November 27, 2017
posted by Haley
2 Comments
They may look like waffle cones but they’re a Norwegian delicacy through-and-through. Krumkake are thin, lightly sweetened cookies made on a krumkake iron and shaped into cones. Continue reading to find out how to make this traditional Norwegian recipe at home.
Today I’m sharing a recipe that is near and dear to my heart: Norwegian krumkake.
My family has been making krumkake for generations. It’s a cookie we only make around Christmas.
What Is Krumkake?
Krumkake is a delicate, lightly sweetened Norwegian cookie made on a krumkake iron. The iron has a pretty design which imprints onto the cookie.
The cookies are similar in taste and texture to homemade waffle cones.
The ingredient list is simple – as it is with most traditional Norwegian recipes: Heavy whipping cream, sugar, butter, flour, etc. Vanilla extract adds subtle flavor to the cookie.
You will need a krumkake iron to make these. Buy a quality one and it will last you forever. Here’s what I recommend:Nordic Ware Norwegian Krumkake Iron
Making Homemade Krumkake: The Process
- Prepare the batter (recipe below)
- Preheat krumkake iron on the stovetop (medium-high heat)
- Place a full tablespoon of batter on the grill
- Close lid and cook for about a minute total: I cooked it for 35 seconds on one side, then flipped and cooked for 25 seconds on the other side. Please note: Cooking times may vary. This will take a bit of experimentation. You want the krumkake to be golden brown on both sides.
- Remove flat cookie from iron and use the wooden krumkake roller to make a cone shaped cookie
- After a few seconds, remove the cookie from the roller and allow to cool completely
Traditional Norwegian Customs: Julebukking
My family has always enjoyed traditional Norwegian foods – and practiced traditional Norwegian customs.
One of the more peculiar is julebukk.
Julebukking is something I grew up doing with my family after Christmas.
In the days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, a group of friends put on masks and costumes, disguising themselves. Then, they venture out into the night.
The julebukkers go from house to house, still in disguise, and have the homeowners guess who they are. Once all of the julebukkers have been identified, the homeowner typically gives each person a treat (like krumkake!) or a drink. Then the julebukkers move on to the next home.
Julebukk means Christmas goat in Norwegian. I can’t speak for the practice in Norway, but it’s something that happens in Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin – an upper Midwest thing. I’ve never heard of anyone doing this in the city – just small towns. (Maybe safer that way!)
I was shocked to find out that julebukk is considered a word that is going extinct. Yes, it’s true. Julebukk is an endangered word according to this article citing research by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
How do we save it? Maybe by doing more julebukking! Let me know if you have done this yourself.
Get More Traditional Norwegian Recipes:
- Sweet soup (sot suppe)
- Rice pudding (risgrøt)
- Potato dumplings (klub)
- Lutefisk
- My Norwegian grandma’s meatball recipe (kjøttkaker)
- Swedish meatballs
- Open-faced sandwiches
- Flatbread (flatbrod)
- Norwegian Christmas bread (julebrød)
- Rømmegrøt
- Rommegrot bars
- Almond kringler
- Kringla cookies
- Sandbakkelse (sand tarts)
- Pepperkaker (spiced sugar cookies)
- Goro (decorative cookies made on an iron)
- Fried rosettes
- Almond cake
- Cranberry almond cake
- Norwegian egg coffee
- Gløgg
- Lefse (made in a frying pan)
- A Nordic snack board (great for entertaining)
- Aebleskiver pancakes (Danish)
Yield: Approximately 40 krumkake
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 egg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Whip cream until stiff. In a separate bowl, beat egg and sugar until well mixed. Fold together. Mix in melted butter and vanilla.
- Sift dry ingredients together. Gently fold cream mixture and flour mixture together.
- Preheat krumkake iron over medium-high heat. Once hot, place 1 heaping tablespoon of batter onto the iron. Close lid and cook for approximately 35 seconds, then flip and cook for an additional 25 seconds. *Cooking time may vary depending on your iron and stove temperature. Experiment until you find the perfect time and temperature to yield a golden brown cookie.
- Carefully remove flat cookie from krumkake iron. Wrap the cookie around the cylinder roller to make a cone-shaped cookie. Hold for a few seconds until the cookie cools slightly. Remove from roller and set aside to cool completely.
- Repeat with remaining batter.
Recipes Desserts and sweets International
posted by Haley on November 27, 2017 (updated December 19, 2023)
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2 comments on “Norwegian Krumkake Recipe”
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Amber P — Reply
In searching the web for tips on saving batter for later, I came across this blog. I was intrigued because from the pictures it looks like you used a electric cooktop not gas with that type of Krumkaka iron. Do you still? How does that work out for you? I recently moved into a home with an electric cooktop and was thinking I would have to hijack my moms stove to do cookies….
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Haley — Reply
Hi Amber – The krumkake worked for me on an electric stove. I kept the heat on just above medium. Let me know if it works for you.
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