Danish Cookie Rings Vanille Kranse Recipes

DANISH BUTTER COOKIES (VANILJEKRANSE)

Steps:

• Use a food processor or a blender to ground the almonds into an almond flour.
• Open the vanilla bean and scrape out the vanilla seeds. I have made a simple guide how to do this - find it here on my blog.
• Mix sugar, vanilla seeds, the soft butter, all-purpose flour and the almond flour together in a bowl.
• Add the egg and mix it all together into a soggy and soft dough.
• Pour the dough into a piping bag and use the star nozzle.
• Extrude the dough into small circles with a diameter of about 4-5 cm (1.5-2 inch). If you have a meat grinder use the star attachment and extrude the dough into long strips. Cut the strips into smaller pieces and put them together in circles.
• Place the vanilla cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Place them with a distance of 4 cm apart (1.5 inch).
• Bake the cookies at 200 C (400 F) for about 6 minutes or until they have a light-brown color.
• Let the cookies cool off on an oven grid. When cooled off, keep the cookies in a cookie jar.

KRANSEKAKE

Steps:

• Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F.
• Add the almond flour and 1 pound of the confectioners' sugar to a food processor. Pulse about 10 times to combine. Add the egg whites and vanilla extract. Run the processor for about 20 seconds until the dough forms into a ball; it will be slightly sticky. Remove the dough from the food processor and form it into a disc. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Spray the kransekake molds with nonstick spray and sprinkle with semolina, tapping off any excess.
• Working with a quarter of the dough at a time, roll it out into a rope long enough to wrap into each mold. The width should be even and no thicker than 1/2 inch. (Keep the unused dough covered with plastic wrap.) Repeat the process until all the molds are filled. Transfer the molds to 2 baking sheets.
• Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the molds. Carefully remove each ring from the molds onto cooling racks for 10 minutes.
• To make the royal icing, add the remaining 1/2 pound confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and 4 tablespoons water to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until stiff peaks form. If desired, stir a few drops of food coloring into the icing with a rubber spatula. Put the royal icing into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Pipe icing onto each ring and stack them, largest to smallest. Dust with confectioners' sugar right before serving.

DANISH COOKIE RINGS (VANILLE KRANSE)

Steps:

• Grease cookie sheets; set aside.
• Process almonds in food processor until ground, but not pasty.
• Place almonds, flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl.
• Cut butter into flour mixture with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture is crumbly.
• Beat egg, milk and vanilla in a small bowl with a fork until well blended.
• Add egg mixture to flour mixture; stir until soft dough forms.
• Spoon dough into a pastry bag fitted with medium star tip.
• Pipe 3-inch rings 2-inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
• Refrigerate rings 15 minutes or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cut each cherry in half. Cut each red cherry half into quarters; cut each green cherry half into 4 slivers.
• Press red cherry quarter onto each ring where ends meet.
• Arrange 2 green cherry slivers on either side of red cherry to form leaves.
• Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden.
• Remove cookies to wire racks; cool completely.
• Store tightly covered at room temperature or freeze up to 3 months.

VANILLA KRANSE (VANILLA WREATHS)

Steps:

• Work all ingredients together and let the dough stand for 20 minutes, in a cool place.
• Put dough into a pastry bag or cloth and press/roll dough into long thin rolls.
• Cut rolls into equal sized pieces (about 5-6 inches long) and on a well-greased cookie sheet, form each piece into a small ring slightly overlapping the cut ends.
• Bake in a fairly hot (400°F, 200°C, GM 6) oven for 10 minutes or until light brown.