Swedish-style Pepparkakor

After baking, the flavour of these cookies seems to get even better if aged a little. A week or two in a tightly sealed container at room temperature is what I would recommend.

Preparation time: 40-50 minutes, plus overnight resting. Cooking time: 10-12 minutes, per sheet

Makes: 6-7 dozen cookies (depending on size of cookie cutter)

Place the flour, sugar, baking soda and spices in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and mix well to combine.

Place the butter and molasses in a small pot set over low heat. Mix and stir until the butter is melted and combined with the molasses. Let cool. Add the butter mixture, egg and milk, to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer or by hand. Dough will appear quite wet.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface. Cut dough into quarters. Set one quarter of the dough on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the dough until about 2.5-cm (1-inch) thick. Securely wrap and refrigerate overnight. Repeat steps with the remaining dough.

Preheat oven to 175 C (350 F). Unwrap one of the dough quarters and set on a lightly floured surface. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to 3-mm (1/8inch) thickness. Cut dough with cookie cutters and place on a large parchment paper-lined cookie sheet or two smaller sheets. Gather up the scraps of dough, and roll and cut into cookies as well. Bake in the middle of the oven (one sheet at a time if using two sheets) 10-12 minutes or until set. Repeat these steps with other dough quarters.

Once cooled, transfer cookies to containers.