Sandbakkels

On Sunday I took a crack at making sandbakkels for the first time. I got tins from my mother-in-law for Christmas. These are a Norwegian cookie that's a bit of a tradition in our family. My aunt Carol used to make these every so often, and so far no one has been able to replicate her perfect form. That is, til now. I think I've come pretty darn close. Another family tradition I revived while making these? Arthritis. It's HARD to press dough with your fingers for 2+ hours.

Press the dough paper thin...

...and out they pop 15 minutes later.

c'mon, this is darn near perfect.

A little history....Sandbakkels were one of many cookies prepared during the Advent season. Norwegians would serve cookies with a glass of wine at midday or with after-dinner coffee. Cookies such as sandbakkels became popular among the professional class, and were adopted by the peasant class much later in the 19th century. Some websites have suggested putting jelly or other filling in the middle, but that's pure blasphemy as far as I'm concerned. :)

I'll take a crack at lefse too...sometime this year maybe. I found a cute story about that too...

This version of Lefs's history was submitted by Jim Berg from Albert Lea, MN.

Now Den, vot you know bout dat....
Did you know that lefsa was invented by the norweigen Vikings...
Von day, dey vent and was going to raid Ireland.....
Vell they got over der, but they couldn't suprise dem
Irish people cause they were making too much noise coming across
the Nort Sea from Norway.
When they got to the shores of Ireland, they tried to land
But couldn't. You see the Irish heard them coming and began
throwing their potatoes at
them darn vikings so dat the cud not land. Vel by golly,
do you know vat. They load that ship with all the potatoes
dat got trowed at dem, pulled out their oars and finally got back
to Norway. When they got there they played aroung with those
potatoes and came up with a bread, and called it LEFSA.
They had a big party that night, day got out that old foul smelling
fish and put it on Lefsa and that is where the Lutefisk Supper vas
born...........My Grate, Grate, Grate, Grate, Granfodder was on that
ship that raided Ireland.
I'm sure glad they brought it to America other wise we would not have
Lutefisk Suppers Today.

My Lena makes the best darn lefsa in Minnesota. Corse I have to help
otherwise she'd eat it all up while she was cooking it and we would not have
any for supper that evening....

I'm sure glad they have Lutefisk Suppers around Thanksgiving and Christmas every year.
My mother Palma, made all the lefsa by herself. They wern't very round,
but then she always said you could not taste the round......
Your Friend.......... Ole