Norwegians typically make seven types of cookies for Christmas (7 slag til jul). Each family will have its own favorites, but there are a few traditional cookies that make it in most people’s seven, including krumkaker, fattigmann, and brune pinner. Brune pinner, or “brown sticks,” are sliced cookies that are…
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Continue ReadingFattigmann, or “poor man’s cookies,” are some of the most nostalgic Norwegian Christmas cookies for me. When I ate the first fattigmann of this batch it instantly felt like Christmas (it also helps that it snowed in Bergen last night!). Fattigmann are made from a simple cookie dough spiced with cardamom,…
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Continue ReadingIf you ask a Dane about classic Danish Christmas cookies, I’m sure they’ll mention brunkager, or “brown cookies,” which are a crispy gingerbread cookie with almonds, spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. They’re sort of like a larger version of pebernødder, except with almonds. Personally my favorite Danish Christmas cookies…
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Continue ReadingChristmas lights are beginning to pop up around Bergen, so this morning I decided I can start Christmas baking! I eased in with a simple Scandinavian classic: Danish pebernødder (peppernøtter in Norwegian and pepparnötter in Swedish). Pebernødder are tiny little ginger snap cookies spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and pepper.…
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Continue ReadingI’ve already shared recipes for most of my favorite Norwegian cakes, including suksessterte, fyrstekake, and the world’s best cake. So of course I also had to share a recipe for Norway’s favorite celebratory cake, kransekake, which you’ll see at Christmas, Norwegian weddings, and other celebrations. Kransekake, or “wreath cake,” is…
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Continue ReadingI’ve mentioned before that my friends gather every Tuesday for a TV night, and it’s always the perfect opportunity for me to test new recipes, especially because one of my friends is half Swedish, so she not only grew up with Norwegian baking like the rest of us, but also…
