Swedish Gingersnaps

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups heavy sweet cream
• 2 ½ cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• ¾ cup molasses
• ½ cup dark corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• Grated rind of 1 1/2 lemons
• 1 ½ tablespoons baking soda
• 6 to 7 cups flour, as needed
• Decorative sugar icing (see note)

60 cookies

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2. Butter a large cookie sheet.
3. Whip cream until almost stiff.
4. Combine sugar, molasses, syrup, ginger, lemon rind and baking soda and mix thoroughly. Pour into cream and beat for 10 minutes by hand or four minutes in an electric mixer.
5. Add five cups of flour and blend in thoroughly. Beat in remaining flour gradually until dough is just smooth enough to handle but still soft and pliable.
6. Wrap in waxed paper and chill several hours or overnight.
7. Roll out to one-fourth-inch thickness on a lightly floured board. Cut into fancy shapes, such as animals, boys, girls, stars, hearts and crescents, with cookie cutters about two and a half inches wide, or cut into gingerbread boys or girls in any size.
8. Place on cookie sheet and bake for about 12 minutes, or until evenly golden brown.

• Cooled cookies can be decorated with royal icing, piped through a pastry bag or spread with a spatula. The Greek cookie recipe that follows is a favorite of Leon Lianides, owner of the Coach House, and his wife, Aphrodite.