Vaniljekranse a la Blomsterberg
This year I wanted to try a different Vaniljekranse recipe for Christmas, although my Mom’s recipe still remains my favorite. When I saw Mette Blomsterberg’s recipe I wanted to try it because, #1 she is a very talented Danish pastry chef and #2 this recipe says you can use a pastry bag with a star shaped decorating tip to press out the cookies. This is of particular interest for those of you who don’t have the traditional star attachment for a KitchenAid machine (which I know is a great fustration to many Danes living outside Denmark). And so I tried it out and it is possible to press the cookies out using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip, however, I didn’t have the muscle to continue on with it. So unless you have a very strong and preferably handsome mountain man handy to help you out, I think you might have a hard time.
Making Vaniljekranse using a pastry bag with a star decorating tip.
Lets talk a little bit about butter. This year I was lucky enough to find real Danish Lurpak butter at a local high-end grocery store. It is expensive, but the result is a wonderful, very creamy buttery taste to your cookies. Is it worth the extra cost? To most people, probably not, but it sure is a fantastic creamy butter. Also, I want to point out that when you bake in Denmark it is a given that you use salted butter, whereas in the US you typically bake with unsalted butter, unless otherwise stated, and then a little salt is built into the recipe on the side. Just worth noting (it actually took me 28 years to realize this, ha).
Creamy Danish Lurpak butter
Vaniljekranse (makes about 35 cookies)
Ingredients:
1 whole vanilla bean
180 grams sugar
200 grams salted butter, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
75 grams almond meal/flour
250 grams all-purpose flour
Directions:
Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and press the seeds into a tablespoon of the sugar. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla seeds until smooth and creamy (4-5 minutes). Add the egg and continue mixing until fully incorporated. In small increments, add almond meal and flour, mix until dough comes together.
If you plan on using a piping bag with a star tip to press out dough and form into circles, roll up your sleeves and use dough immediately.
If you plan on using a star attachment for you KitchenAid mixer, wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in refrigeator for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 390 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut dough into small segments and load the dough into the meat grinder attachment on your KitchenAid machine. Run the dough through the star attachment into long strips, place dough onto baking sheet and cut dough into 4 inch long pieces and form into circle. Bake in the middle of oven for 10-14 minutes or until just turning golden. Cool on baking sheets for a couple of minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Once cookies are completely cooled, store in an airtight cookie tin.
Merry Christmas and Enjoy.
Star attachment on KitchenAid meat grinder.
Source: adapted from Mette Blomsterberg
I finally made Vaniljekranse last year. And they were so good. I pulled out my mom’s meat grinder, used the star plate my dad made, and felt close to both of them as I made my cookies. And they were so good.
Vaniljekranse are always on my Christmas cookies-to-bake list ☺
Can you use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean?
Sure you can 🙂
If you can’t get slated butter how much salt would you use? 😀
Sarah, well I would start with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Better too little than too much.
I live in Indonesia, this is the famous cake originating from Denmark given by Mother to her son every morning along with the milk, and I still remember it …
I did not know that Vaniljekranse was popular in India 🙂
Hi Gitte – they look great! I made some this year and they were a big hit. Some others were dipped in dark chocolate, and as I had used salted butter, the flavour was fantastic.
It’s funny that Lurpak is a luxury for you guys…I use it in all my baking over here. Guess we’re just lucky!
Yes you are lucky over there, here Lurpak butter can be real difficult to find, not to mention expensive. I saw your Vaniljekranse and they looked super delicious 😛
Piping them out of a bag like this was actually the way my mother would make these when I was growing up! Yes, works the arm muscles… but oh so good! Will have to print out this recipe since I no longer have hers. Thanks for this!
It’s fun for me to read your blog….am glad I found it. You have lived in the US for twenty some years and my sister has lived in Denmark for almost 40. She cooks very traditional Danish food. When Mom goes to visit is when the American favorite requests start coming…..apple pie, chocolate chip cookies, cinnamon rolls…..oh, we love all our foods!
Sherri, yes indeed we do 🙂
My grandmother, Anna Knudsen used to make and send us a big box of cookies every Christmas and this was one of them! Who knew that Kitchen Aid makes certain attachments for certain countries? Maybe when I go to Denmark I should find a kitchen store and get one of these?
Glædelig Jul, a little late. I had every intention of making Vanille Kranser this year, but ran short on time. But, my brother told me he tried using a cookie press one year to make the cookies, but broke one before he gave up. I’m just heading down to make some Gule Aerter soup.
Glædelig Jul Sid
Your brother broke his cookie press trying to make Vaniljekranse….yikes. I’ve heard of many people using a cookie-press successfully to make the cookies, maybe not chilling the dough would make it easier. Happy New Year!
Hallo: lige en lille Jule Hilsen for at sige at jeg er saa glad for a t modtage dine opskrifter via email. Tak for dem, og tak for dig. Jeg er I grand Rapids Michigan, ahr varet i landet i over 50 aar, alt some smager og lugter af Danmark gor mig glad. Glaedelig Jul, kh, Birthe
Kære Birthe, det er jeg glad for at høre. Glædelig Jul 🎅
Ohhh, you brought back such good memories with this recipe. 🙂 My Danish Grandmother would make them every year. 🙂
Krista, they are so good and I just have to make them every year 😛 it’s a stable.