Norwegian Butter Cookies History Food

NORWEGIAN BUTTER COOKIES (SERINAKAKER)

Steps:

• Mix the dry ingredients including flour, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar baking powder, and salt.
• Chop the cold butter into cubes and add it to the dry ingredients. Crumble the mixture with your hands (or a stand mixer) until it forms small crumbs, like coarse sand.
• Beat the egg in a separate bowl for about 30 seconds, and then add it to the butter/flour mixture. Mix until the dough comes together, but don't overwork.
• Roll the dough into a log, wrap and place in the fridge for about an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Remove from the refrigerator, slice off small sections of dough and roll them into small balls in your hands (about 1 1/4 inches in diameter).
• Place the dough balls on a prepared cookie sheet and flatten with a fork, the bottom of a glass or your palm.
• Brush with egg white and sprinkle pearl sugar or slivered almonds on top.
• Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes, until the bottom is very slightly brown. Do not over bake.
• Remove from the oven and cool completely before storing.

NORWEGIAN BUTTER COOKIES (SERINAKAKER)

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, mix together softened butter (1.5 cups), baking powder (1/2 teaspoon), kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon), and flour (4 cups) with an electric hand mixer until well blended and the texture resembles coarse sand.
• Add the sugar (1.5 cups) and mix until well combined.
• Add the vanilla extract (2 teaspoons) and almond extract (1/2 teaspoon) and two of the eggs, then mix until well combined.
• Using a small cookie scoop, measure out equal portions of the dough and roll into balls. Place on baking sheet and, using your thumb, press on the center of each ball to create a small indentation (if you find that the dough is too sticky, keep a small bowl of water next to you to dip your thumb into every so often).
• Beat remaining egg in a small bowl and brush the tops and sides of each indented cookie with the egg. Sprinkle with the almonds.
• Bake for 16 minutes, or until cookies are only JUST beginning to brown.

NORWEGIAN BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a baking/cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl sift together flour with baking powder and salt.
• In another bowl beat butter with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, vanilla and almond extract until fluffy (about 3 minutes).
• Add in egg and beat until combined.
• Add in the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined.
• Form the dough into 1-1/2-inch balls.
• Place the balls about 3-inches apart on the cookie sheet.
• Using back of a fork flatten to about 1/2 to 1/2-inch thick making criss-cross patterns.
• Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
• Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• When the cookies are cooled coat lightly in confectioners sugar if desired.

NORWEGIAN BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt together. Add the butter and rub in with your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in all the icing sugar and the vanilla sugar, then add the whole egg and mix until just combined, but be careful not to overmix.
• Transfer the dough to a food bag and put in the fridge to chill for about 1 hr.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll the chilled dough into about 40 even balls (around 15g each). Arrange the dough balls over two baking sheets lined with baking parchment, leaving space between each for spreading. Using the back of a fork, press the balls down gently in the middle, so they spread to a diameter of about 3cm (they will spread more as they bake). If you prefer flat cookies, use the bottom of a glass.
• Brush the cookies with the beaten egg white and sprinkle over the pearl sugar or almonds. Bake for 10 mins, or until just cooked through (the cookies should not be fully browned, just lightly golden at the edges). Remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

NORWEGIAN BUTTER COOKIES (SPRITZ)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F In a large bowl cream the butter, beat in the sugar, a little at a time, the vanilla, and the almond extract, and beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy.
• Add the egg and combine the mixture well.
• Add the flour mixture and combine the dough well.
• Form the dough into walnut-size balls and arrange the balls 3 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Either flatten with the bottom of a glass or take a fork and using the back flatten the balls to approximately 1/2 inch to 1/3 inch thick, making a crosshatch design (like you see on peanut butter cookies). Sprinkle with colored sugar.
• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are barely golden around the edges, and transfer them with a spatula to racks to cool. Store the cookies in airtight containers.

NORWEGIAN BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Beat together butter, sugar, and extracts in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderately high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and beat well. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined.
• Quarter dough and put 1 piece into cookie press. Holding press slightly above ungreased baking sheets, squeeze out dough to form cookies (follow manufacturer's instructions), spacing them about 3 inches apart. Form more cookies with remaining dough in same manner.
• Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until edges are golden, 10 to 15 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool.

NORWEGIAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar.
• Add egg and mix well.
• Stir in flour and almond extract.
• Chill dough 1-2 hours.
• Make balls the size of small walnuts.
• Flatten balls on cookie sheet with the bottom of a glass dipped in flour.
• Press a ½ of a cherry onto each cookie.
• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes until edges are light brown.
• Do not over bake.
• You can sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.