300 g (1 cup + 5 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened and diced
400 g (1¾ cup + 1 Tbsp) granulated sugar
100 ml (1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp) molasses (can sub with ½ maple syrup and ½ agave nectar)
1 Tbsp ground ginger
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp cloves, ground in a pestle and sifted
2 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
1 Tbsp baking soda
200 ml (3/4 cup + 3 Tbsp) water
900 g (7 cups + ¼ cup) all-purpose flour
Instructions
Mix butter with sugar and molasses (or nectar+ syrup), until smooth.
Add ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, cardamom, and baking soda. Mix well and add water and enough flour to form a workable dough. Transfer dough onto a working surface and add the rest of the flour. When the dough becomes smooth and non-sticky, wrap it with plastic film and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
The next day, remove the dough from the fridge.
Heat oven to 400°F (200° C).
Cut a piece of dough and roll it very thinly on a parchment paper sheet. To make the rolling easier, put another piece of parchment paper or plastic film in between the rolling pin and the dough. If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour to it (but not too much!). You could also put the dough back in the fridge for a while until it hardens up again.
Cut out your cookies with your favorite cutters. If you're planning to hang your cookies, make a small hole in the dough piercing it with the end of a straw. Remove dough trimmings around cookies and transfer parchment paper with cookies on baking pan.
Bake for 4-5 minutes (*). Check cookies for even baking, rotating pan if necessary. Remove pan from the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack.
Notes
- (*) Baking time may vary depending on your oven. Keep an eye on the first batch and figure out the right baking time. I recommend cooking one tray at a time. - To decorate my cookies, I used this royal icing recipe and a #2 decorating tip.
Recipe by Very EATalian at https://www.veryeatalian.com/swedish-ginger-cookies/