Rising up I spent most of my Christmases in Norway, however even once we stayed within the US for Christmas my Norwegian mom in fact had us baking a lot of Norwegian Christmas cookies. So I assume which means I’m biased, however I actually do suppose Norway has a few of the finest Christmas cookies on the earth.
Historically Norwegians make seven sorts of cookies every Christmas, and if that appears like plenty of work, it’s.
However the enjoyable half is that each household chooses which seven they wish to bake, so then once we alternate with mates and colleagues we are able to find yourself with thirty totally different sorts of cookies! It’s okay, we want a little bit of fats on our bones to outlive these chilly temperatures.
Which means through the years I’ve carried out a lot of analysis into the perfect Norwegian Christmas cookies. And primarily based on all that analysis, listed here are my seven Norwegian Christmas cookies – with recipes, since you’re positively going to wish to make these this Christmas:
And don’t overlook to get some festive cookie tins to retailer your Norwegian Christmas cookies in!
Sandnøtter | Sand cookies
Sandnøtter, or sand cookies, are a easy shortbread cookie, however they’re truly my favourite Norwegian Christmas cookie! Although I keep in mind my Aunt Hege making a bunch of various Norwegian Christmas cookies for her American mates within the US one yr and saying that the sandnøtter have been the least favourite amongst her mates, so possibly they don’t attraction to everybody? I nonetheless suppose they’re the perfect.
Serinakaker are the same Norwegian Christmas cookie, normally topped with almonds, in addition to vaniljekranser (vanilla wreath cookies), that are made with a mixture of all goal and almond flour. However my favourite of the bunch are sandnøtter.
There are plenty of barely totally different variations of sandnøtter, however the perfect are with lemon zest! I tailored this sandnøtter recipe (it’s the third recipe on the web page), which is sweet and lemony. It’s in Norwegian, however I’ve shared my adaptation in English on my Norwegian meals weblog right here. The recipe additionally features a video, so you’ll be able to see precisely how I make them.
These Norwegian sandnøtter are made with potato starch, so in addition they occur to be gluten free Christmas cookies!
Risboller | Chocolate puffed rice balls
I made a decision to make risboller this yr for the primary time in a very long time. My Aunt Hege all the time makes these, and as a baby they have been my favourite Norwegian Christmas cookies. They’re no bake Christmas cookies, which additionally makes them nice Christmas cookies to make with youngsters!
Most Norwegian recipes for risboller embody uncooked eggs, however since plenty of you’re American and uncooked eggs usually are not all the time fit for human consumption within the US, I created a model of risboller with out eggs. And I truly suppose that is my favourite risboller recipe now! They’re really easy to make, however they style fairly distinctive and all the time get so many compliments.
I’ve shared my risboller recipe with out egg, together with a video, on my Scandinavian meals weblog right here.
Mandelflarn | Almond lace cookies
My grandmother all the time included mandelflarn, or almond lace cookies, in her Christmas cookie bins, and they’re so scrumptious. I made a decision to make them this yr although I keep in mind them being actually tough. But it surely seems they’re tremendous simple – the one tough half is shaping them into cylinders, which my grandmother all the time insisted on, however I generally skip that step and benefit from the flat cookies simply as a lot.
I used this mandelflarn recipe in Norwegian. Be sure you solely use a small teaspoon of dough per cookie, and provides them a lot of area on the baking sheet to unfold out. Oh and keep watch over them within the oven, as they burn rapidly. The recipe stated to bake for seven minutes, however mine have been carried out in 5!
I’ve translated the recipe to English and filmed an tutorial video of methods to make them on my Scandinavian meals weblog right here.
Krumkaker
Norwegian krumkaker (the plural of krumkake is krumkaker) are so scrumptious, and really loads simpler to make than you would possibly anticipate.
You’ll need a particular krumkake iron and picket curler for these, which I agree will not be preferrred if you happen to’re quick on storage, as krumkake irons can actually solely be used to make krumkaker. However the excellent news is that krumkaker are so tasty you may completely make them yr spherical to actually get your iron’s value.
