12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Day 10
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Welcome to Day 10 of the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies series!
There’s something about the holiday season that draws us to both tradition and creativity in the kitchen. If you’re looking to add a touch of elegance to your cookie tray this year, let me introduce you to Kransekake Wreath Cookies—a delightful adaptation of the classic Scandinavian celebration cake.
Traditionally, kransekake is a towering almond cake made of concentric rings, often decorated with royal icing and enjoyed at weddings and holidays. I grew up eating it for every major family celebration, and it is one of my favorite desserts in the world.
The name kransekake translates to wreath cake, which is where the inspiration for these Christmas cookies came from. I’ve reimagined this beautiful cake into miniature wreath cookies, combining the delicate chew of almond dough with festive decorations that make them irresistible on any dessert table.
These cookies not only taste divine, with their nutty richness and tender texture, but they also double as edible holiday décor! Perfect as a treat or a thoughtful gift, they’ll be the talk of any cookie swap.
Let’s jump into the recipe so you can bring a bit of Nordic charm to your Christmas celebrations with these stunning kransekake wreath cookies.
Kransekake Wreath Cookies
20-22
Cookies45
minutes8-9
minutesA delightful adaptation of the classic Scandinavian celebration cake – these soft and chewy almond wreaths are a stunning addition to any Christmas cookie box
Ingredients
- Sugared Rosemary
1 cup water (235 mL)
1/2 cup sugar (100 grams)
4 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, picked (pull the leaves off in little bunches if possible to look like winter greenery)
1/4 cup granulated sugar for dusting (50 grams)- Kransekake Wreath Cookies
2 cups almond flour (do not use almond meal) (224 grams)
2 cups powdered sugar (226 grams)
2 egg whites (about 70 grams)
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup almond paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
- Icing
1 cup powdered sugar (113 grams)
3 Tablespoons milk (45 grams)
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch of salt
crushed pistachios for decorating
red pearl sprinkles for decorating (I use these)
Directions
- Sugared Rosemary
- In a small pot over medium-high heat, combine the water and sugar and bring to a simmer. Once the sugar is dissolved, turn off the heat.
- Mix the rosemary into the syrup and let sit for 2-5 minutes.
Strain the rosemary out of the syrup (you can save this to use in a cocktail of coffee). - Spread the rosemary out over a piece of parchment. Try to separate them out as much as possible. If they are all clumped together, they will dry that way. Let them sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
- Roll the sticky thyme in sugar. I like to sprinkle the sugar right on to the rosemary where it was drying and then roll it around until everything is coated. Set aside.
- Kransekake Wreaths
- In a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment, combine all of the ingredients. Mix until just combined. The dough should feel like playdough.
- Chill the dough overnight.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and scoop into 1 oz balls (I use a #30 scoop for this).
- Preheat an oven to 400°F.
- Roll each ball of dough out into a log that is about 4-5 inches long.
- Coil the logs around to form circles and gently pinch the ends together.
- Bake for 8-9 minutes. Cool completely.
- Icing
- Mix together all of the ingredients.
- Dip the surface of each cookie into the icing and excess drip off.
- While the icing is still wet, decorate the cookies with the crushed pistachios, red sprinkles and sugared rosemary. I decorate about 3-4 cookies at a time so that the icing doesn’t get too stiff before I can get to every cookie. Enjoy!
Notes
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