Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Pepparkakors

    Woody's T'ai Chi Sifu has certainly gifted us with something special by sharing this lovely and unique recipe, along with the idea of spicing it up to the sublime!
 

   Initially, I wasn't too impressed when I read the baking of the week, but was simply glad it was not a lengthy operation as I went about the business of caring for a sick kitten and putting him in the hospital under observation for fevers both before and after neutering, about which I won't belabor further here.
You all have been so wonderful and generous with your prayers for Star💫, and we thank you!
 
These small Swedish ginger cookies are an elegant gingersnap, and next time I make them I will definitely pair them with goat cheese, and fig jam, as one of us sugggested. Mmmm. For now, however, I have packaged up all but a dozen to take to Star's Feline Vet tomorrow. The only thing time-consuming about them is not to forget they are in the freezer, and if I am smart I will always have some in the freezer since it takes half hour to make them from freezer position. I know that because I baked them this evening, and ruined my dinner by eating first dough, and then baked cookies. 

                                   simple mis en place   (note the Lars Swedish Pearl Sugar for tops of cookies)

Add the spices -- ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, white pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne, together

Molasses mixing into the dry ingredients - I used Brer Rabbit Mild
Now this is where the tasting gets seriously yummy

Since I planned to make the cookies while Star was gone in the hospital, I decided to use the plastic piping and headed for Home Depot. There I met a gentleman who, somewhat mystified, agreed to cut four 3-inch lengths of the PVC. I explained my task of baking the cookies along with twenty other people at the same time all over the world, and that intrigued him, and when I shared the story of our dilemma of Star's illness and that his Feline Vet was trying to figure out what is wrong in the hospital and that these cookies were for that doctor, he really became very pleased to enjoy helping.

    Here are the little pipes. Tamping the three-inch plastic-wrapped sausage into the piping takes a minute, but turns out well. As you can see they are closely wrapped with plastic.

This is a frozen cookie roll just out of its tube.


I didn't find them that easy to cut. I used the Prince serrated 14", and then a bench scraper. There has got to be a better tool for next time. Patricia will have something on her Gear page.

I took pictures of Mr. Lopez, and also larger  pictures of the Swedish sugar that you see in mis en place. I posted it a few days ago somewhere, but all of you got it I think and found your own. Even the Belgian kind.

Tonight I took a picture of the cookies already sprinkled with their sugar, but can't locate that so will add later if it turns up, and the top pic shows how they looked.  90 % to Dr. Norsworthy. Ten percent for the girls at work without whom I couldn't survive!

Thanks for all of your immense patience with this disorganized post and your support of Star. Love you all!!!!!



13 comments:

  1. Joan, your cookies and story are lovely; great post! I'm so happy you used my addition of white pepper for that suddle spiced flavor. HAPPY BAKING!

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    1. Thanks Tony, I really liked that little medley of pepper. Thanks for encouraging words! ; )

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  2. Hi Joan, I hardly find this post disorganized! I totally commiserate about ruining dinner by chomping on a cookie or two or three. Honestly. I should know better by now. Best wishes to Star's quick recovery. My poor Alfie Toller (my dog) has an infected paw and he resigned to wearing that dreadful Elizabethan collar., but it's the only thing that keeps him from chewing on his paw. So it be it then.

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    1. Hi Kim, So sorry about your baby and collar. It is just so sad to see them suffer and not even understand - Hope Alfie is better soon!

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    2. Hi Kim, So sorry about your baby and collar. It is just so sad to see them suffer and not even understand - Hope Alfie is better soon!

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  3. So glad your happy kitty is home again. What a nice thing to share these lovely cookies. I think you're right about keeping a roll of dough in the freezer except I'm not so sure I could trust myself! I loved the dough! This is a great picture of your cookies. Are those orchids?

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  4. Hi Vicki - Yes, Star is happy to be home, I can tell. I have created a monster, however. I fed him water from the bottle top - and now he wants me to stand there with bottle-capsful of water for him to drink. It is really cute, but unfortunately shall remain a parlor trick lol. He is still not and sleepy. Today more lively, thank Heaven! Yes, those are small orchids out of bloom in front of that dining window. They seem to like it there and do put out new leaves but then I add to them with ones in bloom sometimes. Just happen to love orchids and live upstairs, so no patio to grow plants.

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  5. Hi Vicki - Yes, Star is happy to be home, I can tell. I have created a monster, however. I fed him water from the bottle top - and now he wants me to stand there with bottle-capsful of water for him to drink. It is really cute, but unfortunately shall remain a parlor trick lol. He is still not and sleepy. Today more lively, thank Heaven! Yes, those are small orchids out of bloom in front of that dining window. They seem to like it there and do put out new leaves but then I add to them with ones in bloom sometimes. Just happen to love orchids and live upstairs, so no patio to grow plants.

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  6. Hi Joan, love the cookies, love the kitten! Read my post, if you have time, because I mention Brer Rabbit Molasses on my blog! www.artfuloven.com I will be making these again, and perhaps using Tony's white pepper! I missed out on that trick!

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  7. Awesome looking cookies! And your photos are so pretty..the first photo I love it!

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  8. These look like nice cookies, I'm sure your vet enjoyed them. Happy to hear Star is better and being pampered.

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    1. Oh spoiled rotten. Would really like to make these again...

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  9. i love the post...it's reminded me how i have to go to the tool store sometimes to improvize for my baking too...PVC pipes make also a great rolling pin for pie,cookie dough and fondant. It will roll the dough evenly and without creasing it....all and all your cookies looks great.

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