Smør Nordic Bakeri pastry chef says these cookies are must-bakes. Here's how to make them
Does anybody really need an excuse to eat a cookie?
Of course not.
But when the universe presents us with a gift like National Cookie Day, this year on Dec. 4, well, we might as well make the most of it.
And cookies, in case you hadn’t noticed, have come a long way from the perfectly tasty, but pretty basic treats a lot of us grew up on. Scroll through Instagram any day and find tantalizing works of art that also happen to be cookies you can scarf down. I was stopped short in my scrolling recently when I saw some of the latest creations from Smør Nordic Bakeri pastry chef Lizabeth Nagel. It’s easy to see why the bakery at 3797 Poplar Level Road has a cult following when you take a spin through its offerings.
Who better, then, to ask for some recipes and tips for Cookie Day? (And, let's be serious, for the upcoming holiday season, too).
Lizabeth happily obliged with a twofer: a dreamy upgrade to the childhood chocolate chip cookie, and a traditional Scandinavian soft almond cookie called a Kringla. And while you can get either of these at the bakery, Lizabeth shared a bake-it-yourself recipe for each.
If you’re looking for the perfect seasonal cookie, start with the Kringla. A popular cookie at Yule time, it “has a really soft texture, kind of like the inside of a sour cream doughnut,” Lizabeth told the Courier Journal. “And it's really soft and fluffy and delicious. It's one of my very favorite things to eat.”
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It has a couple of steps so it might be best for more of a moderate baker than a beginner, she says, but follow the steps below and you should be good.
If the Kringla isn't your speed, try her recipe for the Smörk Cookie. If you thought it didn’t get any better than your childhood chocolate chip cookie, think again. This ooey-gooey take on the classic features a twist in the form of Swedish mörk syrup, dark chocolate chips, and toffee.
“It’s an adventure in there,” Lizabeth says, adding that molasses or sorghum can be swapped for the mörk syrup, which isn't super easy to find in Louisville.
Extra kudos to you if you can follow Lizabeth’s instructions to let them sit for five minutes after they bake before gobbling them up.
And one more thing before you begin. The key to both of these cookies is perfectly browned butter, she says. Here’s how to get the essential ingredient:
You’ll need a medium saucepan and a heat-safe bowl. Take a pound of butter and split in half, two sticks in the pan and two sticks in the bowl. Heat the butter in the pan on medium-low stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn. Your butter will turn golden brown and toasty in about 10-15 minutes.
Pour hot butter into the bowl with the remaining two sticks of butter and allow to cool.
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Now that you have the recipe for the secret browned butter ingredient, try out her special cookie recipes for National Cookie Day on Dec. 4, the upcoming holiday season, or just because you want a cookie. There's nothing wrong with that!
Happy baking, everyone!
Tell Dana! Send your restaurant “Dish” to Dana McMahan at thecjdish@gmail.com and follow @bourbonbarbarella on Instagram.
Kringla
Recipe courtesy Lizabeth Nagel, Smør Nordic Bakeri
1 cup sugar
1/3 pound brown butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons almond extract
1 tablespoon vanilla bean
5 egg yolks
4 to 4 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
In a medium mixing bowl, add cooled brown butter and sugar, and beat on medium speed till fluffy and light. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add buttermilk, sour cream, almond extract, vanilla, and egg yolks. Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt next, then flour one cup at a time till soft dough forms.
Refrigerate for four hours or overnight. (Pro tip: Do not skip this step to avoid your dough being too sticky.)
Portion out two-inch balls from chilled dough.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to approximately 10-inches in length. Connect the loop and cross in the center creating an eight-shaped figure.
Bake at 375 degrees 5-8 minutes until golden edges appear and the top bounces back when tapped lightly.
Kringla cookies will keep about three days at room temperature or can be frozen. They’re perfect with a cup of coffee or tea, or, of course, on their own.
Smørk Cookie
Recipe courtesy Lizabeth Nagel, Smør Nordic Bakeri
1 pound brown butter, cooled
2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoon mørk syrup or light molasses
2 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 yolks
2 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla or, for a decadent boost, try Nielsen Massey vanilla bean paste
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cup chopped toffee (Heath Bits ’o Brickle available at Kroger)
3 cups dark chocolate chips
In a large mixing bowl, combine cooled brown butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, mørk syrup or light molasses, and salt. Beat on medium speed for approximately 8-10 minutes, scraping the bowl after the 4-minute mark to incorporate the butter on the sides of the bowl.
Next add yolks, eggs, and baking soda to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix on low for one minute, scrape sides again.
Finally add flour, chocolate chips and toffee bits at low speed until fully incorporated. Chill dough for 4 hours, portion into one-ounce balls (a tablespoon or cookie portioner both works great for this step) and bake on 375 degrees for 8-12 minutes. You know your cookie is just perfect when it has a golden brown edge and is just beginning to set in the center.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville restaurants: Smør Nordic Bakeri cookie recipes
