Grandma Inez's Swedish Gingersnaps

My Grandmama has made these Swedish Gingersnaps since I was a little girl. She got the recipe from her mother (Inez) so it is pretty old.

I can still remember the smell in Grandma's kitchen when she made Gingersnaps. Traditionally they are only made for Christmas so it was quite a treat when it was finally time to make them. Plus it meant that Santa was coming soon. I remember the scent of ginger and cinnamon filling her kitchen and wafting through the rest of the house. i remember the feeling when you eat the very first Gingersnap if the year, fresh from the oven. How you almost, but not quite burned your tongue and how it was totally worth it. i remember how you waited until Grandma turned her back or went to the doorstep to let the baking trays cool, then you'd quickly snatch another one, and another and yet another. And of course she knew exactly what was going on.

This recipe works best to make small Gingersnaps from, hearts and stars etc. If you want to make big cookies you need another dough. This breaks easily if the cookies become too big.

Grandma Inez's Swedish Gingersnaps

200 g molasses (not quite a cup)
200 g butter
200 g caster sugar (almost a cup)
2 egg yolks
1 tbs dried, ground ginger
2 tbs ground cinnamon
1 tbs bicarbonate
600 g wheat flour (Leave enough so you can roll out the cookies)

Heat molasses, butter and sugar in a pan, but do not let it boil. Leave to cool before mixing in the egg yolks, spices, bicarbonate and flour.

Let the dough set in the fridge over night.

It is best to work on only a part of the dough at a time, and leave the rest in the fridge. Roll out the dough ans thinly as you can. It should only be a few millimeters thick. Mark off cookies with cookie cutters in different shapes. Traditionally yo uuse hearts, stars, pine trees, men and women, but today a wide range of shapes are available. We have a dolphin and I found a bat that I will buy for this year.

Place the cookies directly on the baking tray or use a cookie sheet. Try to bake a few cookies first, if they "float" you should add more flour.

Let the trays cool before new cookies are placed on them, that way they come out smooth. If you dont they form bubbles which doesn't look very nice.