Finnish Cookies Joulutort Stars Recipes

FINNISH STAR COOKIES -JOULUTORTTU

Steps:

• Do not preheat the oven. This recipe requires chill time.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese. Beat for one minute until well combined. Add sugar and lemon zest and cream together for about two minutes until light and fluffy. Add in one egg, and mix until well combined. Slowly add in the dry ingredients on low speed until thoroughly incorporated. Use a rubber spatula to clean down the sides of the bowl and combine the ingredients back into the dough.
• Separate the dough into two portions, wrap each in saran wrap and place in the fridge for a minimum of one hour, or until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Roll out one of the dough packs (keep the other pack in the fridge until needed) on a lightly floured surface until 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 3-1/2″ squares either using a cookie cutter or using a knife. Transfer the squares onto the lined baking sheet, about 1-1/2 inches apart.
• In the center of the squares, drop a teaspoon of raspberry preserves. Take a knife and gently cut from each point of the square up to the preserves. Pull up one side of the cut triangle and gently fold it to the center of the preserves. Continue to do this on the three other sides, and secure the tips together by gently pressing the dough together.
• Next, you will prepare the egg wash, by whisking one egg and lightly brushing it on to the tops of the Finnish Star Cookies.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the cookies are slightly puffed. Let cool on baking sheet for about five minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

FINNISH STAR COOKIES (JOULUTORTTU)

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and cream cheese on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Add sugar and lemon zest and continue to beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 1 egg and beat until combined. Beat in flour mixture on low speed until combined. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a square, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove one-half of dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured sheet of parchment, roll out dough into a square about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out squares using a 3 1/2-inch square cutter, then carefully transfer to prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart. If dough becomes too soft, transfer parchment with dough to a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm.
• Place 1 teaspoon preserves in the center of each square. Using a small paring knife, cut 1 1/4-inch slits diagonally from each corner toward the filling. Fold every other tip over to cover filling, forming a pinwheel. Press lightly to seal. If dough becomes soft, refrigerate until firm.
• Lightly beat remaining egg with remaining pinch of salt. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush tops of cookies with egg wash. Bake until edges are golden and cookies are slightly puffed, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

FINNISH CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Gradually beat in flour and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. , Roll out onto a well-floured surface to 1/4-in. thickness. Brush lightly with egg. Sprinkle with almonds and sugar if desired. Using a fluted pastry cutter or knife, cut into 2x1-in. strips. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. , Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

FINNISH CARDAMOM COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and cardamon.
• In another bowl, beat egg until frothy.
• Beat sugar and butter into egg. Mix well.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix until batter is smooth.
• Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased and floured cookie sheet.
• Bake in 350° oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until brown.

JOULUTORTTU (FINNISH CHRISTMAS STAR COOKIES)

Steps:

• In a large bowl beat together butter and ricotta cheese with an electric hand mixer. Add the flour, and mix until a soft dough comes together.
• Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a ball and wrap each ball in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours (up to overnight), until firm.
• Preheat your oven to 425F.
• Lightly flour your countertop and roll out one section of dough to a rectangle (roughly 12 x 9 inches) that is about an 1/8 inch thick.
• Cut the dough into 3-inch squares.
• In each square, make four cuts, one from each corner, each going 1/2 - 2/3 of the way to the center of the square.
• Spoon 1 teaspoon of jam in the center of each square.
• Fold every other corner of each square over the jam. Use the beaten egg wash to moisten the corners slightly and lightly press to seal the corners together over top of the jam.
• Transfer your pinwheel cookie to a parchment lined baking sheet, placing the cookies 1 inch apart.
• Repeat with the second half of the dough.
• Lightly brush the tops of the cookies with the beaten egg.
• Bake the cookies 10-12 minutes, until golden.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once the cookies are cool, dust them lightly with powdered sugar.
• Store the cookies in an air-tight container on the counter for 3-4 days.

PIPARKAKUT - FINNISH GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine butter, sugar, corn syrup and spices in a saucepan.
• Over low-medium heat, stir ingredients constantly until ingredients look like they are about to boil.
• Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Allow sugar mixture to cool to room temperature.
• Stirring occasionally might help speed up this process.
• Stir eggs into cooled sugar mixture.
• Sift flour and baking soda together and add to sugar mixture.
• Mix well.
• Roll dough into a ball.
• Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours or overnight.
• Split dough into 2 parts; Roll dough about 1/4-inch thick on a clean, floured surface.
• Cut into desired shapes.
• Bake in preheated oven at 350°F for about 10-15 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
• Cookies can be left plain, or decorated with pipped icing.
• NOTE: This makes a crisp cookie, if a softer cookie is desired you may substitute brown sugar for the granulated sugar.

FINNISH RAUMA COOKIES (RAUMAN PIPARKAKUT - FINLAND)

Steps:

• Beat eggs with the sugar until light. Stif in melted butter, sour cream and brandy.
• In another bowl, sift together the flour, cookie crumbs, soda, baking powder and spices.
• Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Mix well. Dough will be very soft. Refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350. Make 1-inch balls with your hands. Put them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or lightly greased.
• Bake until nicely browned, about 15 minutes. Let cookies dry at room temperature a day before storing them in airtight tins.

FINNISH PEPPER COOKIES - PIPARKAKUT

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the syrup, cinnamon, allspice, pepper, cloves, ginger, butter, and sugar, and bring it to a boil.
• Remove the mixture from the heat, transfer it into a bowl, and let cool.
• Stir in the egg, cream, soda, and flour; cover and place in the refrigerator and let chill overnight.
• When ready to make cookies, preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Roll the dough out very thin, using about 1/2 cup of the dough at a time and cut it into your desired shapes.
• Lightly grease a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes until the cookies are lightly brown, crisp but not too dark.
• Recipe makes about 8 dozen 2-inch cookies.

FINNISH COOKIES "JOULUTORT STARS"

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all dough ingredients, in a large bowel, with your hands. (it must be with your clean hands no rings on please.) Once all the ingredients are well mixed let the dough. Important: Chill for a few hours!
• Sprinkle flour on your clean kitchen counter.Take half of the dough out, and leave the other half in the refrigerator. Roll out and cut into several 3 inch sguares with a knife.
• Cut slits in all 4 corners of each square. Fill the center with a couple teaspoons of filling.
• Then create the star by pulling down alternate corners of the squares. Press the alternate corners down into the filling to make them stick. Do the same with the second half of cookie dough.
• Bake on an ungreased coolie sheet, at 350 degrees F. for about 12-15 minutes. You will start to smell the butter and cream cheese. But really just take a peek, if they have a nice golden color they are done. Cool on wire racks. ....Sprinkle with powdered sugar...when cool.