Culture shock!
Do you still remember Aqua, a Scandinavian band that was popular 6 or 7 years ago. One time (I was in Singapore) saw them on TV interview by a VJ. He asked them, 'How can you see in the dark winter?' (the country has totally darkness for months) . The lead singer luckily could stopped strangling herself (or him!) on time before screaming out 'We have street lamps!'. I believed the VJ just meant, 'How's thing going in such days?' . When we come across another culture, we better avoid to interpret things too literally. Same attitude applies to food... have you ever blamed the foreign recipe that you just failed terribly?
I love
The Great Scandinavian Baking Book from Beatrice Ojakangas, and her recipes always give very satisfactory results. Except one time I tried my hand at her Norwegian Christmas cookies, everything just didn't turn out right, what's wrong? Suddenly a light bulb flashed over my head... this recipe's about Norway, in Christmas time (feel that freezing cold air?). That explained why I was struggling with my messy dough in that afternoon...errr in New Jersey, in mid summer! The process to understand another culture can be very frustrated, but also very inspirating.
Recipe of Fried cardamom cookies
(Recipe courtesy Beatrice Ojakangas from her book The Great Scandinavian Baking Book)
Yield: about 4 dozens
*, 3 - 4 cm diameter rings
* My note: this recipe yields a lot of cookies so that I will have enough to freeze for futher use. You sure can just halve the recipe
- 4 cups of plain flour
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 110 g (8 oz) butter room temperature
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup of sugar
- powder sugar
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cardamom, salt and cream of tartar.
In another mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until very pale and fluffy, add egg, one at a time.
Combine the flour mixture and the butter mixture. Press the dough like a disk, wrap, chill in the fridge for half day.
Take a small portion of dough (about 2 tablespoons), shape into a 5-inch long strand and make it into circle. Use a scissor or knife to cut the outside edge.
Pre-heat 2-inch deep oil, fry the cookies over medium/ medium-high heat, adjust the heat from time to time.
Springle powder sugar over the cookies to serve.
Culture shock! Do you still remember Aqua, a Scandinavian band that was popular 6 or 7 years ago. One time (I was in Singapore) saw them on TV interview by a VJ. He asked them, 'How can you see in the dark winter?' (the country has totally darkness for months) . The lead singer luckily could stopped strangling herself (or him!) on time before screaming out 'We have street lamps!'. I believed the VJ just meant, 'How's thing going in such days?' . When we come across another culture, we better avoid to interpret things too literally. Same attitude applies to food... have you ever blamed the foreign recipe that you just failed terribly?
I love The Great Scandinavian Baking Book from Beatrice Ojakangas, and her recipes always give very satisfactory results. Except one time I tried my hand at her Norwegian Christmas cookies, everything just didn't turn out right, what's wrong? Suddenly a light bulb flashed over my head... this recipe's about Norway, in Christmas time (feel that freezing cold air?). That explained why I was struggling with my messy dough in that afternoon...errr in New Jersey, in mid summer! The process to understand another culture can be very frustrated, but also very inspirating.
Recipe of Fried cardamom cookies
(Recipe courtesy Beatrice Ojakangas from her book The Great Scandinavian Baking Book)
Yield: about 4 dozens *, 3 - 4 cm diameter rings
* My note: this recipe yields a lot of cookies so that I will have enough to freeze for futher use. You sure can just halve the recipe
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cardamom, salt and cream of tartar.
In another mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until very pale and fluffy, add egg, one at a time.
Combine the flour mixture and the butter mixture. Press the dough like a disk, wrap, chill in the fridge for half day.
Take a small portion of dough (about 2 tablespoons), shape into a 5-inch long strand and make it into circle. Use a scissor or knife to cut the outside edge.
Pre-heat 2-inch deep oil, fry the cookies over medium/ medium-high heat, adjust the heat from time to time.
Springle powder sugar over the cookies to serve.
Gattina you rock- I truly bow down to you. This is the kind of thing that I would drool over but not have enough courage to make...esp bec it is fried. V true insight about understanding other cultures.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous in every way. Aroma, flavor and eye candy all in one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the entry to WHB.
very nice recipe...and they look superb.Just excellent.Thanks for sharing gattina.
ReplyDeleteWow, those look great. Fried cookies, very interesting.
ReplyDeletegattina, what a wonderful seasonal recipe.nice pic.
ReplyDeleteThey do look very yummy. I like it also that WHB helps us learn so much about other places and cultures.
ReplyDeleteI am coming back again and again to look at these photos. Looks like a sculpture, you are just fabulous Gattina.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely amazing! These do very much look like little sculptures/works of art...
ReplyDeleteGattina, these cookies look so lovely!
ReplyDeleteYou gave me a good idea for Christmas - just have to pray for the weather to help (I live in Brazil).
The thing you said about understanding another culture is very nice and true.
I had classes in the university about USA and UK, since I studied English. The professor used to tell us the it would be a lot easier to learn the language if we knew at least a bit about the countries, the people, etc.
This is so so so so so beautiful!
ReplyDeletethat is really nice... so artistic and it looks very good!
ReplyDeleteCiao.
lovely recipe Gattina. will give it a try.
