Krumkaker, a Nordic Christmas Treat

Krumkaker are on every Norwegian Christmas dessert table

Christmas in any country sees a wonderful array of exciting cakes and cookies, and Norway is no exception. Christmas is a time to bake treats that are saved for that special time of year and krumkaker are a light, crispy and delicious cookie that takes a little effort to make but is well worth the trouble.

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To make krumkaker you will need a krumkaker iron (a bit like a waffle iron, but much thinner), and a special conical wooden shaper called krumkaker pinner. The iron gives the characteristic pattern on the cookie. Alternatives could be a pizelle maker, or any other griddle that heats on both sides so that the cookie is pressed as it cooks. You would also need a rolling pin to wrap your krumkaker around.

The effort of making krumkaker is worth the rewards

Krumkaker

Ingredients

4 eggs

250g / 9 oz sugar

200g / 8 oz plain flour

50g / 2 oz potato flour. If you can't get potato flour you can use cornflour (cornstarch)

250g / 9 oz butter, melted

100ml / 3.5 fl oz water

Method

Melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly. Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat together until light and slightly fluffy. Sift in the flour and add it to the egg and sugar mix alternately with the butter. Fold it in carefully to keep the batter lighter. Add the water and fold into the batter.

Allow the batter to rest for a short time whilst you heat the krumkaker iron. Once hot, cook a spoonful of batter at a time. I find the best way is to spoon it into the middle of the iron and close the lid quickly. The weight from the lid will press it out in a round. The krumkaker are cooked after just a couple of minutes and must be quickly removed and curled around the pinner. Then they can finish cooling on a wire rack.

Krumkaker keep well in an airtight box.

Krumkaker are delicious filled with cream

Krumkaker are delicious served just as they are as a cookie. But they are even more delicious filled with whipped cream and fruit. In Norway, it is traditional to serve them with multe (cloudberries), or raspberries.

I tell my kids that the only correct way to eat krumkaker is outside! With 3 kids in the house, that seems like the only way to avoid a big pile of crumbs.

Vær så god!

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