Aftermath of Christmas

WOW. Those last few days snuck up on me so quick, I didn't get the chance to put up the rest of the cookies I wanted to share - I'm sure that my husband won't complain though. If I'm not baking anymore christmas cookies, then I must be done as he puts it "trying to make him fat". Sure. That was the plan all along, not christmas cheer or tradition - a conspiracy to make you eat your own weight in butter, sugar and almond. Riiiiight. This is what it was really about .....

Yep. It was all about the kiddos, and seeing as this was his first Christmas, and his first spritz cookies .... well. That's what counted in the cooking section to me, anyhow. Sure, my older boy got plenty of his favorites, but he wisely hoarded his in front of my tv with the door closed so no one could take his picture as he scarfed them down.

I'll be back soon with new ... wait, OLD scandinavian recipes again soon. Taking a short break from the cookie explosion that occured here not even a week ago.

Happy Holidays & Blessings in the new year!

Day 9 Christmas Cookies - Sandbakkelser

Sand Cakes are light buttery tarts that can be filled up with berries (lingon is my fave) cream, puddings - use your imagination, or keep them plain. They are delightful that way too!

1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 cups of flour
1 tsp almond flavor
1 Tbs. almond paste

Heat the oven to 375*, and lightly grease your sand bakkel tins.
Mix up the batter as normal - butter & sugar creamed, then in goes the egg, and almond paste & extract, then the flour. The batter should be able to pull away from the bowl just a little bit when you ask it to. With floured fingers, pull off a tablespoon or so of dough, roll it into a ball and press it into the tin's bottom and sides. Do the same with the rest of the tins - just keep in mind different tins hold different amounts of dough.
Put them all on cookie sheets and pop 'em in the oven 10 - 15 min. You'll want to check them at just before 10 minutes and watch them carefully so they don't burn.
Remove from oven and let them cool a little before popping them out of their tins. Wait until they are totally cooled before you try to fill them with anything.

Makes around 30 tarts

Day 8 Christmas Cookies - Norwegian Goro

In contrast to an earlier cookie, we now have Norwegian RICH Man's cakes :D Named so because they contain such rich, expensive ingredients (well, for the time period, mind you) and because they require the use of a really fancy pants iron that was usually custom made for the families - not something my farmer ancestors could afford, but they sure look lovely . They have also been referred to as Norway's most beautiful cookie.

Goro:

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla or almond

1 cup of whipped cream (at stiff peaks)

1 cup melted butter

1 Tbs. brandy (any flavor)

6 - 7 cups flour (start with 6, and if you need it, add the last cup later - you don't want it too stiff)

1 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Beat eggs, sugar & vanilla - fold in the cream & butter. Mix in brandy, sift the dry ingredients and mix into the batter. You want it to be about the same as bread dough.

Roll out the dough to around oh, 1/8 inch thich, cut to fit the goro iron.

NOW, put the dough in place on the HOT iron one at a time. It kind of works like a waffle iron at this point - an old fashioned waffle iron that needs to be flipped over. Do that. The whole cooking process should take 3 minutes or so on each side, until they are golden brown. Turn them out onto a cooling rack and cut them apart while they are still warm to keep them from breaking. Keep them in an airtight container, and enjoy!

Day 7 Christmas Cookies - Pepparnotter

Pepper nuts! Pfeffernuesse, Pfeffernussen, Pepperkaker, Pebernoder - it's all the same thing.
Pepper, nutmeg, and cardamom flavor this little treat

This is one of the oldest Christmas cookies in existence! They date back to medieval times when spices were only used for baking - pepper included. Just about every scandinavian country has their own little version of this little cookie, all of them fantastic. This particular recipe is Swedish in origin, cuz that's how I roll. They are hard and crisp, and have a little bite to them.

1/2 pound butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
**almonds or hazelnuts

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (I think all my cookie recipes start like this) Gradually stir in the cream, then sift the dry ingredients together. Add dry slowly into the butter mix. Mix by hand until you have a soft dough that sticks together well. Chill the dough 20 minutes or so and form into small balls. Press a nut into each ball, and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350* for 18- 20 minutes or until firm and browned.
Makes apx. 10 dozen cookies

** Special note*** these cookies are very peppery and spicy when freshly baked. You may want to store them in tupperware for a couple of weeks to mellow before you dive in.

Day 6 Christmas Cookies - Berliner Kranser

The name says Germany, but nein, nein, nein - pure NORWAY here!!!

Simple pretty little hand formed cookies decorated with coarse sugar to make it sparkly :D

Here's the recipe:

2 hard cooked egg yolks

2 raw egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/2 pound butter

2-1/2 cups sifted flour

1 egg white, slightly beaten

pearl sugar, or coarse sugar

Press the hard cooked egg yolks through a wire strainer into a small bowl. Add the raw egg yolks, sugar, and almond - blend.

Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour until fine and crumbly. Add the egg mixture, knead to form a smooth dough. If necessary, chill until it can be handled easily.

Break off small pieces of the dough (about a teaspoon worth) and roll on an unfloured surface to the thickness of a pencil or so, around 6 inches long. Form into a ring, with the ends overlapping just a little.

Dip the wreaths as they are made into the egg white then into the coarse/pearl sugar. Set them an inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350* for apx. 10-12 minutes, until lightly brown at the edges. Cool a little before removing from pan, because they are quite delicate.

Makes around 6 dozen wreaths

Day 5 Christmas Cookies - Finska Pinnar

Doesn't that picture just make you want to get a big ol' glass of milk?
I figured that since I haven't posted up any Finnish cookies, that today was as good a time as any. First, a few things about Christmas & Finland.
Like the other scandinavian countries, the Finns scrub their homes to the floorboards for Christmas, and are sure to feed the some of the wild animals as well as themselves before their Christmas feast. It is tradition to tie up a sheaf of grain, nuts and seeds to a pole in the garden or yard for the birds & little animals to feast on. This is one tradition I personally LOVE.
Dinner is only allowed to start after the animals have feasted, and the first star is visible in the night sky. (And after everyone in the family gets a good sauna & puts on their best clean clothes)
The Christmas tree - generally a fir - is decorated to the hilt with apples, other fruits, candy, paper flags, cotton ornaments and tinsel.
They do not hang stockings, but wait as Santa comes door to door with some of his helper elves to deliver the gifts. By the way, did you know Santa is supposed to live in Finland? Well, that's what the Finns say, anyhow. ;) Who would blame him though? Incredibly beautiful country that it is!!

Anyhow, For the Finns, Finlanders, what ever you may call them, here is today's recipe....

Finska Pinnar (Finnish Fingers)
2-1/2 cups of sifted flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 pound of butter, softened
1 tsp. almond extract
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped blanched almonds
**pearl sugar, crushed loaf sugar, colored sugar, or other sparkly preety sugars (no jimmies)

Combine flour and sugar. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until it's crumbly. Sprinkle the almond extract over the top and knead lightly but well to distribute the flavoring.
Divide dough into 8 parts and with floured hands, roll into long strips the thickness of your little finger. Cut into 2 inch lengths and press the tops a little to flatten it out just a hair.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet, spaced about an inch apart. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle the almonds & fancy sugar on top.
Bake at 350* for 12 to 15 minutes, or until a delicate golden brown.
Remove from pan to cooling rack to cool completely.
Makes approximately 6 dozen finska pinnar. ;)

Day 4 Christmas Cookies - Rosettes

The original 'funnel cake' ... only ... lighter and prettier! Sweet, light, delicate, and traditional - what more could a scandinavian or scandiphile want? Pretty easy to make once you get used to the system, said all the right prayers, danced around the kitchen in the right direction, and had a couple of shots of aquavit to get started.

The dough is really more of a batter that you dip pretty little rosette irons into before you deep fry them, remove them from the iron, and cover in powdered sugar. Traditional and commonly found shapes are generally stars & flowers but you can find some really nifty shapes that are out of the ordinary and fancy too! Nordicware has some great stuff in general, but their selection of rosette irons is out of this world.

Rosettes:

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla or almond

1/4 tsp salt

* vegetable oil or canola oil for frying

***special equipment needed - a rosette iron (obviously), fry pan or deep fryer, skewers or a clean knitting needle, thermometer for the oil, and paper towels***

Whisk together all but the flour & salt, then sift in the flour and salt, mixing until it is a very thin batter, like that for swedish pancakes - think much like heavy cream. Chill for a few hours in the refrigerator - this will make for very crispy rosettes.

Set your fryer for 365 or pour 2-3" of oil in your frying pan, and get it to the same temp. Once the oil is hot, let your iron get to the same temp by submerging it in the oil, and bringing back to temperature.

Say a little prayer to Odin and Freya before you start. ;) This part is a little tricky.

Carefully dip the irons into the batter so that it covers the bottom and sides - NEVER the top!!! Quickly now. Move from the batter to the oil and submerge the entire rosette. Let it cook to a lovely golden brown, just a few minutes.... you'll know you did it right when it flares off the iron - then, you remove it the rest of the way off the iron, give it & yourself a second to celebrate your good fortune, then flip that sucker and let it FRY. When the color is to your liking, remove with the skewers/knitting needles and let drain on paper towels. Dust with powdered sugar.

It's the right thing to do.

Now, try to restrain yourself. Oh, wait - nevermind. Just remember to share.

