Quest

I am on a quest this month; I want to bake European cookies.

I watched Rick Steve's European Christmas the other night on PBS and now I am obsessed with European Christmas food, especially cookies. I think I am stuck on cookies because they seem easier than figgy pudding or some kind of roasted duck with truffle sauce.

I found a recipe for these Swedish cookies called Pepparkakor, which means pepper cookie. No, there is not real pepper in the cookies, just a lot of baking spices. I am not that adventurous! If you want to try your hand at baking these hot little Swedes, here is the link: http://www.christmasiscoming.co.uk/Pepparkakor_recipe.html When I bake them I will let you know how they turn out. I also have a friend who is going to hook me up with an anise cookie source. I'm not sure if these are European but they were really good and seem like they would be.

If you have any good cookie recipes, especially ethnic ones (is that the correct way to say that?) please send them my way. I would love to try them!