Norwegian Butter Cookies (Serinakaker)
Traditional Norwegian butter cookies are served at Christmas time in Norway. Serinakaker are simple, quick to make and a delicious holiday favorite.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups 300 g all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup 85 g confectioners' sugar (icing/powdered sugar)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 14 tablespoons 200g butter, cold (7/8 cup)
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar Or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- 1 egg
For Decorating
- 1 egg white for brushing
- pearl sugar or slivered almonds for decorating
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients including flour, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar baking powder, and salt.
- Chop the cold butter into cubes and add it to the dry ingredients. Crumble the mixture with your hands (or a stand mixer) until it forms small crumbs, like coarse sand.
- Beat the egg in a separate bowl for about 30 seconds, and then add it to the butter/flour mixture. Mix until the dough comes together, but don't overwork.
- Roll the dough into a log, wrap and place in the fridge for about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Remove from the refrigerator, slice off small sections of dough and roll them into small balls in your hands (about 1 1/4 inches in diameter).
- Place the dough balls on a prepared cookie sheet and flatten with a fork, the bottom of a glass or your palm.
- Brush with egg white and sprinkle pearl sugar or slivered almonds on top.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes, until the bottom is very slightly brown. Do not over bake.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely before storing.