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