From the archives: Kransekake

We have been struck down with a nasty gastro/virus thing which has rendered me useless for the past day or so. So excuse me while I pull this one out of the archives. Originally published in December last year…you get to see how we served it up on the day now as it’s after the fact. Original post follows…

It took me all of 3.4 seconds to reply to an email from my Aunty Krinny earlier in the week if I’d like her to come down to my place and show me how to make a Kransekake that she has become famous for in our family. My Mum’s side of the family was originally from Norway (and when I say originally I mean many, many generations ago), I blame them for my tall, solid, heavy bones and frame, and she got a recipe a few years ago from a friend of hers that lives over there.

It translates literally as a wreath cake and is a traditional Danish & Norwegian cake eaten on special occasions such as a wedding, baptism, Christmas or New Years Eve. The texture is hard to touch, but soft and chewy to eat. It always looks spectacular and tastes even better, and because of it’s high show pony factor I was expecting it to be quite complicated and a little Zumbo-esque in technique. I was DEAD wrong. Look!

Kransekake

: 700 grams almond meal
: 500 grams icing sugar
: 4 egg whites
: 3 tablespoons plain flour

THAT. IS. IT.

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1. In a large mixing bowl mix together the almond meal and icing sugar

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2. Separate the 4 eggs

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3. Build a well in the centre

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4. And tip the egg whites in. Mix together with a spoon for a little while until combined

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5. And then get your hands in there – kneading the mixture like a dough for a few minutes

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6. Then comes the fun bit! Take small bits at a time and roll them into snake shapes about 1cm thick. The dough will crumble when you start, but don’t get disheartened! Squish it back and start again. I had to do this about 3 times before it worked – all of a sudden it just does. Must be something to do with the heat of your hands with the mixture. Or something.

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7. Then it’s a matter of placing them into the ring tins (that you have to buy specifically). The round biscuit mixture gets placed into the rings and then cut off when it connects. It’s just like play-doh! Make sure the tins are buttered AND oiled. The spray is no good – old school techniques are required.

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8.There are 18 rings in total (6 tins of 3 in each all slightly smaller than the others). Whack into a pre-heated oven 180 degrees c fan forced or 210 degrees c on bake for 12-15 mins or until golden brown

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9. When they are cooled you use a butter knife to pop them out. If they are resisting, just move around the circle in spots until it pops out.

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10. They then get stacked on top of each other

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Bravo! If it was eating time you would just make a simple white drizzle icing – icing sugar and milk and drizzle it down the cake. You could also use melted white or dark chocolate and then decorate with whatever took your fancy! Or just dust with icing sugar.

As we won’t be eating it for a week or so I have it in an air tight container with a piece of bread in there (who knows why but that’s what I was told) and it can even be frozen like that, with the bread in there.

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Extra mixture can be made into cookies that are DELICIOUS. Believe me, I’ve eaten about 8 of them already.

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And because it’s after the fact…I can show you how it looked on Christmas Day!

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Do you partake in some holiday baking?

Comments

  1. Ashild Tessnes says

    Oh, you just made me super nostalgic and happy and got a little christmas spirit at the same time. I am Norwegian (like 100%), although I didn’t get that tall part… I love Kransekake and it reminds of Christmas and 17th of May and birthdays and weddings and everything else happy at the same time. Thank you 🙂 And get well soon! Awesome Ashild xoxo awesomeashild.com

  2. Holy crap. Saving this to bookmarks RIGHT NOW. And eBaying for those tins.

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