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
Pin these Finsk Brød for later!
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 tblsp 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.
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:-)