Brunkager - traditional spiced biscuits, the authentic taste of Danish Christmas
Servings: 80 –100 biscuits, depending on size
© danishthings.com A classic for the Danish Christmas coffee table - or hygge with a glass of gløgg.
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Ingredients
Wet 1
- 125 g butter
- 75 g dark baking syrup - alternative - dark corn syrup or 50/50 golden syrup and black treacle/molasses
- 125 g sugar
- 4 tsp “brunkager spice mix” * - or gingerbread spice, mixed spice, speculaas spice...
Wet 2
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tsp potassium carbonate ** - potash/baker's ammonia
Dry
- 250 g plain flour or cake flour
- 50 g almonds *** - blanched or unblanched
- 15 g finely chopped candied citron peel **** - sukat in Danish
- 15 g finely chopped candied orange peel ****
Instructions
Wet 1
- Place butter, syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Melt over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture is warm but does not boil.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl for your stand mixer/hand mixer, add the spices, and use the dough hook(s). Mix until the mixture is lukewarm.
Dry
- Combine the dry ingredients, ensuring the candied peels are well coated with flour.
Wet 2
- Dissolve the potassium carbonate in the water BEFORE stirring it into the mixture, then add it to the dough, alternating with the dry ingredients.
- Mix until smooth and uniform.
Resting
- Place the dough in a freezer bag, form it into a long roll or log, and then place it in the fridge.
- You can also divide the dough into 2 and put the other half in the freezer.
- The dough must rest overnight in the fridge before baking, but it keeps for much longer (see notes).
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 175°C fan (conventional: 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5).
- Slice the dough into thin slices 1-2 mm, place them on a baking tray lined with baking parchment.
- Bake the biscuits for about 5 minutes. KEEP AN EYE ON THEM - they darken quickly.
- Allow the brunkager to cool on a cooling rack.
- Store your biscuits in an airtight container in a dry place. If they lose their crunch, reheat them at 150°C fan (conventional: 170°C/340°F/Gas Mark 3) for 3–5 minutes to restore their crispness.
Notes
* See “Brunkager spice mix” recipe below.
** Potassium carbonate (potash/E501) is a traditional leavening agent used in Scandinavian Christmas biscuits. It gives a crisp texture. Available from specialist baking suppliers or Scandinavian food shops. Can be substituted with 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) mixed with 1 tsp cream of tartar if necessary, though the texture will differ slightly.
*** Almonds can be blanched or unblanched.
**** Sukat and orange peel can be substituted with each other, with candied lemon peel, candied ginger, pistachio nuts or extra almonds.
The dough can be stored for 1–2 weeks in the fridge or longer in the freezer.
** Potassium carbonate (potash/E501) is a traditional leavening agent used in Scandinavian Christmas biscuits. It gives a crisp texture. Available from specialist baking suppliers or Scandinavian food shops. Can be substituted with 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) mixed with 1 tsp cream of tartar if necessary, though the texture will differ slightly.
*** Almonds can be blanched or unblanched.
**** Sukat and orange peel can be substituted with each other, with candied lemon peel, candied ginger, pistachio nuts or extra almonds.
The dough can be stored for 1–2 weeks in the fridge or longer in the freezer.
Private notes
Bruger du US Customary, vær opmærksom på, at opskriften er lavet metrisk, og omregnet via et plugin.
If you use US Customary, remember that the recipe is made using Metric and converted via a plugin.