Latvian Pepper Cookies Recipe - Very Easy! - Piparkukas Recepte

Every Christmas homes all around Latvia and indeed the Baltics and Scandinavia make pepper cookies ready for the festive season. They are so easy and fun to make, every one can join in around the table and make it a great family time together.
It's important to remember that pepper cookies are not gingerbread at all despite them often being translated this way. Many recipes like ours don't even include ginger!
Recipe:
330g Butter
100g Dark sugar
100g Dark honey
200g white sugar (or light brown sugar)
900g All purpose flour (adjust when kneeding to suit)
2 teaspoons of baking soda
Spice Mix:
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves (leave out if you don't like)
2 tsp ground cardamons
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground black pepper
Optional extra spices:
Ground ginger
Ground allspice
Christmas in latvian is called Ziemassvētki and is also celebrated by people whose religious belief is not Christianity. Nowadays the customary Ziemassvētki traditions are decorating the Ziemassvētku egle (Christmas tree), Ziemassvētku vecītis (Santa Claus, lit. Old Christmas Man), baking piparkūkas and mandarin scent.
In 2018 we left the UK to come to Gita’s family homestead here in north Latvia, not far from the Estonian border and now we live somewhere nowhere in the middle of a forest in a house built by Gita’s grandfather. We’re videoing our journey and trying to give you some insights into how we’re living here.
You can also find us on Instagram where we post different and more regular updates: / baltichomesteaders

[@BalticHomesteaders]

If you liked this video then you'll love the one where we make bacon buns or Piragi as they're called in Latvian, see it here: ruclips.net/video/3uPWIRJ8qgE/видео.html

[@Jaiven]

Loved this family friendly and informative video. Thank you for clarifying Baltic gingerbread is not as we have in UK/AUS!

[@natalias7748]

Thanks a lot! Cookies from my childhood ❤️

[@brittaapfel8165]

Love your videos!

[@BalticHomesteaders]

Thank you :)

[@littleflower9425]

How many degrees on the oven? How long can you keep them? A Very Blessed Christmas!

[@BalticHomesteaders]

Try 180 for 10 mins, it’s tricky to say because it depends on how thick your cookies are etc

[@Inkenish]

Does the dough have to sit for two weeks? If so, I better get to it. They look delicious.

[@BalticHomesteaders]

The flavours mix together better if you let it ‘brew’ a little (obviously it doesn’t ferment but i ya diss to help). You’ll probably be ok with just a week.

[@mystarling2123]

My parents n grandparents were from Latvia. My grandmother used dark molasses instead of honey. We used all of the spices except pepper. My grandmother used an egg wash over the cookie surface to make them glossy, we never added and frosting or decorations. We made the cookies the same day dough was made.

[@natalias7748]

@@mystarling2123 agreed, better to set dough for a couple of days at least.

[@cynthiafisher9907]

This reminds me of pfeffernusse cookies I made a long time ago. I think they are a little different, though they both use pepper. How to know how much flour to use? Should the dough be very stiff when done kneading? I hope I have time to make these for Christmas.
Thank you for taking the extra time and skill to make beautiful films, I really appreciate it!

[@BalticHomesteaders]

Well the flour is tricky, obviously Gita has made them many times and does it by feel than weight. The thing to remember is when the dough is fresh it’s warm out of the pot and as it cools it will stiffen up but it’s not an exact science and plenty of wiggle room. Let us know how you get on. They don’t need long in the oven about 10/12 mins.

[@maijasedzielarz1165]

Paldies! I was planning on making piparkukas for the first time this year. I will probably use your recipe. In the video, it says baking soda, but in the recipe - baking powder. I am guessing it should be powder, right?

[@BalticHomesteaders]

Actually it’s baking soda we used but baking powder will also work. It’s my ‘English’ brain thinking by using baking powder. Let me know how you get on.

[@natalias7748]

Looks my comment is late a bit)) but better to use backing soda😉

[@maijasedzielarz1165]

@@natalias7748 Yes, this was last year's question. And, I did use baking soda.