I host a festive Christmas bash every year.
Are you making the giant almond cookie cake?
Its called a kransekake, and this tree-shaped Scandinavian cookie cake has become the mascot of my party.
Whats a kransekake?
Its essentially a cookie stack made of about 18 concentric cookie rings that subtly decrease in size.
Sometimes I’ll even make extra rings for a taller cake.
The almond cookie dough is rather like edible amaretti Play-Doh.
Its thick and pliable so you might easily roll out a clump into a long pencil-thin snake.
The almond rope fits intoa kransekake moldand gets baked right in there to hold the shape.
While you could free-hand it like they did in the Great British Bake-Off, I wouldnt recommend it.
Paul Hollywood isnt in your house anyway, so just get the molds.
Theyre non-stick, heavy duty, and last for years.
I like to dip them into a hot cup ofthis glogg recipe.
How to make kransekake cookies
The cookie dough itself is shockingly simple to make.
It only takes a minute to get the dough thoroughly mixed.
Carefully lift the rope into one of the troughs in the kransekake mold.
Just pick the closest fit, the dough is a very forgiving putty at this point.
ensure to thoroughly press the seams so you dont have a weak spot there after baking.
If your rope gets messed up or breaks, just smash it back into a ball and re-roll it.
When the baked cookies come out, let them cool completely.
If theyre sticking a lot, return the pan to the oven for another five minutes.
you might press sprinkles into the icing, edible glitter, or small candies if youd like.
The cookie itself will be crisp and chewy, showcasing its light, sweet almond flavor.
Enjoy the leftovers for about three days if well covered.
Preheat the oven to 300F.
Place the kransekake molds onto a sheet pan.
The dough should be soft but not sticky.
If it is, add a spoonful or two of almond flour and mix it again.
Keep the dough covered with a small piece of plastic wrap.
Tear off golf ball-ish sized pieces and roll them into long ropes, the thickness of a pencil.
Youll need smaller ropes for the smaller circles and larger ones as you go on.
Repeat with the rest of the rings.
Dont overbake them or theyll be too crunchy later.
This dough is enough to make all 18 rings.
