Berlinerkranser

When I make cookies for the holidays, they are often new recipes that I have never tried before. I think about the main categories of flavors (like mint, eggnog, spiced) but then I give myself the flexibility to find recipes that look interesting to me that still fall into holiday flavor categories. This cookie is one that I actually have made before, but it was a different recipe and many, many years ago.

When I started baking, I didn’t have as many recipe choices as I do now. I had some cookie cookbook that included these Norwegian Christmas Cookies, and they looked interesting. I made them, and when I served them, my uncle said that they were a cookie he’d had growing up but hadn’t had them in years. The recipe has changed over time, as the accessibility of ingredients differs. When I first made these, the only topping I could come up with was to crush sugar cubes. Now I am able to find pearl sugar at the store.

This dough is simple but does require the super unusual ingredient of hard boiled egg yolks. I have the worst luck peeling hard boiled eggs, so I did buy ones that were cooked (and I needed some others for a different recipe). I made the dough, let it chill and I ended up dividing the dough into 15 pieces. In shaping the dough, this made for big, hefty cookies, which cracked a little when shaping. Thankfully that is easy to fix, and next time I may make them smaller, but still shape them into a 7” log. They bake nicely, and there are a very different choice for a holiday cookie plate!

Berlinerkranser (Norwegian Wreath Cookies)
2 hard-boiled egg yolks
2 (raw) egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup butter, room temperature

2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Pearl sugar    

In a medium mixer bowl, mash the hard-boiled egg yolks with a fork. Add the raw egg yolks and sugar and mix on medium until light. Alternate adding the flour and butter, starting and ending with the flour. The dough will be soft; be careful not to overwork the dough.

Chill the dough for one hour.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Shape the dough into balls, then into a rope about 6-7” long. Twist the dough into a wreath shape, crossing the ends of the dough. Brush each cookie with beaten egg white and then sprinkle with pearl sugar.

Bake for 10 minutes, until slightly browned on the bottom and set on top. Cool completely.

Recipe from Adamant Kitchen