with kids takes longer and is messier than cooking on your own.  It also takes a good bit of patience and a great deal of letting go!  I like control in the kitchen, so letting my kids help has been tough, but really good for me, and it’s been great for them.  If you’re interested in trying Kids Chefs Club here is a discount code that will give you 20% off any membership plan, either 3, 6 or 12 months.  It’s valid until the end of the year, December 31, 2015!  Just use HolidayFriends15 at checkout.  If you need a last minute gift, this would be a great one.

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Now about these cookies!  They are spiced wonderfully and I really enjoy the crunch they have…if you bake them right 😉  I forget how much I love cardamom sometimes, but then I notice it in something and am reminded of how warm and unique and wonderful it is.  These take a little time and patience.  Instead of simply creaming butter with sugar to begin, you must boil together sugar, molasses and water which you then mix into the butter. After cooling it down, you make the dough.  Then you have to chill the dough for at least 24 hours.  If I’m not in a time crunch, this type of recipe is good for me since I often don’t have the freedom to complete a recipe start to finish without interruption from the kids.  So spreading it out over a couple days was no problem!  I wasn’t stressed thinking, “Oh! I have to finish those cookies!” I was able to finish part of the recipe and think, “Now I just have to wait.  The recipe says I can take a break.  Thank, you recipe.”

My first batch was the best.  Working with a little dough at a time (since it warms up and gets soft pretty quickly) roll and cut your cookies. Bake for 4-6 minutes at 400°F, “but don’t overbake!” says the recipe. I did 5 minutes and they were a teensiest bit dark but good.  My next batch I did for 4 and a half minutes.  They were soft coming out of the oven and I just thought they’d set up nicely after they cooled.  So I did 4 and a half minutes for the rest of them.  After the first batch they did not get that nice crunch that pepparkakor should have. They still tasted great, but were on the soft side.  I tried to bake them more after they’d cooled with not much luck.  Now I know that while overbaking is bad, so is underbaking.  You basically need perfect baking time.  Good luck!  I’d rather have them a little overbaked (but not burnt) to be honest, nice and crunchy.  But that’s just me.

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To decorate I used royal icing so that it would harden completely.  It isn’t the tastiest, but you get mostly spice from the cookie and a simple sweet crunch from the icing.  This recipe is what I used.  It’s more than you need, and you will have to add some water to make it more pipe-able.  Just a teaspoon at a time until you get it where you want it.

I’ve seen so many insanely beautiful holiday cookies all over blogs and on Instagram lately that I was feeling like I’d better do something awesome.  But there’s no joy in trying to do something just as or more awesome as other people.  So we had fun with these and didn’t worry about all those other people.  Enjoy and have fun with these!

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Pepparkakor

From FIKA

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 1/2 ounces butter cut into pieces
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 tablespoon (equal to 1 1/2 teaspoons) ground cardamom
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 tablespoon baking soda
  • 3 cups flour plus more for rolling

Directions

  1. Combine sugar, molasses and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Stir to make sure the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from the heat and add in the butter, stir to melt completely.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  2. Mix flour and the rest of the dry ingredients together.  In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix to combine.  Place dough in a plastic bag and chill for 24-48 hours.
  3. Preheat oven to 400°F
  4. Work with a handful of dough at a time (return what you’re not using to the fridge) and roll out on a floured surface, cut desired shapes and move to a cookie sheet.
  5. Bake for 4-6 minutes, until cookies begin to brown on the edges.
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Swedish Spritz and Christmas Cookie Trays

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While I love this time of year I must admit that it stresses me out!  I start to get bogged down in the to-do lists and parties and gifts and travel arrangements and forget to savor the season and really focus on Christ and the miracle of his birth and the wonder of it all!  I’ve been trying to reinforce with my kids that Christmas isn’t just presents, Santa, cookies and Jingle Bells, but I’m not being the best example by stressing out about all of those things.  Does anyone else have this problem?!  Any advice on how to find balance?

Today is the last day of preschool before Christmas break and I’ve tried this year to keep things simple for teacher gifts.  A cookie tray and a gift card to one of their favorite stores.

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All of the cookies on this tray can be made ahead of time and frozen for at least a couple of weeks which makes them great for the craziness of this time of year.

Here is the link for the Molasses Cookies and here is the Rosemary Pecan Shortbread.  Both of these are wonderfully spiced and amazingly delicious.  My husband does not like sweets and the molasses cookies are some of his favorites.

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And here is the Spritz recipe!  It’s a family recipe that my mom, aunt and grandmother used.  These are straightforward butter cookies.  If you don’t have a cookie press you could maybe roll them in to balls and then roll them in sugar, but I haven’t tried that before.  Don’t be scared of a cookie press, though!  My mother in law passed down to me the one pictured below a few years ago and I just now worked up the courage to use it.  I wish I’d not waited so long!

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A few tips:

  1. Use an ungreased cookie sheet!  I used parchment for my first batch, which was a mistake.  The dough didn’t stick to the parchment, it just stayed on the press!  Very frustrating.  There is enough butter in these that sticking shouldn’t be an issue 🙂
  2. Watch these carefully in the oven.  If they burn they’re just not very good.
  3. Place the red hots on the cookie in such a way that they’re not too close to the edge.  If they get too much heat from the metal of the pan they’ll melt.

