Okay, I lied. I found some more Central Park pix on my home computer. But I will post one recipe today, the least favorite one. Look at this park. It's just so amazing. Anyway, even though I am drooling over a newly acquired Hungarian cookies recipe (more on this later) way back in December I decided to do a search for Nordic Christmas cookies. I think the Danish, Swedish and Finnish obviously really know how to do Christmas up. I've always loved that kind of cookie, not too sweet, kind of hard. I really didn't know what to expect when I started searching, but four recipes came up and only one was a stinker. Here it is. But first, another park picture or 50.
Okay - so the problem with this recipe is, well a few problems. Too many ingredients should have been my first tip-off. Fortunately, I have a health food store just down the road which had all the spices in bulk so I paid pennies for them. And then a two (TWO!) week prep time. I only prepped for one week. But the bigger problem was the total unappetizing look of them from start to finish. You have to form three logs and refrigerate them for a week, two is better. It looks like....well, if I may be blunt, it looks like someone took three very large dumps and set them in the fridge. Then, after you slice and bake them, the baking time is very short, so they come out looking underdone but they do harden. That said, they still look pale and tan and...eh. Like aardvark tongues or something. Poop, tongues. These are not images that come to mind when making cookies, unless you're a sociopath.
And...honestly? They didn't taste all that great. I sprinkled powdered sugar on them to reduce the tongue-like appearance, but still. They were only okay, and a lot of work. And I did NOT get baking ammonia - that was used waaaaayyy back before baking soda and powder was invented. I substituted baking powder. But interestingly, baking ammonia used to be made from groundup reindeer antlers, so that's kind of a Christmas tie-in. Those Danes! Hey, maybe even Hamlet (Prince of Denmark) had one of these cookies in his imaginary life. But maybe not. Here's the recipe, I hope you have better luck than I did.
From RecipeZaar
Danish "Brun Kager" Brown Cookies
Traditional Danish Christmas cookie. They have a wonderful spicy flavor that stays with you long after you eat it - It's the taste of Christmas to me. Sometimes it is tricky to slice the cookies, especially if you did not wrap and seal them well, then they tend to crumble. Seal them well and leave them 2 weeks in the fridge and you shouldn't have any trouble. (K here - yeah right)
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking ammonia
1 teaspoon cardamom powdered
1 teaspoon clove
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ginger powdered
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds
Melt the butter, sugar and corn syrup together.
Sift dry ingredients and add to melted mixture.
Form into 2 or 3 rolls, about 2" high, wrap in plastic so the rolls are completely sealed and chill in the refrigerator for at least a week, 2 weeks is better Slice thinly and place on a buttered cookie sheet (Just over a 1/4").
Bake in moderate oven 375f for 5-7 minutes.
No comments:
Post a Comment