Wednesday, January 05, 2005

Ode to krumkaker

“A little piece of heaven,” is one description of them. Krumkaker (pronounced KROOM-ka-kuh) are trumpet-shaped cookies. The batter is cooked on a griddle or iron, then rolled around a wooden cone to shape it. The iron has an intricate relief pattern that is transferred to the cookie. One way to eat them is like an ice cream cone filled with cream and berries.

I became familiar with this traditional Norwegian delicacy thanks to The Lurker. Every December, his mother bakes batches of assorted cookies. The Lurker would often show up at seasonal gatherings with a tin of krumkaker in tow. The big tin is zealously guarded, because not many tins are suitable for transporting the brittle krumkaker. Before long, krumkaker became one of the highlights of my holiday season. Every year, I try to take home as many as I can get away with.

This season, I discovered that krumkaker make a lovely dessert combined with candlelight and Bailey’s Irish Cream. Their crisp lightness is a joy to savor and is always gone too soon, just like the holidays. Their ornately-patterned trumpet shape brings to mind some sort of edible Christmas tree ornament. One of these days, I’ll get a krumkaker set and try making some of my own. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the last few crumbs of this fleeting krumkaker season.

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