Swedish Ginger Snaps (Pepparkakor)

This recipe was brought over from Sweden by my great-grandmother, Emma, when she immigrated to the United States in the late 1800s. Emma was known for hosting legendary afternoon fika gatherings, and these ginger snaps were one of the signature cookies she would serve.

I know there are a lot of ginger snap recipes out there but I’m telling you, these cookies are really something special. They are thin, REALLY thin, as many Swedish style ginger snaps are. But instead of being hard and crispy all the way through, these are slightly chewy on the inside with just the right amount of crispness around the edges. These ginger snaps are melt-in-your-mouth buttery and have just the right amount of spice…perfect for an afternoon fika treat.

Secret Weapon: Pastry Flour

The unique texture of these gingersnaps is thanks to the inclusion of pastry flour in the dough. Pastry flour is a very soft, low-protein flour that produces exceptionally tender baked goods (pastry flour has approximately 9 percent protein while all-purpose flour has closer to 11 percent). While pastry flour is not something you might normally stock in your pantry, these cookies are reason enough to pick some up.

In an effort to make your life easier, I tried making these gingersnaps over the weekend with a combination of all-purpose flour and cornstarch, a common substitute for pastry flour. I was really hoping to avoid asking you to buy a specialty flour just for these ginger snaps. While this batch was indeed soft and tender, they did not have that thin, crispy-chewy quality of the original. If you are dying to make these and don’t want to pick up a bag of pastry flour, go ahead and use the all-purpose flour/cornstarch combination. They are still delicious, but they will be slightly thicker and have a more chewy texture throughout than the pastry flour version.

Tips for Ginger Snap Success

• Use pastry flour. The texture of these cookies when made with pastry flour is sublime. It is well worth the investment.
• Chill the dough thoroughly and keep it cold as you roll the cookies. Because pastry flour is so soft, this dough can be sticky and a bit difficult to work with. Make sure your dough is good and cold before you begin rolling it. I like to take just a portion of it from the fridge for rolling, leaving the rest in the refrigerator until I need it. If you find that the dough is becoming too soft to work with, put it back into the fridge or freezer and let if firm up before working with it again.
• Roll small balls of dough, no more than 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter and leave plenty of room between ginger snaps. These cookies spread as they bake and if you don’t start with a small portion of dough, the ginger snaps will run together as they bake. I am usually able to get 5 rows of 4 cookies on each sheet.
• Dip the bottom of your glass in sugar before flattening each cookie. As I said, this dough is sticky and if you don’t have a protective layer of sugar on the bottom of your glass, it will stick to the ginger snap. Also, that outer layer of sugar helps contribute to the delightful texture of the finished product.
• Don’t over bake. The cookies will rise slightly in the oven and then fall becoming flat. This is when they are done. In my oven that takes about 8 minutes per batch.
• Cool the cookies completely before removing them from the pan. This helps them release cleanly without any sticking. If you try to remove them too soon, the ginger snaps have a tendency to stick to the parchment paper.

I really hope you try these ginger snaps. They are truly one of a kind. Please let me know if you do in the comments below!

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