Recipe(tried): Danish Strawberry Cones. Rosettes.Fattigman (Klejner))

DANISH STRAWBERRY CONES KRAEMMERHUSE

These crisp cookies are shaped into cones while they are still warm. They can be made ahead and stored in an airtight tin. Just before serving, fill them with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

The cookies spread out in a crazy way while they bake, especially if your cookie sheet warps and bends with heat. Simply separate and loosed the thin cookies while still hot and as they cool you can turn them into cones. The darker the cookie, the more quickly it will become brittle; if it hardens, slip it back into the oven until soft, then remove and turn into a cone shape. Makes 24 cones.

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
fresh strawberries, whole or halved

Heavily grease 4 baking sheets. Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Blend in the flour. Whip the egg whites until stiff and blend into the mixture along with the vanilla.

Using a teaspoon, place 2 to 3 rounds of the mixture well apart on each cookie sheet; as the mixture spreads use a butter knife or spatula dipped in cold water to shape the mounds into 3-inch rounds.

Bake one sheet at a time for 5 to 6 minutes until edges of the cookies are just beginning to brown. Quickly remove each from the sheet with a thin wet spatula. Shape into a cone and place each in the neck of a bottle to set. When cones have set, transfer them to a cake rack to cool.

To serve, fill each cone with a spoonful of whipped cream and decorate with a whole or half strawberry. You may keep the cones upright by placing them in about 1 inch of sugar in the bottom of the serving bowl.

ROSETTES (STRUVOR)

These are fragile and pretty deep-fried pastries; you need a special rosette iron to make them. Rosette irons in various shapes are available in specialty shops and department stores. The trick to making good rosettes is to preheat the iron in the fat, and to be sure not to dip the iron so deeply into the batter that it coats the top of the iron. If you fry the tops, the pastries will not slip off the iron at all! Makes 60 rosettes.

2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspons sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup all purpose flour

hot fat for frying
powdered sugar

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add the sugar. Mix in the milk and flour just until batter is smooth and free of lumps. It should be the consistency of thick cream. Have batter in a container just wide enough to permit easy dipping with the irons.

Heat fat to 370 F. (Vegetable oil, lard, or shortening may be used.) Place rosette iron into the fat to preheat. Dip into batter and return to fat for 20 to 30 seconds or until the rosette is lightly browned. Lift up and drain over the fat a few seconds, and using a sharp knife or fork remove the rosette and let drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

DANISH SMALL(Klejner) Fattigman

Swedes and Norwegians call these fried cookies fattigman, or poor men, although today we see nothing really poor about them! Shaped like the Icelandic Kleinur (which is made with an entirely different dough), this cookie dough is rolled out thin, cut into diamonds, slashed in the center, and twisted into a knot. Some call them "lover's knots." Makes about 60 cookies.

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter
5 to 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 egg
1 teaspoon freshly crushed cardamom seeds

hot fat for frying
powdered sugar

In the work bowl of the food processor with the steel blade in place, or in a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Slice the butter and add to the dry ingredients. Process or blend until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 5 tablespoons of crem, egg, and cardamom and mix until a dough forms. Add more cream if necessary to moisten the dough. Chill 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured board, roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into strips about 1 1/4 inches wide. cut the strips diagonally into diamonds about 3 1/2 inches long. Make a lengthwise slash through the center of each with the point of a knife. Pull one end of the piece through the slash to form a half-knot.

Heat fat to 375 F. Drop knots into the fat and cook until golden on both sides, turning once or twice. Remove from fat and drain on paper toweling. Dust with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight tin in a cool place.

Source: The Great Scandinavian Baking Book