Piparkökur (Icelandic Pepper Cookies)

Disclaimer: This post contains a recipe highlighting a different country or culture.

While I strive for authenticity, I sometimes need to make adjustments to recipes due to ingredient availability.  

 

It’s time for December’s Eat the World and we’re heading to Iceland.  Iceland makes me think of Christmas, because there’s a factoid that surfaces on social media every once in a while claiming that the people of Iceland exchange books, snuggle in, and read on Christmas Eve.  Is it true?  Hard to say, but as a book enthusiast, I’d be all for that.  Except that we go to midnight mass, so after presents, we relax for a bit, then go celebrate the birth of Christ.  Maybe I could read before or after!

Anyhow, since it’s December, I wanted to experience one of Iceland’s traditional Christmas foods.  I really really wanted to make  Laufabrauð (Icelandic Leaf Bread), which looks like an artful flatbread.  The downside is that it is deep fried and I still do not deep fry in my house (though I did borrow an electric deep fryer this fall and had a deep frying extravaganza on my patio - those recipes are coming soon for other blogging events).

Lucky for me, there is an Icelandic Christmas Cookie that looked delicious as well. Piparkökur or  “Pepper Cookies” are similar to a gingerbread or gingersnap cookie with those warm, spicy flavors.  Like a chai, this one includes black pepper, though I almost wish I would have added more, since the flavor was overpowered by the cinnamon and ginger, making the similarity to gingerbread even more pronounced.

These cookies were very tasty and a great addition to the Christmas cookie repertoire.

Eat The World

Iceland

• Laufabraud by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Lummur - Icelandic Oatmeal Pancakes by Sneha's Recipe
• Piparkökur (Icelandic Pepper Cookies) by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Pylsur Ein Með Öllu ('One with Everything' Hot Dog) by Culinary Cam
• Salkjöt og baunir by Pandemonium Noshery

Recipe Note:

-Most recipes for Piparkökur call for golden syrup, which is not readily available in my area.  After some research, I discovered that light corn syrup can be a substitute, but lacks the depth of flavor golden syrup provides.  Molasses can also be used, but is a bit too aggressive.  I decided to split the difference and use a little of each.

Piparkökur (Icelandic Pepper Cookies)

Adapted from Icelandic National League of the United States

10 tablespoons butter, softened

10 tablespoons white sugar (½ cup + 2 tablespoons)

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

3 tablespoons molasses

1 egg

2 cup flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cloves

⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Beat for 2 minutes or until the butter is light and fluffy.  

Add the corn syrup, molasses, and egg, and mix until combined.

Add the flour and all the spices and mix until smooth.

Preheat the oven to350 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Roll the dough out on a liberally floured surface and cut into circles.

Bake for 10 minutes or until firm.  Cool, then store in an airtight container.

Amy Eats the World in...

1. Cuba: Ropa Vieja (Slow Cooker Beef)
2. Ireland: Cheesy Potato Soup with Irish Ale
   
3. Thailand: Chicken Satay
   
4. Kenya: Crunchy N’Dizi (Peanut Crusted Bananas)
   
5. Sweden: Rodbetssallad med Getost (Grated Beet Salad with Goat Cheese)
6. New Zealand: Kiwi Burger 
7. France: Fougasse (Provencal Flatbread)
8. Argentina: Chimichurri Sauce
   
9. Mexico (Halloween Special): Pan de Muerto (Day of the Dead Bread)
10. India: Spiced Golden Milk 
11. Poland: Chrusciki (Angel Wing Cookies)
12. Ethiopia: Buticha (Hummus)
13. England: Wizarding World of Harry Potter Leaky Cauldron-Style Mini Cottage Pie 
    
14. Georgia: Lobiani (Bean-Stuffed Bread)
15. Mexico: Crispy Pork Carnitas
    
16. Cambodia: Loc Lac (Shredded Beef with Lime)
17. Israel: Chicken Albondigas (Chicken Meatballs)
18. Finland: Sima (Lemonade) 
19. Puerto Rico: Arroz con Tocino  (Rice with Bacon)
20. Egypt: Ghorayebah Cookies
    
