Berlinerkrans Christmas cookie

Berlinerkranser are traditional Norwegian Christmas biscuits, usually shaped into small wreaths. Their distinctive dough combines butter, flour, sugar and egg yolks, including hard-boiled yolks; the wreaths are often finished with coarse sugar.

Rub the hard-boiled yolks smooth, then work them with raw yolks, sugar and softened butter before mixing in the flour. Shape the dough into thin ropes, form little wreaths, brush with egg white, sprinkle with coarse sugar and bake at about 180 °C for 8–12 minutes, until pale gold.

The cooked yolks give the dough its characteristic short, tender texture. Press them through a fine sieve or mash them very thoroughly before mixing, so you do not get lumps in the biscuits.

Cool them completely on a rack before storing them in an airtight tin; trapped warmth can soften them. Keep the tin in a cool, dry cupboard, where the biscuits should stay crisp for several weeks.

Yes. Freeze the baked biscuits in an airtight container once they are completely cool, separating layers with baking paper. Thaw them uncovered at room temperature so condensation does not make them soft.

Serve them with coffee or tea as part of a Norwegian Christmas biscuit selection. Their buttery, lightly sweet flavour also goes well alongside spiced biscuits and plain gingerbread.