SWEDISH SPRITZ

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • coloring (optional)
  • red hots or sprinkles

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F
  2. Cream butter and sugar together thoroughly.  Add in the egg and extracts and beat well.
  3. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together, then add to the butter mixture and beat until combined.  At this point you can color some of the dough if you want to.  The green trees have always been a favorite of my family!
  4. Fill cookie press with dough and fit with a plate.  Force dough out according to the directions for your press on to an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.  Press red hots into cookies if using.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 7-10 minutes.  You may need to rotate them if you oven bakes unevenly.
  6. Cool and serve.  These freeze very well.
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Chocolate Mint Marshmallows

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There is something truly special about real, fresh, homemade marshmallows in your hot chocolate.  Or hot cocoa.  Did you know there is a difference beyond personal word choice?  Me neither!  But these marshmallows really do melt differently than the store bought kind.  And the best part is, they’re not impossible to make at home!

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I’ve only made marshmallows once before, and I didn’t remember them being too terribly difficult, just time consuming.  Not a lot of active time, but a good 6-18 hours of wait time between putting the marshmallow goo in the pan and then cutting and enjoying them.  This time around was no different.  These are really not difficult to make in your own kitchen.  The only special equipment you need is a candy thermometer.

It’s kind of fun (especially if you’re a food nerd likes me who still finds beating egg whites to stiff peaks amazing) to watch such simple ingredients go from nothing impressive to a fluffy, sticky mound of marshmallow in just a few minutes.  And again, marshmallows aren’t difficult at all to make!  But you do need to plan ahead.  And you do need a candy thermometer.  You will be sad and lost without your candy thermometer!

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I found this tutorial from The Kitchn to be extremely helpful in making marshmallows and used their recipe as my base.  I’ve seen yummy variations including pretty pink peppermint marshmallows, toasted coconut marshmallows and even salted caramel marshmallows.  All of which I thought about making.  But I decided to try something a little different.  My undying love of York peppermint patties led me to make these.  They’re delicious on their own, but something really wonderful happens when the peppermint patties start to melt into your hot chocolate.  It’s heavenly.

One of the little bits of advice I’d give is to be patient in waiting for the sugar syrup to get to temperature.  It heats quickly to 200°F, but took a while to get to 250°F.  Keep a close eye on it after it gets to 230 or so, because it seemed to speed up then.  Also remember, no stirring.  It all comes out fine in the end.  Resist the urge.

These are another great gift idea for Christmas!  Wrap up a few in a glassine or poly bag and pair with some fancy hot chocolate mix and a cute mug.  Done.

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Chocolate Mint Marshmallows

Marshmallow recipe from The Kitchn

Ingredients

  • 1 batch marshmallow base (ingredients and recipe below)
  • 1 bag mini York peppermint patties (about 27) unwrapped and roughly chopped

Marshmallow Base

For the gelatin bloom:

  • 3 tablespoons (typically 3 packets) unflavored gelatin powder (See Recipe Notes)
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

For the marshmallows:

  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar cane syrup or corn syrup
  • Pinch kosher salt

For the marshmallow coating:

  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch

Directions

  1. Grease a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray or shortening, making sure to cover every nook and cranny.
  2. Spread/sprinkle/place the peppermint patty pieces onto the bottom of the pan, covering as evenly as possible.  This will be hard since the candy will want to stick to everything but the pan.

For the Marshmallows

  1. Put the gelatin into the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add 1/2 cup cold water and the vanilla to the gelatin and whisk with a fork. Continue stirring until the gelatin reaches the consistency of apple sauce and there are no lumps.
  2. Pour 3/4 cup water into a heavy bottomed 4-quart saucepan.  Pour the sugar, corn syrup, and salt on top and leave it.  Do not stir.
  3. Clip your candy thermometer to the side of the pot and place over medium-high heat.  Bring it to a full boil.  Do not stir.  As the mixture comes to a boil, dip a pastry brush in water and brush down the sides of the pot to keep the sugar from crystallizing on the sides of the pot.
  4. Continue boiling until the sugar mixture reaches 247°F to 250°F, brushing down the sides of the pot occasionally. Take the pan off the heat and remove the thermometer once it reached temperature.
  5. Turn on your mixer to low speed.  Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the gelatin, being very careful not to let the syrup spill on anyone, it is extremely hot.
  6. After all the syrup has been added, cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel (to keep you and your kitchen clean!) and increase the speed to high.  The towel can be removed once the mixture begins to thicken.
  7. Whip for about 10 minutes.  No excuses.  Set a timer and don’t turn the mixer off until the timer says so.  You will have a beautiful bowl of white fluffy goodness.
  8. Remove the whisk and scrape off as much of the marshmallow as you can.  Use a spatula to scoop the marshmallow, which will be incredibly sticky, into the 9×13 pan lined with your peppermint patties.  Try to spread it as smoothly as possible without moving the patties too much.  Spray your hands with cooking oil and flatten and smooth the top of the marshmallow as much as possible.
  9. Leave it alone now for 6-24 hours, uncovered.  Away from toddler hands.
  10. Whisk the powdered sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
  11. Sprinkle the top of the marshmallows with some of the powdered sugar mixture. Turn the pan over onto your work surface or large cutting board.  This may require some coaxing from an offset spatula.  The patties will stick somewhat, so be careful not to lose a chunk by being too rough in removing the marshmallow block.  Once it is removed, sprinkle more powdered sugar onto the other side of the marshmallows, the peppermint patty side.
  12. Use a pizza wheel, knife or cookie cutters to cut the marshmallows.  Wet your utensil of choice between cuts to keep the marshmallow from sticking.  (If you use cookie cutters, make sure they’re large and not too intricate.  I tried a small frilly snowflake cutter with less than stellar results.  The heart cutter was easier.  Squares are easiest!
  13. After cutting, toss the marshmallows in the powdered sugar and place on a platter, cookie sheet or in the container you plan to keep them.  Repeat with the remaining marshmallows.
  14. Keep marshmallows in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

 

 

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