My kotitonttu.

A kitchen tonttu. A kitchen elf.

He oversees the baking of the pepparkakor.

Pepparkakor

1/2 pound butter

1 1/2 cup white granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

2 large eggs

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 teaspoons ground ginger

3 teaspoons ground clove

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 cups all purpose flour 

Cream together softened butter and sugar. 

Add eggs and syrup. Stir to combine. 

Sift together dry ingredients. 

Add to butter mixture, mix well. 

Wrap dough in wax paper and refrigerate overnight.  

Preheat oven to 375'F. 

Cut off a chunk of the dough, leaving the remainder wrapped in the 'fridge. 

Roll out dough very thinly, using a minimum amount of flour.  

Cut with cookie cutters. 

Bake on a buttered cookie sheet for 4 minutes. 

Cool cookies on a wire rack. 

Store cookies in a covered tin. 

Our traditional cookie shapes: snowflake, tonttu, pig, camel, elephant, heart, boy and girl, mitten, candy-cane, Christmas tree, and stars.