Best Norwegian Pfeffernerse Recipes

PFEFFERNUSSE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Stir in dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time. Add almonds, if desired.
• Roll into one inch balls and arrange 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 11 to 14 minutes.
• Cool and store in airtight containers for 3 days to mellow flavors.

FATTIGMANN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat egg and yolks together. Stir in the cream, sugar, melted butter and cardamom. Mix in enough of the flour to make a soft but manageable dough. Handle the dough as little as possible or cookies will be tough.
• Heat oil in deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). On a floured cloth, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 2x2 inch diamond shapes.
• Fry in hot lard until lightly browned. Drain on paper and dust with confectioners' sugar when cool. The cookies should be uniform in size and thickness and shouldn't be fried too dark or too light.

NORWEGIAN ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• In a saucepan over low heat, or in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Stir in the heavy cream. Cook and stir until the mixture is very thick: a few drops dribbled onto the surface should be visible. Remove from heat, and stir in the butter until completely incorporated. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch springform pan.
• In a glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites with an electric mixer until it is able to hold a firm peak. In a separate bowl, stir together the ground almonds, baking powder, and confectioners' sugar. Using a whisk or rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the almond mixture to lighten; fold in the remaining egg whites until well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top of the cake springs back when pressed lightly. Cool cake, then remove from the pan. Spread the glaze on top, and serve.

PFEFFERNUSSE COOKIES

Steps:

• Stir together the molasses, honey, shortening, and margarine in a saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir until creamy. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in the eggs.
• Combine the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, anise, cinnamon, baking soda, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Add the molasses mixture and stir until thoroughly combines. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Roll the dough into acorn-sized balls. Arrange on baking sheets, spacing at least 1 inch apart.
• Bake in preheated oven 10 to 15 minutes. Move to a rack to cool. Dust cooled cookies with confectioners' sugar.

TRADITIONAL PFEFFERNEUSSE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in molasses, anise oil, and egg. Dissolve baking soda in hot water, and stir into the mixture. Combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger and white pepper; blend into the molasses mixture until uniform. Knead for a minute until easy to work with. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, and place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until slightly browned on the bottom. Do not over bake, or they will be very hard. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

KRINGLA II

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together the heavy cream and sour cream. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Let the sour cream mixture come to room temperature. It should take about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, mix the sugar, shortening, and egg yolk together using an electric mixer. Stir the vanilla and baking soda into the sour cream mixture. Stir the sour cream mixture into the bowl with the sugar and shortening until well blended. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter until fully incorporated.
• Place the dough on a well-floured surface, as the dough will be sticky. Use ping pong ball sized pieces of dough, and roll out into an 8 or 9 inch rope. Form into a 'lazy eight' or 'infinity sign', and pinch the ends together. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven, or until slightly brown. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 5 days, or 1 month in the freezer.