Kringle cookie from Norway

kringle cookie from Norway

I was envious when my Norwegian friend Gitta told me that her friends in Nordfjordeid  start baking for Christmas in October! But then I realized that there is probably little else to do so far up north in these dark months. Traditionally every Norwegian baker should have filled his or her cookie tins with at least 7 different cookies to share before Christmas. These kringle cookies are often served as one of the traditional Norwegian syv slag – seven sorts. The kringle cookie from Norway can be made into a little wreath or this ∞. I like the ∞ because it symbolizes infinity and I would do anything for a cookie that lasts forever. I will hang my kringler in the big Christmas tree that I managed to drag home and just squeeze through our front door.

Kringle cookie from Norway

for about 30 cookies

ingredients

125 grams soft unsalted butter
175 grams sugar
1 egg
1 vanilla pod
450 grams flour + extra for dusting
2,5 teaspoons baking powder pinch of salt
200- 240 (3/4 – 1 cup) milliliters buttermilk
vanilla sugar or icing sugar for sprinkling

ready to mix

With an electric mixer beat the butter with the sugar for about 5 mins. until light and creamy. Beat in the egg. With a sharp knife split the vanilla pod in two lengthwise. Scrape out the black seeds from the middle. In a bowl mix the flour with the baking powder and the salt. Add the butter mixture and pour in the buttermilk.

soft ball of dough

Knead into a soft dough, cover with cling film and leave to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

shaping the dough

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Take a piece of dough of about 20 grams and roll a rope of about 20 cm/8 inches long. Pick up the dough in the middle and pinch the ends together. Twist in the middle to make and ∞ and put them on a cookie sheet covered with baking paper. Leave about 1 inch room between the cookies to spread.   Bake the kringler until done in about 12. min. They should still be pale and have a cake like consistency. Leave them to cool on the cookie sheet and sprinkle with the vanilla sugar.

This post is also available in: Dutch