Christmas gingerbread

Name: Christmas gingerbread (Joulupiparkakut)
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup golden (light corn) syrup; 5 ml/1 tsp grated orange rind; 5 ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon; 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground pepper; 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground ginger; 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground cloves; 5 ml/1 tsp ground cardamom; 10 ml/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda); 10 ml/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda); 100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup double (heavy) cream; 200 g/7 oz/scant 1 cup unsalted (sweet) butter, softened; 100 g/3¾ oz/generous ½ cup caster (superfine) sugar; 1 egg, beaten; 400 g/14 oz/3½ cups plain (all-purpose) flour

Joulupiparkakut

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Food and Cooking of Finland

By Anja Hill

Published 2007

About

This recipe produces a spicy and authentic gingerbread. Ginger is only part of the flavouring, which may include a combination of cinnamon, pepper, cloves and cardamom, lending a complex and interesting taste to the cookies.

Ingredients

100 ml/3½ fl oz/scant ½ cup golden (light corn) syrup
5

Europe
Finland
Germany
Dessert
Vegetarian
Nordic

Method

Put the golden syrup, orange rind, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, cloves and cardamom in a pan and heat gently until warm. Remove from the heat.
Mix the bicarbonate of soda into the cream so that it is evenly distributed. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and whisk together until light and fluffy. Whisk in the warm spiced syrup, the beaten egg and cream mixtu