Cookies of Scandinavian Days:

Puyallup WA. October 6 and 7, 2001

Spritz:

1 cup Butter (no margarine)

This is a versatile cookie dough that can be formed with a press or shaped as desired.

Bake at: 400º 6 to 9 minutes until just set. Do not overbake.

Hints for Spritz:

Test dough for proper consistency before adding all the flour.---put a small amount in the cookie press and squeeze out. The dough should be soft and pliable, not crumbly. If the dough seems to stiff and an additional egg yolk, if too thin add a small amount (1-3 Tbs.) of flour. If the dough is of the right consistency it will not be necessary to exert force on either the press or handle.

For best results use dough as soon as possible after preparation and do not refrigerate.

Be sure your baking sheet is cool before pressing.

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1/3 cup chopped, blanched, Almonds

Cream butter and Sugar. Blend in flour. Press 1/6 inch thick into small (1 ½ inch) tart molds. Bake at 375º for 10 minutes. While still hot and ½ tsp. Almond filling and bake an additional 10-15 min.

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Berliner Kranser Recipe 1
 

Hint: If the wreaths do not hold their shape, chill them again before applying egg white and sugar. 

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Sandbakkelse…Recipe 1
 

Cream butter and sugar. When light and fluffy beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in flour and vanilla.

Spread batter evenly on the pan, sprinkle top with almonds and currents.

Bake at 375 º for 20 to 25 minutes, until the surface is golden brown. With a sharp knife cut into small triangles.

Hints: These can be made ahead and frozen until ready for use.

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Sirupsnipper
 
 

Spread in strips, approximately 3 x 10 inches on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake undisturbed at 425º for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350º and bake an additional 15 minutes. Under baked pastry will fall, so be sure they are thoroughly done.

Frost loaves with:

1 cup Powdered Sugar

Cut loaves into 1 inch slices.

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2 1/2 cups finely ground blanched almonds

1 cup Powdered sugar

Kransekake: Hints from various sources:

Grind the almonds. Do NOT use a food processor, as this will result in the mixture being short and unworkable. Set the oven to about (400 F).

Mix ground almonds, icing sugar and flour. Work in the egg whites in stages. The mixture must be firm, but not dry. Roll the mixture to finger thick lengths on a icing sugar dusted board to prevent sticking, and place in ring moulds. Make sure that they are not too thick. During baking they will swell somewhat and if they are too thick, they can flow together. If using a piping bag, choose a hole or a star which is not larger than 12 mm across.

Press the ends of the length thoroughly together when making the rings, or they will open during baking. Put the moulds on a baking tray, and bake in the middle of the oven for 10 - 12 minutes. Cool rapidly.

As soon as the rings are partly cooled, tip out of moulds.

Mix icing sugar, egg whites and vinegar to a thick mixture, and pipe this onto rings in thin line, zigzag pattern. Pile the rings on top of another when icing is dry. The rings can be fixed together with a few drops of caramel made by melting sugar in a dry pan and lightly browning.

Kransekake should be kept in a airtight tin. Put a fresh crust of bread or a peeled potato in the tin a couple of days before the cake is to be served. This will give it the right "chewy" texture. Can be deep frozen.

When baking do not fill all 3 sections of the mold at once, as they may swell and cook together. Use the outer and inner sections, then the middle.

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Hint. A small knitting needle works well as a turner.

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Serve hot or cold with butter and sugar, Lingonberry jam or goat cheese.

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Krumkake (Wafer Cones)
 

Hints for Krumkake:

There are 3 basic types of Krumkake irons. Cast Iron or Aluminum that set in a ring on an electric or gas stove, and an electric model that bakes one or two cones. I prefer to use a very old cast iron one that I acquired several years ago, but many prefer the ease of cooking two at a time in the electric iron. The following are general guidelines that apply to whichever type of iron you choose to purchase.

For each baking period the iron should be heated and slightly greased. After this initial greasing no more should be required.

The dough needs a preliminary testing as it is quite variable, depending on many factors. Test by cooking about a teaspoonful in hot iron, the dough should spread evenly over the iron when closed, but not run out. If the batter is too thin add a small amount of flour.

Cook each Krumkake until just lightly browned. If you are using a stovetop iron, this will have to be turned for even baking.

Immediately upon removal from the iron roll the Krumkake on a wooden cone. It is a good idea to have two of these so the Krumkake may cool sufficiently before removal.

“Lacey” Krumkake are usually the result of incorrect temperature settings.

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Hint, Do not dip iron too deeply into batter.

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Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and continue beating. Add lemon extract. Blend in flour and baking powder.

Reserve about 1 cup to make a lattice tops.  Press the remaining dough into the bottom and up the sides of 3 8 inch round cake pans, this should be ¼ inch or less in thickness. Set aside:

Filling for 3 cakes:

4 ½ cups ground Almonds

Pour into 3 shells.

Roll remaining dough, as for piecrust, to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut ½ inch wide strips with a fluted pastry cutter and form lattice on top of cakes, and around perimeter of the pan. Glaze lattice with beaten egg white.

Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and remove from pans.

Hints: For best results use pans with ‘cutter’ for easy removal. May be tightly wrapped and frozen for later use.

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1 pound butter

Beat eggs slightly. Gradually add sugar then Karo syrup. Add cream mixture. Mix in ½ the flour, soda, salt and cardamom. Add more flour to make a stiff dough. Roll ¼ cupful to approx. 11 inches in diameter and fry on 350º lefse iron. Trim to 10” rounds and spread one lefse with filling and cover with another lefse.

Hint: Cover board with pastry cloth, and use stockinet on rolling pin. If dough is too sticky more flour may be added.

Note: This is a soft lefse, not the hard variety that is sometimes associated with Hardanger Lefse.

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Lefse Hints:

Apply flour to rolling pin and pastry cloth. Roll dough until very thin. (If you have trouble picking the lefse up, roll it onto the turning stick. Then roll it back off when you place it onto the grill.)

Stack finished lefses between two cloth towels to cool. It is important to cool the lefses between towels to keep them from drying out. When complete, re-stack the lefses once or twice to remove some of the moisture to keep them from getting soggy

Never use products containing grease on an Aluminum finish Lefse Grill if you want to use it for lefse again. The grease will destroy the seasoning that has built up on the grill and make it impossible to prevent the lefse from sticking. If you for some reason have a ‘sticky spot’ on your grill take a small piece of steel wool and go in a circular motion around the surface of the grill (following the original sanding marks). Once you feel you have the sticky spot removed, rub flour onto the surface of the grill, just like when it was new.

Dough is much easier to roll if still a bit chilled

Potatoes should be done a day ahead and refrigerated. Dough must be rolled soon after mixing.