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 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 is a Christmas cookie exchange? ›
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 history of Kringla? ›
The beloved Norwegian kringla, or kringle, is a pastry that has its origin with Roman Catholic Monks who arrived in Norway in the 13th Century. It is a soft, fragile cookie with a rich buttery flavor and a hint of sweetness. Baker's guilds in Europe have used the kringle or pretzel as a symbol for centuries.
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.
Also called Amish sugar cookies or Nazareth sugar cookies, the modern sugar cookie was created by the Moravians, who settled in the Nazareth area from Germany during the mid-18th century.
What is the name of Christmas cookie? ›
Classic Christmas Cookies
They're the ones you might remember from the platters of your childhood, like snickerdoodles, molasses cookies, macaroons, sugar cookies and more. Every single one of these recipes is a tried and true favorite and is perfect for carrying on your cookie traditions year after year.
How do you do a Christmas cookie exchange? ›
Some friends just use the container they brought to transport their cookies to the exchange. If we have 24 friends attending, we each take one cookie. After everyone has been through the line once, the rest of the cookies on the table are free for seconds or thirds.
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.
How many cookies should they bring? Generally six dozen is a reasonable amount. You can either exchange five dozen and have one dozen out for eating at the party or exchange all six dozen. Regardless, everyone leaves with the same amount they brought.
How do you eat Kringla? ›
Kringle can be served at room temperature, but warming it in a 350-degree oven for three to five minutes (or microwave it for seven to ten seconds) enhances the experience. If you're feeling extra indulgent, add a scoop of ice cream on top of a slice of warm kringle. Velbekomme!
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.
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.
Where did the tradition of Christmas cookies come from? ›
The First Christmas Cookies
The tradition goes back to the monasteries of the middle ages where monks had access to sugar and the spices we now associate with Christmas cookies: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cardamom.
What is the story of Santa's cookies? ›
According to one theory, the milk-cookies custom can be traced back to the 1930s, during the Great Depression. During that time of economic hardship, many parents tried to teach their children that it was important to give to others and to show gratitude for the gifts they received over the holiday.
Where did decorating Christmas cookies come from? ›
Christmas Traditions: History of Cookie Decorating 🎄🍪
One of the earliest recorded forms of cookie decorating is the springerle, and the oldest known springerle mold is housed at the Swiss national museum in Zurich, Switzerland. The artistic element of cookie making also can be traced back to Medieval Germany.
When and why did the tradition of leaving cookies for Santa start? ›
But leaving cookies and milk for the jolly old elf didn't become a widespread American Christmas tradition until the Great Depression. With millions facing sudden hardships, parents wanted their children to learn the importance of giving to others.
