Danish Cookie Rings (Vanille Kranse) Recipe
🕒 Cook Time: 10 minutes
🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 40 minutes
Description:
If you are of Danish background or simply adore European Christmas delights, you’ll find yourself longing for this traditional Christmas cookie. It’s not just a cookie; it’s a symbol of holiday cheer, embodying the essence of Scandinavian sweetness and joy. In our house, it simply isn’t Christmas without the delightful aroma of Vanille Kranse wafting through the air, promising moments of pure indulgence and festive bliss.
Recipe Category:
Dessert
Keywords:
Cookie & Brownie, Danish, Scandinavian, European, Christmas, < 60 Mins
Nutrition Facts (per serving):
- Calories: 732.1
- Fat Content: 45.8g
- Saturated Fat Content: 24.3g
- Cholesterol Content: 140.3mg
- Sodium Content: 300.4mg
- Carbohydrate Content: 71.7g
- Fiber Content: 2.9g
- Sugar Content: 31.3g
- Protein Content: 10.1g
Recipe Yield:
5 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 8 ounces almonds (ground)
- 16 maraschino cherries (halved)
Instructions:
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Grease Cookie Sheets: Start by greasing your cookie sheets and setting them aside, ready for the cookie-making adventure ahead.
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Prepare Almonds: Using a food processor, grind the almonds until they reach a fine consistency, but be careful not to turn them into a paste.
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Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground almonds with flour, sugar, and baking powder.
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Cut in Butter: Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs, ensuring an even distribution of buttery goodness throughout the dough.
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Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, beat together the egg, milk, and vanilla until the mixture is well blended and exudes a tantalizing aroma that hints at the deliciousness to come.
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Incorporate Egg Mixture: Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms, gently coaxing the ingredients together until they harmonize into a cohesive whole.
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Pipe Dough: Transfer the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip, ready to transform it into delicate, intricate rings of cookie perfection.
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Pipe Rings: Pipe the dough into 3-inch rings onto the prepared cookie sheets, ensuring they are spaced approximately 2 inches apart to allow for even baking and optimal golden-brown deliciousness.
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Chill Dough: Pop the cookie sheets into the refrigerator for a well-deserved rest, allowing the dough to chill for around 15 minutes or until it reaches a firm consistency that’s just right for baking.
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Preheat Oven: While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C), ensuring it reaches the perfect temperature to work its magic on your delightful Danish creations.
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Prepare Cherries: As the oven preheats, take this opportunity to prepare the cherries. Cut each maraschino cherry in half, and then cut each red cherry half into quarters, while the green cherry halves are sliced into 4 slivers.
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Decorate Cookies: Now comes the fun part! Press a red cherry quarter onto each ring where the ends meet, adding a burst of vibrant color and fruity sweetness. Then, arrange two green cherry slivers on either side of the red cherry to form whimsical leaves, transforming each ring into a miniature work of art.
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Bake to Perfection: Carefully transfer the adorned cookie sheets into the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are beautifully golden, with a heavenly aroma that fills the kitchen and beckons eager taste buds.
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Cool and Enjoy: Once baked to perfection, remove the cookies from the oven and transfer them to wire racks to cool completely, allowing them to achieve their final state of cookie nirvana.
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Storage: To preserve their delectable freshness and flavor, store the cookies tightly covered at room temperature, ready to be savored at any moment of seasonal celebration. For longer-term indulgence, these delightful Danish treats can also be frozen for up to 3 months, ensuring that the joy of Vanille Kranse can be experienced whenever the craving strikes.
Pro Tips:
- For an extra burst of flavor, consider adding a sprinkle of powdered sugar over the cooled cookies before serving.
- Get creative with your decorations! Experiment with different colored cherries or edible glitter to personalize your Vanille Kranse and make them truly your own.
- Don’t rush the chilling process; allowing the dough to firm up in the refrigerator ensures that your cookie rings maintain their shape during baking, resulting in picture-perfect treats every time.
Indulge in the magical flavors of Christmas with these delightful Danish Cookie Rings (Vanille Kranse), and let the festive spirit infuse every bite with joy and nostalgia. Happy baking! 🍪🎄
