Finsk Brød (Finnish Shortbread)

As a child not a Christmas went by without my Danish mum baking a whole array of traditional biscuits and cookies. Finsk Brød (Finnish Shortbread) is a recipe that she learned to make at school and no doubt her own mother would have made.

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 but 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 really simple to make and taste utterly divine, just as I remember! They are far superior to those tins of Danish Butter Cookies that you can get in the supermarket, but then aren’t all homemade cookies?

If you’re wanting to make someone an edible gift this Christmas then these would make lovely gifts wrapped in cellophane or placed in small festive tins.

I am entering this post into Javelin Warriors Made with Love Mondays challenge as it is made from scratch. Then as this is a Christmas recipe I am also entering it into Simply Food’s Lets Cook Christmas Party Food event.  Cakeyboi is hosting the challenge Treat Petite (co hosted by The Baking Explorer) here the theme is Happy Holidays so I’m also entering this event too. Finally the Tea Time Treats theme is Festive Foodie Gifts and is being hosted by What Kate Baked for the last time (Lavender & Lovage is co founder)

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

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Finsk Brød (Finnish Shortbread)

A traditional yuletide Scandinavian shortbread cookie topped with a tasty glaze of chopped almonds and sugar.

Course Snack, teatime

Cuisine Danish

Keyword cookies, scandinavian, shortbread

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 60 pieces

Author Camilla Hawkins

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 tblsp Granulated sugar
• 1 large free-range egg whisked for egg wash

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the sugar and cut in the butter.
3. Using you hand knead together to form a dough.
4. Roll dough out into a large rectangle about ½ cm deep.
5. Egg wash the surface and scatter on the chopped almonds and then the sugar.
6. Press down gently with your hand (to stop the nuts falling off).
7. Cut into rectangles 2 cm x 5 cm.
8. Place on baking paper on 2 large baking sheets.
9. Bake for about 10 minutes.
10. Allow to cool on baking trays for a couple of minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.