Written By Bethany Glosser
I’d like to introduce you to my sweet friend I am so honored to know, Bethany Glosser. We both fellowship at the same church and have started a small homeschool group for our kids. Please welcome her as this is her first post to write on a blog. I’m sure once you get to know her gentle spirit you’ll be just as excited as I am to see more posts written by her. Thanks Bethany, I love ya!!
I love the holidays, especially Christmas. It is a season steeped in traditions, sprinkled with sweet memories, and filled with good things like family, festive music, and, (of course) delicious food.
One of my favorite traditions that I am a part of at home is an annual Christmas cookie exchange. I look forward to it every year. A couple friends and I gather together with recipes and ingredients in hand to spend the day baking, listening to Christmas tunes, and enjoying each others company. At the end of the day, we divide our goodies with one another and each go home with an assortment of Christmas cookies. Well, sadly, the timing didn’t work out for me this year to participate in our little tradition.
Thankfully, this year I had the amazing opportunity to travel to the west coast with my mom and baby girl to visit my mom’s cousins in Washington State. It had been fourteen years since my last visit, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to reconnect with our extended family. Oh, and did I mention that our trip just happened to coincide with a family Christmas cookie exchange?
It was a fantastic trip full of firsts. Ellie’s first plane ride, her first time collapsing asleep in my arms (I know, at 6 1/2 months old you’d think she’d have that down by now!), her first time crawling (It’s more like creeping like an inch worm but it’s still WAY cool!), and my first helicopter ride (cross one off my bucket list!). All of these events were hugely memorable and wonderful to experience. I was truly blessed. And did I mention there were cookies?
The Cookie Exchange, Norske Style
After my mom, baby, and I settled in at our cousin’s house, we got busy baking. For our family cookie exchange we were partnered up with a relative to pick out a couple recipes to prepare and bake together. Fun idea, right?
I was partnered up with cousin Linda and my mom was partnered up with cousin Elaine, our ever-so-gracious hostess, and lucky us we all did our baking together. After brief discussion we landed on biscotti, Rolo turtles, and a traditional Norwegian cookie called Kringla. A soft, fragile cookie with a rich buttery flavor and a hint of sweetness.
They’re a lot like a sugar cookie, but with way less “sugar” and a lot more better-ness. (Yes, I did just make up that word.)
To make, the Kringla ingredients get mixed up. You then take small pieces of dough and roll them into long ropes about 1/2” in diameter and about 6-7” long. Then you make a figure-eight or pretzel shape and bake for about 5 minutes. It’s pretty simple once you get the hang of the rolling and pretzel shaping. And the fruit of your labor is so worth it. It was my first time to make these little gems, and I’m so glad I tried it out.
Kringla – A Traditional Norwegian Cookie
Kringla - a traditional Norwegian cookie. A soft, fragile cookie with a rich buttery flavor and a hint of sweetness.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups sour cream
- 3 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups organic sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Method:
- In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients, set aside.
- In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar.
- Mix in the sour cream and egg yolks.
- A tablespoon at a time, add the dry ingredients until it's all incorporated.
- Cover, and refrigerate the dough overnight.
Once chilled overnight
- Break off a piece of dough to roll into a rope about 14” long and form into figure eight shapes. Bake @ 400F for 5 min. (Do not allow to brown, they will end up being dry and overdone.)
https://www.myhumblekitchen.com/2012/12/a-christmas-tradition-a-cookie-exchange-and-recipe-for-kringla-a-traditional-norwegian-cookie/
©Copyright, A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa
What traditions do you have for the holidays? How do you incorporate your family’s heritage into your holidays? Do you have any traditional cookie favorites? I’d love to hear how you and your family celebrate!
FAQs
The idea is simple: Everyone brings a big batch of (hopefully homemade) cookies and distributes roughly 6 - 12 cookies each to the other attendees. So at the end of the event, you and your guests will each have your own delectable assortment.
What is the tradition of cookies at Christmas? ›
The practice of putting out cookies for Santa began in the 1930s during the Great Depression, when parents were trying to instill a sense of thankfulness in their children. Leaving goodies, perhaps in a sweet cookie jar, continues to be a way of sharing the holiday bounty.
What are the steps for making the Norwegian cookie called a sand Kager? ›
Recipe
- Mix butter and flour until crumbly.
