Despite their name, Finsk Brød (Finnish Shortbread) is a traditional Danish shortbread cookie topped with a chopped almond and sugar glaze. This classic cookie is usually made at Christmas.
As a child, not a Christmas went by without my Danish mother baking a whole array of traditional biscuits and cookies.
Finsk Brød (Finnish Shortbread) is a recipe she learned to make at school and no doubt my grandmother (mormor) would have made it too.
This particular version comes straight out of a page pulled from a Danish magazine from the 60’s.
Mum said she made these slightly differently by rolling out strips of dough and then dipping them in the egg wash, nuts, and sugar.
However, I decided to follow the instructions from the magazine and they worked well too.
I did halve the recipe as it said it made 140 cookies.
I ended up with 60 cookies which sounds a lot but they are small and dainty.
I managed to fill a tin with mine.
I wish I’d made Finsk Brød years ago as they are so easy to make and taste utterly divine, and just as I remember!
They are far superior to Danish Butter Cookies you find in tins at the supermarket, but then aren’t all homemade cookies?
If you want to make someone an edible gift this Christmas Finsk Brød would make lovely gifts wrapped in cellophane or placed in small festive tins.
More Christmas and Danish Cookie Recipes
For more Christmas & Danish cookies check out the following recipes:
- Danish Vanilla Wreaths
- Danish Fedtebrød – Coconut Cookie Slices with Rum Glaze
- Hallon Cookies
- Crispy Clementine Cookies
- Scottish Snowballs (Raspberry Jam Sandwich Cookies dipped in Coconut)
- Cute Christmas Reindeer Cookies
Pin Finsk Brød for later!
Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.
Finsk Brød (Finnish Shortbread)
Ingredients
- 250 g / 9 oz Plain flour
- 175 g / 6 oz Salted butter
- 75 g / 2 ½ oz Granulated sugar
- 50 g / 2 oz Whole almonds chopped
- 1 tbsp Granulated sugar
- 1 large free-range egg whisked for egg wash
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the sugar and cut in the butter.
- Using you hand knead together to form a dough.
- Roll dough out into a large rectangle about ½ cm deep.
- Egg wash the surface and scatter on the chopped almonds and then the sugar.
- Press down gently with your hand (to stop the nuts falling off).
- Cut into rectangles 2 cm x 5 cm.
- Place on baking paper on 2 large baking sheets.
- Bake for about 10 minutes.
- Allow to cool on baking trays for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Chris
Nothing wrong with the recipe, absolutely perfect as written. Thanks for a delicious addition to our Christmas cookie collection! Will be trying more of your recipes.
Camilla
Thank you so much Chris, Happy Christmas:-)
Ellen
Spot on. Just like my grandma used to make!❤️ Thank you
Camilla
Wonderful Ellen, so glad you liked the recipe:-)
Kirsten Petersen
I am disappointed in this recipe. It needs some baking powder to give it crispness. I recently moved and cannot find my recipe book. I will send you my recipe to try when I find it.
Camilla
I’m guessing something must have gone wrong then, perhaps your oven? I’ve just had the most amazing feedback on instagram about this recipe: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJMSNVeHuZq/
Rhonda E Davis
I’m very interested in trying this recipe. I’d like to know how to store the finished cookies and how long will they keep fresh. Can they be frozen? Do they travel well if they were to be mailed a short distance? Thanks so much.
Camilla
Hi Rhonda, all cookies should be stored in an air tight container. They should keep for at least a week. You can’t freeze baked cookies only cookie dough (though I’ve never done this). These are quite robust cookies so would travel better than most I’m sure but if the postman drops them then of course that’s another matter!
Linda Hansen
I have froze these cookies….
Linda Hansen
I have froze these cookies and they freeze very well
Johnny
Good stuff, but be aware that that bread has nothing to do with Finland. There’s a similar thing in Sweden called “Finska pinnar ” (=Finnish sticks). It’s a mystery why these are named this way.
Camilla
I know Johnny it is indeed a mystery and one that has puzzled me over the years!
Annelise Dent
I believe that because this is shortbread and brod is bread in Danish, they are calling them Finnish short breads.
Camilla
Not sure I’m following your logic, there are also Fedtebrod. I can still speak Danish but not as fluent as when I was a kid. https://www.fabfood4all.co.uk/danish-fedtebrod-coconut-cookie-slices/
Martina Evans
Lovely recipe, would love to try it someday – I just adore shortbread!
