Swedish Pepparkakor Cookies with a Soft Middle

Set out Granulated Sugar, Orange zested, and Butter softened before you start Swedish Pepparkakor Cookies with a Soft Middle. The batch is written for 96 cookies.

Count on 35 minutes of prep, 8 minutes of cooking, 2 hours of resting, about 2 hours from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

• 1 ½ cups Granulated Sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons Orange zested
• 1 cup Butter softened
• 1 Whole egg
• 2 tablespoons Dark corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon Water
• 3 ¼ cups All-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking soda
• 2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon Ground cloves
• Blanched almonds
• Granulated Sugar for rolling

How the cooking goes

1. Stir the granulated sugar with the orange zest and let stand for at least 15 minutes (or up to overnight) for a more intensely orange flavor.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and spices. Keep it to one side.
3. In the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat well.
4. Add the corn syrup and water, mixing well.
5. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture a spoonful at a time. Allow each addition to almost mix in before adding the next.
6. Chill the dough at least 2 hours.
7. Warm the oven to 375°F conventional or 350°F convection.
8. Lightly flour the countertop and roll dough to ⅛th inch. Sprinkle the dough with granulated sugar and press lightly with the rolling pin to adhere. Cut in desired shapes with a cookie cutter. You used a 3-inch biscuit cutter. Place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with baking paper. Press an almond into the center of each cookie. Chilling the dough again will prevent excessive spreading. You baked mine immediately and they spread quite a bit.
9. Oven-bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are a deep gold. Remove from sheet pan and cool on a wire rack.

After it comes off the heat

Cool the sheet on a rack before the pieces are stacked. A covered tin keeps them for a few days.

If you want another plate from Cookies, open Almond Crescent Cookies Baked Until the Edges Set and Old Fashioned Date Pinwheels for the Dessert Plate.