- Add ground almonds, egg, and sugar. Work ingredients together with your hands.
- Let dough rest for an hour in the refrigerator.
- Press into greased sandkake forms. Bake at 350º F for 10-15 minutes.
- Let cookies cool slightly before you remove them from the forms.
The origin of the Kringle is in Scandinavia in the 13th century, and the word itself originates from the word “Kringla,” which means a ring or circle. An interesting fact about this word is that the correct pronunciation is “kring-luh” instead of “kring-el,” which is what most Americans say.
What is the cookie exchange tradition? ›
Cookie exchanges are a century-old tradition in which participants bake dozens of their favorite cookie, then take them to a party where guests trade their cache and wind up with a variety of cookies from everybody else.
What are the rules for a cookie exchange? ›
The Etiquette Of The Cookie Swap
- Remember: It's not a competition. ...
- Coordinate ahead of time. ...
- Make enough for everyone. ...
- Bring something homemade. ...
- Yes, you should still bring a host gift. ...
- Label your cookies for allergens. ...
- Bring cookies and a story. ...
- Hold off on seconds.
The First Christmas Cookies
Those who would like to take credit for the invention of the Christmas cookie will have to arm wrestle the Germans for it. They believe that Weihnachtsplätzchen, a term that refers specifically to cookies and broadly to holiday treats, encompasses the origin of Christmas baking.
Where did the tradition of Christmas cookies begin? ›
By the 16th century Christmas biscuits had become popular across Europe, with Lebkuchen being favoured in Germany and pepparkakor in Sweden, while in Norway krumkake were popular. The earliest examples of Christmas cookies in the United States were brought by the Dutch in the early 17th century.
What country invented cookies? ›
Cookies appear to have their origins in 7th century AD Persia, shortly after the use of sugar became relatively common in the region. They spread to Europe through the Muslim conquest of Spain. By the 14th century, they were common in all levels of society throughout Europe, from royal cuisine to street vendors.
What is the most popular cookie in Norway? ›
Favorite Norwegian Cookie Survey Results
- 74.54% – Krumkaker / Krumkake / Norwegian cone cookies (1,300)
- 4.24% – Fattigmann / Poor man's cookies (74)
- 3.84% – Sandkaker / Sandbakkels (67)
- 3.1% – Rosetter / Rosettes (54)
- 3.1% – Smultringer / Doughnuts (54)
- 2.98% – Kransekake / Almond ring cake (52)
The term syv slag småkaker (seven types of cookies) refers to an old tradition of having seven different kinds of cookies in the tin as the number 7 was thought to bring luck and is an important religious number.
What does krumkake mean in Norwegian? ›
Krumkake (Norwegian: [ˈkrʊ̀mˌkɑːkə], meaning 'curved cake'; plural krumkaker) is a Norwegian waffle cookie made of flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and cream.
What does Kringla mean? ›
The word originates from the Old Norse kringla, meaning ring or circle.
What country is Kringla from? ›
This cookie originates in the Scandinavian countries … Norway, Sweden and Denmark. As with many Kringla recipes, the ingredients and baking methods vary from region to region and country to country. Browsing other recipes for Kringla shows a variety of fats used including butter, lard and shortening.
Is kringle Danish or Norwegian? ›
A Kringle is a “Danish". “Danish pastry” or a “Danish” is an umbrella term for various types of buttery, flaky pastry. A Kringle is a pastry made with layers of sweet, flaky pastry, filled with fruit, nut or gourmet filling and topped with sweet icing.
How many cookies do you bring to a cookie exchange? ›
Remember, the party is about tasting and sampling the cookies but also about each guest bringing some home to enjoy with the rest of their family later. 2 dozen per guest is a good minimum so everyone has a few to bring home. 6 dozen is a good maximum if everyone wants lots of cookies to take home.
How do you wrap cookies for cookie exchange? ›
Stack up several cookies right in the center of a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Fold the paper around your cookies like a gift package and tie it with a colorful ribbon. It's a festive way to wrap your cookies as gifts or to store them neatly in a container.
How does the Christmas cookie challenge work? ›
About the show
In Christmas Cookie Challenge, five confident and daring bakers compete to prove their holiday cookie-making skills. Tough-love judges are on hand to crown the holiday cookie master, who will go home with a $10,000 prize!
