NORWEGIAN CULTURE
Ingredients
For the dough
Scant 2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 cup flour, sifted
1 egg yolk
3 1/2 Tbsp. cold water
1 Tbsp. cognac
For the filling
1 1/4 cups ground almonds
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
Recipe
Step 1
Divide the butter into three pieces of equal size. Crumble one piece into the flour.
Step 2
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolk into the water then add to the butter/flour mixture. Knead lightly and form into a square. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. Let the remaining butter rest at room temperature.
Sprinkle the baking surface with flour. Roll the dough out into a thin rectangle. Spread half the remaining butter over 2/3 of the dough.
Step 3
Fold over the plain section, then fold over the other section with butter, like a business letter. This forms a rectangle with three layers of dough and two of butter. Roll into a rectangle and fold into thirds again. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Step 4
Roll out the dough and spread with the remaining margarine. Fold into thirds, roll out again and fold into thirds. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF). Grease sandkake/sandbakkel (small fluted pie) tins.
Step 5
Roll the dough out into a 2 mm thin sheet. Cut into circles slightly larger than the diameter of the tins. Press into the tins.
Step 6
For the filling, combine almonds with powdered sugar and egg whites. Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling in each form.
Step 7
Cut out 8 mm (⅓”) strips of dough and arrange in an “x” over the filling. Tuck the ends between the filling and the crust.
Step 8
Bake on a baking sheet on the lowest oven shelf about 20 minutes. Makes 12-14 pies.
This recipe is taken from “The Norwegian Kitchen” which is available for purchase, through the Vesterheim Bookstore.
Vesterheim Museumsbutikk
523 West Water Street
Decorah, IA 52101
(800) 979-3346
www.vesterheim.org