Grandmother’s 1940 Gingerbread Spice Mix

Posted on by Ilze

Advent here in Latvia is nothing without gingerbread cookies. The sweet, spicy aroma fills the house, making it feel like Christmas no matter what. The key to achieving those perfectly crisp and melting-in-your-mouth Latvian gingerbread cookies is the spice blend—without it, they’re just not the same.

Everyone else used store-bought gingerbread spice mix, but not my grandmother! Back in the 1940s, she created her own special blend of spices, and it’s this homemade mix that gives the cookies their unique, unforgettable flavor. It’s a cherished family tradition that I’ve proudly carried on, and this year, I decided to take it up a notch—by making 20 times more than usual! 😄

Black pepper in gingerbread cookies!? Yuck! Sorry to “yack your yum,” but it’s not in our family recipe.

Make your gingerbread spice mix before Christmas so you can prepare the dough without stress later on. Bake the cookies whenever you want your house to smell like Christmas magic.

SO, here is the spice mix 🙂

Grandmother's 1940 Gingerbread Spice Mix


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This spice mixture is for about 6-8 cups of flour. It depends on how spicy you want. 

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp whole allspice
  • 1/2 tbsp whole cloves
  • 1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tbsp whole cardamom seeds (from pots)
  • 1/2 tbsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon

How To

Grind the whole spices and mix with the rest. Store in an airtight container like a small glass jar.

Ilze

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