Kransakaka Recipes

PAUL'S KRANSEKAKE

Steps:

• Place the ground almonds and icing sugar in a large electric mixer. Add the egg whites and almond extract and mix with a dough hook. This could be done by hand but is easier with a mixer due to the large quantities. Cover the bowl with cling film and chill in the fridge for a minimum of two hours, or preferably overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/400G/Gas 6.
• Lightly brush the insides of the kransekake moulds with vegetable oil. Sprinkle a little semolina into each mould and tip the moulds to distribute the semolina evenly around the inside, shaking out any excess.
• Divide the chilled dough into six equal-sized pieces.
• Divide one of the pieces of dough into three different-sized pieces: one small, one medium and one large. Dust a work surface lightly with flour and roll each piece out into finger-width lengths that are long enough to wrap round the kransekake moulds.
• Fit the longest piece of dough inside the largest kransekake ring, pressing the ends together to seal. Do the same with the medium-sized and smallest pieces of dough. Repeat this process with the remaining five pieces of dough.
• Bake the kransekakes in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until golden-brown, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool in their moulds until hardened. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, for the icing, whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. Gradually whisk in the icing sugar a spoonful at a time, until stiff, glossy peaks form when the whisk is removed.
• Spoon half of the icing into a separate bowl and add the red food colouring. Whisk until the icing is bright red, then spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a small plain writing nozzle. Spoon the white icing into a separate piping bag fitted with a small plain writing nozzle.
• To assemble the kransekake, sort the cooked rings into size order.
• Pipe a few dots of white icing onto the base of the largest ring and stick it to a large serving plate.
• Pipe zig-zag patterns onto the largest ring using first the white, then the red icing, overlapping the two. Sprinkle with red, green and silver edible glitter.
• Place the second-largest ring on top of the largest ring and repeat the icing and decorating process.
• Continue to stack the rings in decreasing size order until you have a tower of 18 iced and glittery rings. Allow the icing to set (this will stick the rings to each other), then serve.

KRANSEKAKE

Steps:

• Dough: Place almonds in a food processor and process to form fine crumbs, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and salt and process until well combined and powder-like, about 1 minute. Add egg whites and process until a dough forms (it will have the texture of cookie dough). Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 300°F with oven rack in the middle. Brush a set of 6 kransekake molds with butter. Divide dough in half. Working with one half of dough at a time, cut into small portions and roll into ropes that are slightly thicker than the diameter of a pencil (about 3/8-inch-to-1/2-inch thick). Fit ropes into rings of 3 molds, trimming to fit. Place molds on an unrimmed baking sheet and bake until puffed and lightly golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer molds to a wire rack and let cool completely on baking sheet. Repeat shaping and baking process with remaining half of dough and remaining 3 molds. Carefully remove rings from molds.
• Royal Icing: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine confectioners' sugar and egg whites. Mix on medium-high speed until combined and thickened, about 8 minutes. If decorating with more than one color, divide icing into batches. Using the end of a toothpick, add food coloring until the desired shade is achieved.
• To Assemble: Sort rings in order of size. Fill a piping bag with icing and pipe a few dots onto the base of the largest ring and adhere to a cake plate. Pipe icing onto the base of next largest ring, and stack on top of the first ring. Repeat process, continuing to stack rings in decreasing size to form a tower of 18 rings. Decorate as desired. Allow icing to set before serving.

KRANSEKAKE (18-LAYER NORWEGIAN WEDDING CAKE)

Steps:

• Mix almond meal and powdered sugar until there are no lumps.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. (A stand mixer works best for this.).
• Whites should stand straight in a peak when you lift out the beater.
• Reserve 2/3 cup of the egg whites, and mix remaining egg whites into almond flour/powdered sugar mixture with a wooden spoon or with your fingers.
• The dough will be thick and should have the texture of cookie dough.
• Place the dough into a cookie press.
• Using a star-shaped disk, press the dough into kransekake rings that have been greased and coated with bread crumbs or white corn meal.
• Test one ring by baking at 325 degrees for 15 minutes.
• If this sample has tunnels, you may need to add a little more powdered sugar.
• If the dough doesn't rise, you may need to add a little more of the egg white.
• Do not over bake.
• After baking all the cake rings, cool to nearly cold before removing the cake from the rings.
• The cake should be only be slightly brown on the tips of the dough.
• After baking all the cake rings, cool to nearly cold before removing the cake from the rings.
• Use a thin knife to start lifting each ring out gently.
• If a ring breaks, save it and serve it in little pieces around the bottom of the cake.
• You can either stack the rings into a cone shape and lightly drizzle icing in a scallop pattern or v-pattern around each ring, or you can drizzle the rings with icing first and then stack them into a cone.
• If you would like to freeze the kransekake, fill empty ice cream buckets with the unfrosted rings layered between sheets of waxed paper.
• Icing:.
• Mix powered sugar with a little melted butter.

KRANSEKAKE (NORWEGIAN ALMOND RING CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line 2 sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine confectioners' sugar, ground almonds, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add unbeaten egg whites one at a time, mixing until a firm dough forms. Knead dough for 2 minutes until it holds together and doesn't fall apart easily.
• Roll dough into 18 ropes the thickness of your index finger, each rope a little longer than the next. Shape each rope into a ring. Arrange rings on the baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Watch smaller circles carefully, as they may finish baking before the larger ones. Remove from the oven and let cool.
• Mix confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract together to make icing. Pour icing into a piping bag fitted with a small tip.
• Place a doily on a serving plate. Pipe a ring of icing as large as the largest cake ring. Place the largest cake ring on the icing. Pipe icing in a zig-zag pattern over the ring. Stack remaining cake rings on top, from largest to smallest, piping icing between each ring.

KRANSAKAKA

Steps:

• Put everything in a large stand mixer with a dough hook and mix until sugar is incorporated. Transfer to a large pot over medium low heat and continue to knead dough for 20-30 min. Dough should be smooth, add powdered sugar if needed. Cool dough, shape according to directions on kransekage forms.

SCANDIA KRANSEKAKE/KRANSAKAKE

Steps:

• Break almond paste into small pieces.
• Mix in well 3/4 cup of sugar.
• Add unbeaten egg whites, mix.
• Add rest of sugar, mix.
• Grease rings and flour heavily.
• Bake at 325 for 13-15 minutes.

CHAKALAKA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; stir in onions and bell peppers. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add carrots, tomatoes, green chiles, water, bouillon cube, curry powder, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook until mixture is well combined and thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.