Kringla

Today's post is written for the next generation of Clarks, my daughters and their cousins, who miss the taste and smell of Grandma's kitchen.

My first introduction to kringla, a Norwegian cookie, was Christmas eve 1975, my first Christmas with Sam's family. That evening I learned not only about kringla, but also about oyster stew, lefsa, and krumkake. Kringla is the tasty treat that Sam's mother made throughout the year and one that I know Sam missed. Eventually, I acquired the recipe and baked kringla, too. I'm not sure that my kringla tastes quite like Grandma Opal's or MumMum Hannah's, but here's how I make it . . .

Kringla

1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 egg yolks
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups flour

Cream the sugar and butter together with electric mixer. Add egg yolks and beat well. Add sour cream, then buttermilk beating well after each. Stir in lemon extract. Sift dry ingredients and stir into mixture. Chill dough overnight. 

On well floured counter roll out spoonsful of dough into long thin ropes and shape into pretzel shape. Bake 8-9 minutes at 375 degrees until barely beginning to brown. Cool on waxed paper or cooling rack. Store in covered container or freeze. 

I use a scant tablespoon of dough for each kringla.
Scoop it out of the bowl, and scrape it out of the spoon
and onto the counter.

I plop about a dozen out onto a well floured
counter then put the bowl back in the fridge.
Keep the dough cold or it will get too
sticky to handle easily.

Use your hands to roll each blob of dough
into a skinny log. Stop when you get a little
bigger than a pencil. It should be 8-9" long.
If longer pinch an end off. When you get a
few extra ends, roll those together to make
another kringla. Think play dough here!
Also, use plenty of flour on your counter!

Pick up your dough log by the ends and quickly move it
to your cookie sheet. I sort of use my other fingers
to support the whole thing as I move it. Lay it down
and loop the ends around to make the above shape.
I line the cookie sheets with parchment paper, my baking
friend! It keeps cookies from burning and makes
clean-up a breeze.The kringla in the picture is baked.
They are really skinny before baking. I forgot to take a
picture of the raw, shaped kringla. Sorry!

It takes a little practice to get them onto the
cookie sheet, but after you bake a pan or two you
will be a pro! This is the shape I use, but Grandma
had some variations. Can you remember what
her's looked like? Originally these were "dunking cookies"
and were often baked a little longer than I bake mine.
I like them soft so I bake them 8-9 minutes at 375. The
original recipe said to bake at 450 degrees for 10-12
minutes. If you dunk yours in milk or coffee you
might want to bake hotter and longer than my recipe.

Now you can make kringla, too and your kitchen can smell and taste just like Grandma's!
Have fun!