.png)
If you like Danish butter cookies you are going to love serinakaker. They are a cookie you see everywhere in Norway towards Christmas. But to my mind you can eat them whenever you want.
Serinakaker are a light buttery cookie with a crumbly texture that are perfect with a coffee or cup of tea for your mid-morning fika.
The recipe we know for serinakaker has been around for at least 200 years. They were first shared in a cookery book in Norway in the 1800s by two cooks called Henrietta Schønberg Erken and Hanna Winsnes and quickly became popular. I do love these old recipes that have a story to tell. It makes cooking with them have such depth and meaning and links us to part of the country's history and culture.
If you are ever in Norway at Christmas time you will see serinakaker as part of the "sju slag kaker" (7 types of cookies) traditionally served at this time of year. Alongside serinakaker will be cookies such as krumkaker, goro, fattigman, smultringer, sandkaker and sirupsnipper. All of which are delicious, but I sometimes feel like the poor serinakaker disappears into the background which is a shame as they are so delicious. And so I think there is no reason at all why they shouldn't be served whenever we feel like it!!!
As you will see it's a delightfully easy recipe that is simply a case of mixing together the ingredients, shaping and baking. It would be a fun cookie to make with kids or grandkids
Serinakaker. Makes about 20 cookies
Ingredients
150g / 5.3 oz butter
250g / 8.8 oz plain, all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (this is powdered sugar that is infused with vanilla. You can use a few drops of vanilla essence instead)
100g / 3.5 oz sugar
1 egg
To finish
Egg white
Pearl sugar or finely chopped almonds (or both if you are feeling extravagant!)
Method
Preheat oven to 175C/345F
Rub the butter into the flour and baking powder until it is like fine breadcrumbs. Mix the sugar with the egg and blend it into the flour. You will need to work it a little to get a nice firm dough.
Take walnut sized balls of the dough and roll into balls. Place them on a baking sheet that has been lined with baking parchment leaving about 1.5 inches between each cookie. Press them down firmly with a fork and paint each cookie with egg white then sprinkle with either pearl sugar or chopped almonds. Bake for 10 minutes or until beginning to lightly brown on the edges.
Cool on a rire rack.
Perfect with a cup of hot chocolate after some time outside.
Vær så god!
If you are not a member of the Living a Nordic Life Facebook group yet, do come over there and join us. We are talking about all things Nordic living and we'd love you to join us.