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Gingerbread I

Gingerbread I (pepperkaker) from Erken 1914: cooked syrup dough with sugar, water, spices (ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, bitter orange peel), baking soda dissolved in cognac, butter, and 1 kg flour; the dough rests overnight, is rolled thin, cut out, and baked in a hot oven.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 566 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Classic gingerbread from the baking chapter of Stor kokebok (1914). The dough is boiled up with syrup and sugar and should rest overnight before rolling out – a method that gives thin, crisp cookies.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Bring to a boil

    Bring the sugar, syrup, and water to a boil.

  2. 2

    Add spices and baking soda

    Stir in the spices and the baking soda that has been dissolved in the cognac.

  3. 3

    Stir over the butter

    Pour it all over the butter and stir until the mixture is cold and smooth.

  4. 4

    Knead in the flour

    Work in the flour to a smooth dough and let it stand cold overnight.

  5. 5

    Roll and cut out

    Roll the dough out thin and cut out round cookies with a cutter or a glass.

  6. 6

    Bake

    Place the cookies on a greased sheet and bake them in a hot oven, about 200 °C (390 °F) for 5–8 minutes. Let them cool on the sheet.

Changes from the original

"del." is interpreted as deciliters, bitter orange peel is explained as peel of bitter orange/orange, "washed butter" has been modernized to unsalted butter, and an oven temperature (about 200 °C (390 °F)) has been added. The butter amount has been read as 50 g in the two-column ingredient list.

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Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
1914 (proofread, p. 566) → Modernised~83% of the text changedremovedadded
400 gr. sukker 3/4 del. sirup 1 1/2 del. vand g sukker. 0,75 dl sirup. 1,5 dl vann. 1 teske ingefær ts malt ingefær. 1 — ts revet pomeransskal pomeransskall (kan erstattes med appelsinskall). 1 — kanel ts malt kanel. 1 — nellik ts malt nellik. 1 teske pepper ts malt pepper. 50 gr. g usaltet smør (originalen: utvasket smør). 1 spiseske konjak ss konjakk. 1 kg. hvetemel 000 g hvetemel. 10 gr. natron Sukker, g natron. Gi sukker, sirup og vand gives vann et opkok, tilsættes krydderier oppkok.. Rør inn krydderiene og natronen, opløst natronen som er løst opp i konjak; konjakken.. Hell alt heldes over det utvaskede smør smøret og røres, rør til det blandingen er koldt kald og jevnt. Mel røres i jevn.. Rør inn melet til en jevn deig; denne staar deig og la den stå kaldt natten over. Deigen kjevles tyndt ut, utstikkes over.. Kjevle deigen tynt ut og stikk ut runde kaker med rundt jern utstikker eller glas, lægges paa et glass.. Legg kakene på smurt plate, stekes plate og stek dem i varm ovn. Avkjøles paa ovn, ca. 200 °C i 5–8 minutter. La dem avkjøles på platen.

Note on Modernised

«del.» er tolket som desiliter, pomeransskal er forklart som skall av pomerans/appelsin, «utvasket smør» er modernisert til usaltet smør, og ovnstemperatur (ca. 200 °C) er lagt til. Smørmengden er lest som 50 g i den tospaltede ingredienslisten.

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Frequently asked questions

Why must the dough stand overnight?
The dough should rest cold overnight so the spices and baking soda can act and the dough becomes firmer and easier to roll out thin. That is why the total time is about 14 hours, while the actual work is short.
Which spices are used in this gingerbread recipe?
Ginger, grated bitter orange peel, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper – one teaspoon of each. In addition there is a tablespoon of cognac, in which the baking soda is dissolved.
How are the cookies formed and baked?
The dough is rolled out thin, the cookies are cut out with a round cutter or a glass, placed on a greased sheet, and baked in a hot oven. They cool on the sheet.
What is meant by "washed butter"?
The butter has been washed in cold water to remove salt and buttermilk residue. The hot sugar, syrup, and water mixture is poured over the butter, and everything is stirred until cold and smooth before the flour is mixed in.

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