21. Ukraine: Scuffles (Rohalyky) Cinnamon Crescent Rolls
    
22. Portugal: Bitoque (Steak & Eggs) 
23. Germany (Christmas Special): Lebkuchenherzen (German "Gingerbread" Cookies) 
24. Trinidad & Tobago: Trini Macaroni Pie 
25. Iraq: T'bit (Slow Cooked Chicken & Brown Rice) 
26. Fiji: Fijian Creamy Lentil Soup (Dhal) 
27. Senegal: Cafe Touba (Senegalese Spiced Coffee) 
28. Colombia: Cañón de Cerdo (Colombia-Style Pork Loin Roast) 
29. Soul Food (United States): Oven-Baked Ribs with Cola BBQ Sauce 
30. Bangladesh: Shemai (Sweet Vermicelli Pudding) 
31. The Netherlands: Dutch Farmer’s Cheese Soup (Boerenkaas Soep) 
32. Laos: Khao Piak Sen (Lao Chicken Noodle Soup) 
33. Jamaica: Chicken &  Pumpkin Soup 
34. Vietnam: Vietnamese Chicken Porridge (Chao Ga) 
35. Sudan: Red Lentil Soup (Sudanese Addas) 
36. Luxembourg: Bouchée à la Reine (Vol-au-Vent)
    
37. Uruguay: Pasta Caruso
38. China: Homemade Fortune Cookies
39. Lesotho: Borotho Bread
40. Scotland: Tattie Scones
41. Native American Tribes of North America: Wild Rice, Squash, & Corn Soup
42. Guyana: Butterflaps
43. Greece: Cabbage Roll Rice Bowls
44. Réunion Island: Rougail Z'Andouille
45. Japan: Yoshinoya Beef Bowl (Gyudon)
46. Australia: Fairy Bread
47. Ecuador: Lentil Soup with Rice (Arroz con Menestra de Lentejas)
48. Slovakia: Garlic & Potato Soup (Cesnaková Polievka)
49. Turkey: Simit Bread
50. Dominican Republic: Taco Shepherd’s Pie (Pastelón de Papa)
51. Libya: Macroona Imbakbaka (Libyan Minestrone)
52. Malta: Brodu Tat-Tigiega (Maltese Chicken Soup)
53. Wales: Cawl Cennin (Welsh-Style Leek & Potato Soup)
54. Morocco: Kefta Tagine with Eggs in Tomato Sauce
55. Bermuda: Bermuda Triangle Cocktail
56. Philipines: Pork Siomai
57. Chile: Chilean Beef & Corn Shepherd's Pie (Pastel de Choclo)
58. Slovenia: Slovenian Flatbread (Belokranjska Pogača)
59. Lebanon: Ka’ak (Lebanese Purse Bread)
60. Congo: Moambe Chicken (Congo Poulet Moambe)
61. Guatamala: Fiambre (Guatemalan Salad)
62. Austria: Viennese Kaiser Rolls
63. French Polynesia: Vanilla Bean Lemonade
64. Seychelles: Creole Rice
65. Switzerland: Bündner Gerstensuppe (Swiss Barley Soup)
66. Brazil: Brigadeiro (Brazilian Fudge Balls)
67. Madagascar: Hen`omby Ritra (Malagasy Simmered Beef)
68. Spain: Tortilla Española (Potato Omelette)
69. Afghanistan: Aush (Afghan Noodle Soup)
70. Indonesia: Nasi Goreng with Chicken
71. Denmark: Frikadeller (Danish Meatballs)
72. Oman: Omani Bread (Khubz Ragag)
73. Costa Rica: Costa Rican Garbanzo Bean and Chicken Soup
74. Palestine: Whole Chickpea Hummus (Musabaha)
75. Zimbabwe: Beef Hifiridzi (Beef Short Ribs with Greens)
76. Kiribati: Kiribati Squash Coconut Soup
77. Belize: Pan de Muerto
78. Azerbaijan: Sweet Turmeric Milk Bread (Shirin Chorek)
79. Iceland: Piparkökur (Icelandic Pepper Cookies)