{"id":190,"date":"2017-12-26T16:45:54","date_gmt":"2017-12-26T16:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.heritagecookies.net\/?page_id=190"},"modified":"2017-12-26T17:15:27","modified_gmt":"2017-12-26T17:15:27","slug":"spice-cookies-of-europe-and-america","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.heritagecookies.net\/index.php\/spice-cookies-of-europe-and-america\/","title":{"rendered":"NOTES – Spice Cookies of Europe and America"},"content":{"rendered":"

You could map the peoples of American and Europe by their affinity to particular spices. It\u2019s built into the cultural DNA. The former Vikings (Danes, Swedes and Norwegians) love cardamom for obscure reasons going back to the Middle Ages \u2013 and Cardamom Snaps<\/u> are enough to make you consider moving! Americans in the Northeast somehow formed a unique love for cinnamon that resulted in Snickerdoodles<\/u>. Italians feel as much amore<\/em> toward the licorice flavor in Anisettes<\/u> and Pizzelles<\/u> as they do for the basil in pesto or the tomatoes in a good ragu. It doesn\u2019t stop, and it\u2019s even more powerful with the particular spice blends.<\/p>\n

Find a lady friend from the Czech Republic and give her a sniff of the Pardubice Gingerbread<\/u> mix. Her smile will light up the room. \u201cI know that smell!\u201d<\/em> Same thing with that nice boy from Holland when he gets a whiff of the spice mix we use for Speculaas<\/u>. The peoples of Germany and Scandinavia love gingerbread with enough molasses to bite you back, but did you know the ginger and molasses always get balanced with a blend of orange, cinnamon, and pepper? Read on! Here are some samples of the spice mixes we\u2019ve collected, with the amounts normalized to around 3-4 tablespoons for comparison purposes (individual recipes may use more or less).<\/p>\n

German\/Dutch Spice Cookie Blends<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Germanic speaking regions of Europe (which includes the Swiss, Dutch, and other nations in the general language group) adore spice cookies of many kinds. It\u2019s a cultural characteristic that crosses national borders. Individual cities loudly proclaim their superior blends in the form of competing commercial products sold across the continent. Regional pride definitely trumps nationality on this one! A typical household will buy one brand and then use it for every cookie they make, with the other ingredients adding all the difference. Soft, butter-free Lebkuchen<\/u> accented with honey, molasses, and an array of candied fruit; crunchy, starter-friendly Pfeffernusse<\/u> with their characteristic dome shape, sugar icing, and an extra hit of pepper; moldable Speculaas<\/u> and Spiced Springerle<\/u> with or without nuts, respectively; all are built around a spine of cinnamon with a body of other spices to make something unique. We have accumulated four favorite variations over the years:<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lebkuchen & Pfeffernusse #1, <\/strong>from Germany & the Low Countries<\/strong>
\n (10 tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

3 tsp. cinnamon
\n2 tsp. ginger
\n2 tsp. mustard
\n1 tsp. cardamom
\n1 tsp. cloves
\n1 tsp. mace or nutmeg
\n+ 2 tsp. pepper for Pfeffernusse<\/p>\n

Lebkuchen & Pfeffernusse #2, <\/strong>from Germany & the Low Countries<\/strong>
\n (10 tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

3 tsp. cinnamon
\n2 tsp. cloves
\n1 tsp. mace or nutmeg
\n1 tsp. pepper
\n\u00be tsp. cardamom
\n\u00be tsp. coriander
\n\u00bd tsp. allspice
\n\u00bd tsp. ginger
\n\u00bd tsp. anise (star is preferred)
\n+ 2 tsp. pepper for Pfeffernusse<\/p>\n

Lebkuchen & Pfeffernusse #3, <\/strong>from Germany & the Low Countries<\/strong>
\n (10 tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

2 tsp. allspice
\n2 tsp. cinnamon
\n2 tsp. cloves
\n2 tsp. nutmeg
\n2 tsp. orange or lemon zest
\n+ 2 tsp. pepper for Pfeffernusse<\/p>\n

