Norwegian Butter Cookies

"Twas the week before Christmas, I sat down to my Mac,

Looking for Christmas recipes with no time to slack, 

Stopping my online search--I knew my mistake...

--My-- recipe box already had family favorites to make!"

My recipe box is a keepsake, a wooden box from my husband's grandmother. The box holds her recipes and now mine too. I found a recipe for Norwegian Butter Cookies. Danish stories suggest leaving out porridge with butter for the nisse. Would a nisse like butter cookies? After reading the stories, would anybody chance it? We'll be saving a couple of these little beauties for Santa Claus.

Fresh baked Norwegian Butter Cookies

Norwegian (& Danish too) Butter Cookies

2 C butter

1 C powdered sugar

1/2 t kosher salt

1 t almond extract

4 C unbleached flour (sifted)

2/3 C slivered almonds (chopped)

Let the butter come to room temperature then mix together. Add in powdered sugar and salt and mix well, then add in almond extract and mix again. Next add the flour gradually mixing as you go and then mix in the almonds and chill over night. Let the dough warm up enough to shape into balls. Press down with a cookie press or with a fork and bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until the cookie edges just start to brown.

This is the recipe I found, I altered it by adding 1t almond extract.*

Slivered almonds, chopped.

The dough, chilling overnight. (BTW the milk in the background is "low fat" not "fat" milk... ewww!)

*Got the idea to add almond extract from

Danish Shortbread at http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1713,158185-250204,00.html

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all!

Suzanne
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