My mother likes to type krumkaker into little cups by cooling them over a glass or cup after which she serves them with a scoop of ice cream inside! They’ve a lovely sample stamped into them from the iron, making for a fairly distinctive and really Norwegian dessert.
I’ve shared my krumkaker recipe, together with a useful video, on my Scandinavian meals weblog right here.
Sarah Bernhardt cookies
Sarah Bernardt cookies are technically Danish, and named after a French actress, however they’re beloved in Christmas cookie bins right here in Norway.
These are one in all my absolute favourite Christmas cookies and nicely well worth the a number of steps within the recipe.
I’ve shared my Sarah Bernhardt cookie recipe together with a video on my Norwegian meals weblog right here.
I’ve additionally shared a recipe for another model of Sarah Bernhardt cookies with yellow cream (they’re SO good) right here, if you happen to choose a barely salty quite than chocolate heart. They’re like mini, chocolate lined success desserts.
Fattigmann | Poor man’s cookies
I’m not normally a fan of fried sweets, however fattigmann are so nostalgic I’ve to make them each Christmas. These date again to the Center Ages and since they’re cooked on a range, individuals with out ovens might make them. They’re referred to as poor man’s cookies as a result of they’re made with traditionally costly components like butter, flour, and cream, so after making them you’ll be poor. I assume they’re additionally a metaphor for Christmas.
I’ve shared my fattigmann recipe in English and filmed an tutorial video of methods to make them on my Scandinavian meals weblog right here.
Smultringer
Smultringer are mainly an additional scrumptious quaint donut.
Smultringer are conventional Norwegian donuts spiced with cardamom. I don’t know if it’s the cardamom or their being home made, however I’ve all the time cherished smultringer. They’re particularly in style in Norway round Christmas, however I’ll fortunately eat them any time of yr.
I’ve shared my smultringer recipe in English together with an tutorial video right here.
Bonus: Kransekake
Kransekake, or “wreath cake,” is product of 18 almond rings stacked on prime of one another. I assume it’s thought-about a cake, however actually it’s extra like a bunch of almond cookies, so I’m together with it as a bonus on this checklist. Norwegians make kransekake for numerous celebrations all year long, together with Christmas, New 12 months’s Eve, weddings, and the seventeenth of Might.
You’ll find my kransekake recipe right here.
Bonus 2: Vepsebol
I had by no means had vepsebol earlier than, however final yr my buddy Vanessa determined to make them for our Christmas collectively they usually have been so good that I’m together with them as one other bonus cookie so as to add to my Christmas seven (or eight).
One factor I realized about these final yr is that you really want an electrical mixer for these as a result of wow, beating meringue will not be simple. At the least after that exercise I used to be sturdy sufficient to hold my Christmas tree downstairs in January.
Vanessa used this vepsebol recipe, however she made them with a mix of almonds and hazelnuts, which was additional scrumptious. We couldn’t get the eggs fairly stiff sufficient whereas beating by hand, so we baked them in cupcake types so they’d preserve their form.
Norwegian vepsebol Christmas cookies recipe
- whites of two eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar
- 125 grams (beneficiant 1/2 cup) superfine sugar (common granulated can be okay)
- 125 grams (3/4 cup) darkish chocolate, chopped
- 125 grams (3/4 cup) almonds, finely chopped (may also use half almonds and half hazelnuts)
1. Preheat oven to 170°C sizzling air (340°F).
2. Whisk the egg whites till thick in a bowl. It’s finest to make use of a glass or metallic bowl, as a result of a plastic bowl might have small residues of oil which might make it tough to get the egg whites stiff sufficient.
3. Combine the vanilla sugar and sugar, and steadily add them to the egg whites, whereas whipping at medium pace. Proceed beating the egg whites till you’ve gotten a stiff and shiny meringue.
4. Fastidiously fold the almonds and chocolate into the meringue utilizing a spatula. Make sure to not stir greater than needed.
5. Unfold small peaks of meringue on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
6. Bake for 18 minutes. Watch out to not over bake, because the meringue will harden. Cool on a rack. Retailer in a cookie tin.
Does your loved ones make seven Norwegian cookies for Christmas? I’d like to know which of them!