Speculaas, from Holland<\/strong>
\n (10\u00bc tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

4\u00bd tsp. cinnamon
\n1\u00bd tsp. allspice
\n1\u00bd tsp. cloves
\n1\u00bd tsp. nutmeg
\n\u00be tsp. cardamom
\n\u00be tsp. ginger
\n\u00be tsp. pepper<\/p>\n

Spice Snaps<\/span><\/h2>\n

Please make a mental note here: \u201cI need to add Cardamom Snaps<\/u>, Cinnamon Cookies<\/u>, and Anise Cookies<\/u> to this list\u201d. We\u2019ve omitted all the cookies that feature a particular spice from this list because they \u201cfeature\u201d a given spice rather than working to achieve a balance. Ginger Snaps<\/u> are the exception because they are all about finding a perfect balance between the bite from the molasses and the counterpoint bite from the ginger. The extra spices turn out to be essential:<\/em><\/p>\n

Classic Ginger Snaps, from <\/strong>Northern Europe<\/strong>
\n (8\u00bd tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

6 tsp. ginger
\n2 tsp. cinnamon
\n\u00bd tsp. cardamom
\n+ \u00bc cup molasses<\/p>\n

Fresh Ginger Snaps, from <\/strong>Northern Europe<\/strong>
\n (12\u00bc tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

6 tsp. fresh ginger
\n3 tsp. candied\/crystalized ginger
\n1 tsp. ginger
\n1 tsp. cinnamon
\n1 tsp. clove
\n\u00bc tsp. black pepper
\n\u215b tsp. cayenne (optional)
\n+ \u00bc cup molasses<\/p>\n

Icelandic Spice Mix<\/strong>
\n (8\u00bd tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

3 tsp. cinnamon
\n2 tsp. cloves
\n1\u00bd tsp. dried ginger
\n1 tsp. pepper
\n1 tsp. paprika<\/p>\n

Molasses Gingerbreads<\/span><\/h2>\n

Say the word \u201cGingerbread\u201d to Americans and this is the flavor profile we think of. Again, the form may change from an actual quick bread to a crunchy snap, a chewy cookie, a drop cookie, a molded display cookie, or an all but inedible structural board for building houses, but the basic formula remains the same: molasses, orange, fresh ginger, dried ginger, cinnamon, pepper, and cardamom. Here\u2019s a fun fact. It\u2019s hard to find a gingerbread recipe that doesn\u2019t include fresh ginger, but every author seems to think it\u2019s his or her personal secret ingredient!<\/em><\/p>\n

The drop cookie has a special history we out to mention. We got it from a book by Marcus Samuelsson, one of the great culinary geniuses of our time, who grew up eating this cookie from his Grandmother\u2019s kitchen in Gothenburg, Sweden. Talk about a recommendation!<\/em><\/p>\n

Very Spicy Molasses Gingerbread<\/strong>
\n (17 tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

6 tsp. orange zest
\n4\u00bd tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
\n3 tsp. ginger
\n2 tsp. cinnamon
\n1 tsp. pepper
\n\u00bd tsp. ground cardamom
\n+ \u00be cup molasses<\/p>\n

Regular Molasses Gingerbread<\/strong>
\n (10\u00be tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

4 tsp. orange zest (1 orange)
\n2 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
\n2 tsp. ginger
\n1\u00bd tsp. cinnamon
\n\u00be tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
\n\u00bd tsp. ground cardamom
\n+ \u00be cup molasses<\/p>\n

Ginger Citrus Drop Cookies<\/strong>
\n (3 tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 tsp. ginger
\n\u00bd tsp. cardamom
\n\u00bd tsp. cinnamon
\n\u00bd tsp. pepper
\n\u00bd tsp. cloves
\n+ \u00be cup molasses
\n+ 1 cup finely chopped candied citrus peel<\/p>\n

