Swedish ginger biscuits (Pepparkakor)

Thin biscuits, browned at the edges and crisp once cooled, with a clean snap when bitten. Butter and dark syrup give the dough a fine, dry crumb, scented with cinnamon, ginger and cloves.

Instructions

1. Melt the butter and spices

   Put the butter, sugar, dark syrup, water and spices in a saucepan. Warm gently, stirring until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Leave to cool completely.

2. Make the dough

   Whisk the flour and baking soda together in a bowl. Add the cooled mixture and stir with a spatula only until no dry flour remains and the dough comes together evenly.

3. Chill the dough

   Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 12 hours. The rest firms it up and gives the spices time to infuse the dough.

4. Roll and cut

   Heat the oven to 175°C. Lightly flour the work surface and roll the dough very thin. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment.

5. Bake and cool on a rack

   Bake for 5–7 minutes, until the biscuits are golden. Remove them while the centres are still just a little soft, then cool on a wire rack; they will crisp as they cool.

Chef's tips

• Roll the dough as thinly and evenly as you can; uneven thickness leaves you with burnt edges and a soft centre.
• If the dough warms up and sticks, chill it again before continuing instead of working in extra flour.
• Watch closely at the end: these thin biscuits go from golden to too dark in moments.

Storage

Store the cooled biscuits in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Keep them away from moisture.