Do you have traditional Christmas cookies you make every year? For me, the one that says Christmas cookies is kringla.
Growing up, this kringla recipe was a staple at Christmas time in Grandma Hansen’s kitchen. I learned to make this cookie when I was a small girl. It was a tasty treat that we started the day with coffee for breakfast. The kringla was also a delight for an afternoon snack. Not to be forgotten as a Christmas cookie, it also had a place on the tray of cookies in her kitchen.
It was only later that I learned how and why we always had kringla at Christmas. I was told this was a typical Norwegian cookie. This made sense as my grandma was born in Norway. The Kringla apparently had its origins in the 13th Century when Roman Catholic monks arrived in Norway. Other Scandinavian countries have their versions as well. All are similar in taste and texture.
Grandma told me she grew up making these kringla with her mother and grandmother. She wanted to keep this tradition alive by making these simple, slightly sweet, buttery cookies with me. Thus, it had now became a tradition and a staple of my own Christmas cookie platter.
There are different recipes and I have learned these varied with the part of Norway, Denmark, or Sweden the bakers were from. For me, I have used the same kringla recipe Grandma gave me when I was young.
The first time you make these, you may think these kringla are going to be a disaster. Once you learn to roll the dough and shape the cookie, you will become adept in no time. It is crucial to chill the dough completely so you do not have a sticky mess to try and roll out into the long roll before you shape the figure eight.
Want more Christmas cookie recipes? By the time Christmas arrives, we have hundreds of cookies circulating in our kitchen. Try this gingerbread cookie recipe; it’s our absolute favorite!