Honey Gingerbreads and Spice Cookies<\/span><\/h2>\n

Say the word \u201cGingerbread\u201d to people in East-Central Europe and they\u2019ll default to a honey-based cookie instead of one that relies on molasses. The most famous comes from a little Bohemian town called Pardubice (par-du-bitz-eh), with its guild that goes back to medieval times. The Polish version is less subtle but some people actually prefer it. (Kate being Czech, we have to say that with a sniff of regional disdain of course).<\/em><\/p>\n

These regions also make a ton of molasses based cookies but will typically use a blend more like one of those above for that purpose. These formulas are optimized to play with honey. NOTE<\/u>: We almost always add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the Czech and Polish mixes because we like the complexity. We haven\u2019t tried it for Leckerle<\/u>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Honey Pardubice Gingerbread, <\/strong>from Bohemia<\/strong>
\n (12\u00bd tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

6 tsp. ginger
\n2 tsp. cinnamon
\n1 tsp. pepper
\n\u00be tsp. anise (star or seed)
\n\u00be tsp. coriander
\n\u00bd tsp. allspice
\n\u00bd tsp. cardamom
\n\u00bd tsp. cloves
\n\u00bd tsp. nutmeg
\nOPTION: 9 tsp. cocoa powder<\/p>\n

Honey Pierniczki Gingerbread, <\/strong>from Poland<\/strong>
\n (12 tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

6 tsp. ginger
\n3 tsp. pepper
\n2 tsp. cinnamon
\n\u00bd tsp. allspice
\n\u00bd tsp. cardamom
\nOPTION: 9 tsp. cocoa powder<\/p>\n

Leckerli, from Switzerland<\/strong>
\n (9 tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

4 tsp. cinnamon
\n2 tsp. allspice
\n1 tsp. cloves
\n1 tsp. nutmeg
\n1 tsp. pepper<\/p>\n

Spiced Molasses Wafers and Snowflakes<\/span><\/h2>\n

Who would have guessed that wafer cookies require a different spice blend from other molasses-and-ginger cookies? It certainly surprised us! NOTE<\/u>: The \u201cScandinavian\u201d mix here is one that Scott developed on his own based on other cookies from that region. It uses cocoa and coffee flavors to make up for a steep decline in the color and bitterness from a greatly reduced level of molasses.<\/em><\/p>\n

All of these cookies get rolled out wafer thin and usually feature ornate cutouts and other decorations.<\/em><\/p>\n

Snowflakes, from Moravia<\/strong>
\n (9\u00bd tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

3 tsp. cinnamon
\n3 tsp. cloves
\n1 tsp. allspice
\n1 tsp. caraway
\n1 tsp. ginger
\n\u00bd tsp. nutmeg<\/p>\n

Snowflakes, Scandinavian Cocoa<\/strong>
\n (9\u00bd tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

11 tsp. cocoa powder
\n6 tsp. espresso powder
\n1 tsp. cloves
\n\u00bd tsp. cinnamon<\/p>\n

Pepperkakor\/Peppernoten, <\/strong>from Scandinavia
\n(9\u00be tsp.)<\/strong><\/p>\n

3 tsp. orange zest
\n2\u00bc tsp. cinnamon
\n1\u00bd tsp. cloves
\n1\u00bd tsp. cardamom
\n1\u00bd tsp. ginger<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You could map the peoples of American and Europe by their affinity to particular spices. It\u2019s built into the cultural DNA. The former Vikings (Danes, Swedes and Norwegians) love cardamom for obscure reasons going back to the Middle Ages \u2013 and Cardamom Snaps are enough to make you consider moving! Americans in the Northeast somehow … Continue reading “NOTES – Spice Cookies of Europe and America”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-190","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heritagecookies.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heritagecookies.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heritagecookies.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heritagecookies.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heritagecookies.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=190"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.heritagecookies.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":208,"href":"https:\/\/www.heritagecookies.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/190\/revisions\/208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heritagecookies.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}