Danish wedding cookies
are a popular treat found in any supermarket. Though not a true Danish delight, the cookie's powdery outside is sweet and light, its inside buttery and delicious. While Denmark maintains its own wedding pastry traditions, the Danish wedding cookie maintains its name despite its uncertain origins.
The Cookie
A "Danish wedding cookie" is best known as a buttery cookie that contains nuts and sometimes cinnamon or vanilla. It is richer in taste and thicker in consistency than a sugar cookie. The cookies are rolled in powdered sugar once they cool for finger-licking goodness. The nuts are thought to represent the bumps in the road of life, but coated by the sweetness of marriage--the powdered sugar.
A Misnomer
Contrary to popular confectionary belief, the Danish wedding cookie isn't of Danish descent. Also referred to as a Mexican wedding cookie, the shortbread-like treats are not an import of Denmark, although the cookies are listed as part of Scandanavian recipes or in old-fashioned cook books. There is a similar recipe that includes vanilla and sugar for Jødekager, or Danish cinnamon cookies, and Vaniljekranse, which are vanilla-flavored cookie rings. There are many food items in the U.S. that are called 'Danish' "but fail to come anywhere close to the actual pastry that you find in Denmark." said Andre Hansen of Danish Delight Bakery in Lawerenceville, GA
Tradition
Danish wedding food traditions include stacked rings of almond flavored cake called Kransekage. The Kransekage can be 15 to 18 rings high and decorated with flags and icing ribbons. Its recipe is thought to date back to the 1700s and is still hugely popular at Danish-influenced events. It is considered difficult to make due to the rings and ingredients. Similar to American tradition, couples keep the top rings of the cake to eat again on their anniversary
Significance
While most Danes are unsure of how this cookie became the Danish Wedding Cookie, that doesn't stop its popularity. The sweet powdery outside with the crumbly inside makes it a cookie-craver's favorite. However, the Americanized versions seem to fall short with Danish bakers. "We are actually working on a campaign to re-educate the general populace on what 'Danish' is supposed to be like," said Hansen, referring to the work in his bakery. "We have found that very few baked goods that are labeled as such fail to come close to the real deal."
The Recipe
Despite its non-Danish origins, Danish Wedding Cookies are a favorite. There are variations on the nuts included and the vanilla and almost extract, but if they must be made, the recipe is as follows:
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Confectioners' sugar for coating
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream sugar and butter in a large bowl until blended. Add cream cheese, increase speed to high, and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, occasionally scraping down sides with spatula. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts. Gently fold in flour and walnuts and stir until blended. Lightly flour hands and roll dough into 1-inch balls. Gently press balls flat with bottom of a small glass. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet until lightly browned and puffy, about 14 to 18 minutes. Allow cookies to cool in pan for about 2 minutes; transfer to wire rack to cool briefly. While cookies are still warm, toss them in a quart- or gallon-size plastic bag filled with confectioners' sugar. Remove and return to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
Tags: wedding cookie, , Danish wedding, Danish wedding cookie, cream cheese, Danish Wedding, Cookies