ReplyDeletecallipygia, thanks for your sweet comment :D True, my family here likes fried food, just doesn't like to do it. But I made fried food since I was a little girl :)
ReplyDeletemeeta, thanks! I'll "see" you again at the recap.
meena kandlakuti, you're most welcome :D
Sher, you always make me smile :) Maynot ideal for gift though as the fried food best to consume in the same day.
Peabody, thanks! You'll see fried cookies actually very common, esp Italian or other European styles :)
Shaheen, thanks a lot to your compliment!
Kalyn, same sentiment here *wink*
Archana, I'm really flattered, esp you're an excellent cake maker, what you said really means a lot to me. Thank you so much my friend!
Ellie, thank you :D You know I actually did nothing special except piling up that rings, hehee...
Patricia, thank you for your comment! Your professioner is really right! I'd learnt English in school (in a non-English speaking country) close to 20 years, but realized that I actually couldn't speak this language after I moved to Singapore (English speaking country).
Angie, thank you so much! Long time ago nora (from KC) asked me about this recipe, but didn't hear from her, wonder if she encountered the same problem, hehee...
Orchidea, you're so sweet!
Confessiom: I've never eaten cardamon, but if you can make this cookies I'll try immediately!
ReplyDeleteBaci
What lovely looking cookies! I was in Finland once and tried a pastry called a "pulla" a dallas pulla in particular...I loved it so so much...would your cookbook have it by any chance? :)
ReplyDeleteOnce again, another beautiful presentation!
ReplyDeleteOMG!! Those cookies look awesome!!
ReplyDeleteIt's a cardamom cookie tree! I love it! They sound delicious - they look delicious - therefore they must be delicious, yes? =)) Beautiful, my friend, just beautiful :D
ReplyDeletewow, gattina, those are truly stunning! you have such a gift for putting a dish together!
ReplyDeleteHi Darling! my birthday will be on 24th of november!!!!
ReplyDeleteReally your mother in law is from Penne? I know this village very well! We go there in august for a fantastic Summer feast and....there are so many things to eat!
These look simply out of this world Gattina. I have to try this. Deep fried and use of cardamom ... hmm .. I can already imagine the taste.
ReplyDeleteLook at this pile of sweet treats! God Lord. Gorgeous once more, Gattina!
ReplyDeleteGattina, you're incredible! You have wonderful recipes and they come with great presentation. I wish I had the same patience for baking.
ReplyDeletehow pretty is that! A Cardamom cookie that is fried, this recipe has delicious written all over it, it looks amazing too, like a christmas tree, would make a perfect little treat for X'mas !
ReplyDeleteThis truly looks and sounds wonderful! I love the name fried cardamom cookies. I can already imagine how it tastes.
ReplyDeletePaz
Hi gattina. thats an awesome looking cookie! I like the way how the picture looks too :)
ReplyDeleteOh my! These look AMAZING and I bet they taste even better. And you are one inspiring food blogger!
ReplyDeleteAri (Baking and Books)
I have recently discovered your blog and I am in love...beautiful writting, recipes and pictures.
ReplyDeleteThis recipe is brilliant. I love cardamom, and anything fried rocks!
Saffron, maybe you can tell me more... I don't often see cardamom in Italian cooking.
ReplyDeleteJoey, thanks for visiting my blog :D I'll go and look if there's any pulla in that book (it's not in my house now). I'll tell you in your blog later.
Brilynn sweetheart, thanks for your sweet comment!
Nabeela, oh thank you thank you :D
Lis my dear, yea, they're delish!
Anita, I'm really very flattered :D You're another great baker I admire!
Krithika, thank you my friend! This lady she makes great recipes, or just because I like deep-fried/ rich food.
Bea daring, thanks a lot *hug*
burcu, oh you're so sweet! The process of learning all the baking rules is really pain in a neck! But once things in my mind, they become a second nature, any other will come out easy. I didn't mention in my post... actually I make these cookies everyday, even in hot hot summer... is a breeze for me now :D
Monisha, thanks for your sweet compliement! Thanks for giving me the idea of mini X'mas tree *smooch*
Paz, if we live closer I'll bring over some for our tea time :D
Ari, oh you're very sweet! Thanks for your encouragement!
Hi yummie dummies, it's lovely to have your visit!
Helene *high five* A lot of people have misconception fried-food fatty. But for me the key is moderation. And I'm really happy to have your visit too!
oh wow...i just looked at this entry for DMBLGIT nov 2006...you're amazing! i love your blog and will coming back regularly :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post about that culture thing. I experienced that a lot :)
ReplyDeleteThese are so beautiful. I loved them when I saw them. Today I made the dough and fried them tonight. It was a flop! boo hoo! Ok what did I do wrong? I made the dough as you said and let it rest half the day. When I took it out and tried to make rings it just melted into my hands and became a sticky mess. I tried adding more flour and it helped but they were heavy and I could not get them to have the uniform edge that you did. Help I really want to make these for an upcoming party. Best Wishes and I absolutely love your site! Banu
ReplyDeleteBanu, thanks for letting me know the result! I went back to double-check my ingrident list and discovered a typo. Instead of 4 cups I typed 2 cups by mistakes. I have revised the whole list. I apologize.
ReplyDeleteGattina,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for letting me know. I thought I was really doing something wrong. I added more flour to mine but it was hit or miss. I will try the revised version hopefully! Thanks for getting back to me so soon. Best Wishes Banu