Lorraine Duff
mmm, looks very tasty 😀
Lisa Williams
I am saving these back so I can make them soon 🙂 Thank you for the recipe !
Camilla
Fab:-)
D.
Can you share your mother’s method too? Her method sounds more like what I grew up with from my Danish grandmother’s baking.
Camilla
Hi, well I have shared my mother’s method in the intro. She doesn’t have her recipe any more if that’s what you mean.
Maya Russell
I made ordinary shortbread yesterday. I love this take on it- the nuttiness.
Camilla
Thanks Maya, yes the nuts give it a lovely flavour!
Jacqueline Roberts
sounds great, would have loved a family recipe like this.
Camilla
Thanks Jacqueline:-)
Paul Wilson
I love seeing other cultures interpretations of recipes.
Amanda Beamish
I think I’ll give these a go this year instead of traditional shortbread. Thanks!
Camilla
Enjoy:-)
Maddy
We’re not almond fans in our house, so could we substitute pecan or walnut?
Camilla
I’ve never made biscuits with those particular nuts but I think hazlenuts would be good:-)
Ursula Hunt
love any type of shortbread with a cup of tea
Laura Cooper
Something a bit different to try!
Paul Wilson
Looks ideal for a summer’s afternoon tea.
Felicity Kelly
Lovely twist n shortbread!
Carolyn Clapham
Those sound delicious!
glenn hutton
Shortbread is my favourite biscuit…
Rachel O'neill
wow well i love shortbread but not heard of this, will have to give it a go
Camilla
Great:-)
Deepa
Looking delicious, I do ur mom’s version with egg wash n roll it over granulated sugar and nuts mixture. it turned out very well.
Camilla
So glad you enjoyed them:-)
Heather Haigh
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Jayne Sullivan
Thank you for the recipe. I must try to make these. Such a novel twist on the traditional shortbread recipe.
Ursula Hunt
These look lovely a good twist on traditional shortbread
Hafsah
I’d love to try this. We’re fans of shortbread.
Camilla
Fab:-)
KMayers
They look gorgeous. The almonds would make them a little more special. They’re certainly something I’ll be keeping in mind for when we have our usual ‘cake’ cooking sessions when the family descend each weekend 🙂
Camilla
Thanks, let me know how you get on:-)
Helen Allan
These look lovely. My husband is fantastic at making shortbread so I will show him this recipe and get him to make some for us. Can’t wait.
Paul Wilson
Nice variant of shortbread.
Camilla
Thank you, hope you give it a go sometime:-)
Maya Russell
We all love shortbread in our household. Will have to try this different recipe.
Camilla
We love the toasted nut topping:)
Laura
I really love the coating on these – one to try for sure =)
Camilla
Thanks – they are really tasty:-)
What Kate Baked
Thank you very much for entering TTT and Happy Christmas!
Camilla
A pleasure and Happy Christmas to you too:-)
Anneli Faiers
Mmmm, so simple and so delicious! What a lovely recipe 🙂
Camilla
Thank you Anneli:-)
DANIELLE VEDMORE
I adore shortbread – I like the twist with the nuts! A definite ‘must do!’
Camilla
Thanks;-)
Laura@howtocookgoodfood
Love the sound of this recipe, always have had a soft spot for anything shortbread based but think the added almond and sugar topping makes them more interesting. I remember those tins of Danish butter cookies, used to love them!
Camilla
Thanks Laura. We used to have the Danish Butter Cookies in the house too but after tasting mums there was never any comparison they all just tasted the same.
Javelin Warrior
Shortbread cookies (even the kind that come in tins) are one of my favorite holiday cookies. I don’t know why, precisely. Maybe all the butter. But I think it’s also the texture… These sound wonderful, Camilla, and certainly better than the tinned variety!
Camilla
Thanks Mark:-) I suppose if you’ve never had a home baked Danish cookie then the tinned ones seem OK but I just can’t eat them as they seem one dimentional to me and all taste exactly the same.
Angela
This makes a nice change from the traditional Scottish shortbread we have every year. Lovely festive photos.
Camilla
Thank you Angela, yes the almonds add a whole new dimension:-)