Our Family Tradition
I grew up in Colorado and was lucky to have nearby cousins and an aunt who loves family traditions. My Aunt Trina started making the traditional Norwegian Kransekake when we were little since we have a line of Norwegian ancestors. Not only was it beautiful and stunning to look at, it was so exciting when it was time to take off the layers and start eating it because inside were little presents for everyone! The youngest family member would take the smallest ring on top and we would continue taking off rings until we could get the presents. As we got older, sometimes there would be a little scavenger hunt inside the kransekake and the presents would be hidden around the house. Somewhere along the line we started saying “thank you, kransekake!” for the presents and the fun after everything was done.
The best part of growing up is deciding which traditions to take with you into adulthood and this year I tried my first kransekake. It’s not a complicated recipe but it is a bit time consuming because you have to roll out each ring individually and the dough is delicate. Trina’s advice is to make and bake the rings a day or two before serving them, keep them in the freezer, them assemble your kransekake the morning of Christmas Eve or whenever you’re sharing it.
A kransekake is a traditional Norwegian dessert made for special occasions, usually Christmas and weddings. It literally means “wreath cake.” Since it’s a European confection, don’t expect it to be super sweet. It’s a sweeter almondy flavor but it’s hard (it has to be sturdy to stack 18 rings!). You can dip it in hot chocolate or have some chocolate and caramel dipping sauces to add a little sweetness.
I used this recipe from The Food Network because I’m American and wanted it to be as simple as possible in order to keep the holidays light and fun. There are tons of more traditional recipes but this one worked great for me. You also need kransekake pans.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
God Jul og godt nytt år!
xo Enjoy!
Kransekake Recipe
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 15-20 people
Ingredients
1 pound almond flour
1 pound powdered sugar
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups royal icing
Special equipment: kransekake pans
Directions
1. Add the almond flour and powdered sugar to a medium-sized bowl and mix to combine.
2. Add the egg whites and vanilla. Mix until combined. Dough will be sticky.
3. Form the dough into a disc and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature in bowl for 20 minutes.
4. Spray the kransekake molds with nonstick spray. Set the oven to 300 degrees F.
5. Cut the dough into four pieces and work with one piece at a time, leaving the remaing pieces wrapped in plastic.
6. Roll out the dough into approximately ½ inch pieces and fill each ring until all the pans are filled.
7. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown, watching to make sure no pans get overbaked.
8. Let cool in pans for about ten minutes, then carefully remove each ring and place on cooling rack.
9. To assemble, start with the biggest ring, decorate with royal icing, then continue with the remaining rings.
10. Share with friends and family, dip it in hot chocolate or caramel.