Day 3 Christmas Cookies - Fattigmans Bakkels

Norwegian Poor Man's cakes are a sweet & simple little pastry that is easy to make, and great while still warm. They are so popular that there are even special pastry wheels just for making this little cookie!

Give them a try! Nothing to them!

Fattigman's Bakkels (Norwegian Poor Man's Cake)

1 egg

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbs melted butter

2Tbs heavy cream

1 Tbs Orange flavored liqueur - Grand Marnier or Triple Sec are both great

2 cups sifted flour

Oil for deep frying

Confectioners sugar

Beat eggs, yolks, sugar & salt until light in color. Stir in butter, cream, & liqueur. Add the flour, blend until smooth - if necessary, add a little more flour to make the dough stiffer.

Roll out a third of the dough at a time on a lightly floured board to around 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 x 1 inch strips with a crinkled edge pastry wheel, cutting the ends diagonally. Make a lengthwise slit in the center of each and pull one end totally through so that the center is twisted.

Fry a few at a time in oil heated to 350*. Fry until a delicate light brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels, and dust with confectioner's sugar.

Makes around 5 dozen.

Because they are fried, they are best when super fresh - so don't bother trying to give them out with the rest of your cookies. These are almost totally a home thing.

Day 2 Christmas Cookies - Pepparkakor

Swedish Ginger Cookies - Think gingerbread, only more intense in flavor, super thin & crunchy & with waaay less decorations. Norwegians make a similar cookie - traditionally they cut theirs into diamonds & put an almond in the middle. Danes do the same, only theirs are rounds. Us Swedes though - we like the fancier prettier decorations. Hearts, stars, scalloped cirles, animals then the edges are piped with a fine line of royal icing in either straight lines, zigzags, loops or dots. I have never seen pepparkakor done with much icing. Always just enough to emphasize the outline of the cookie - but it's just enough, flavor wise. Here is a simple recipe to try.

1/4 pound of butter (softened)

3/4 cup of sugar

1 small egg

1Tb molasses

the juice and grated rind of 1/2 an orange

2-1/2 cups of sifted flour

1 tsp. ginger

1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

Royal icing to decorate.

As with most cookies, cream the butter, sugar - add the egg, molasses & orange juice & grated peel. In a seperate bowl, sift together your dry ingredients, then mix them into the wet. Chill the dough very well. Overnight is best, and I've even left it in the fridge for a few days when I'm really rockin' on cookie making.

Roll out small amounts on a lightly floured board to right around 1/8 of an inch thick - thinner is better!!! Cut into desired shapes & place an inch apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet or a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375* for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown (watch very very close. They go FAST. ) Remove from pans immediately(they will continue to cook on the pan otherwise) and let cool totally on wire racks. When cool, outline each cookie with royal icing, as desired. Makes around 5 dozen.

Day 1 Christmas Cookies - Spritz :D

Christmas is not Christmas at our house without Spritz cookies. We may have others that come and go, others that demand attention, but the one constant every year no matter what, is the Spritz. If you look it up on line, there are tons of variations made by well meaning people, but for most Scandinavians I know - there is only one. Certainly, vanilla is well known, but that is not the classic flavor. I'm talkin' Almond. Nothin' like a good almond spritz. NOTHIN'. I've seen lemon, and even walnut, but no. Those are decievers. Almond is where it's at. Here is my recipe. It kicks the tar out of all others.

Kimi's Buttery Almond Spritz

1cup softened butter

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 egg yolks

3 Tbs. almond paste

1 tsp. almond extract

2-1/4 cup flour

Cream butter, sugar and yolks. Add in and cream the almond paste & extract, work in the flour - but don't mix the tar out of it. Too much mixing will make it tough. Just make sure it's well incorperated. Chill the dough for about an hour, then put it in the cookie press with the die of your choice - family favorites here are : Hearts, trees, wreaths, and bells. Press them onto an ungreased cookie sheet. As you press them out, sprinkle colored sugar on top of them. This is where some folks have gotten lazy and dyed the dough. Don't do that. I cannot type my most disapproving tone here, but believe me, I'm using it. People: don't dye your spritz dough!!! It's a crime against all that is pure and buttery. Just don't do it!

Alrighty. After you've pressed, and sugared, and properly resisted the urge to get lazy & DYE, toss them babies into a 400*F waiting oven. Bake them for 7 - 10 minutes, being sure to pull them when just the edges start to turn a light golden brown (another reason not to dye - they are almost always overbaked when dyed) and remove from pan. They will be a little soft, but they firm up as they cool. Believe me, I've made about a gazillion of these lil' suckers.

Heavenly. Just enjoy them with the fam. Even little ones love their Spritzes. I'll post pics of the little ones cookies in hand once I get done making them. :D