Shortbread Cookies - Norwegian Morkaker

I don't know about you, but I greatly enjoy meeting people who have different food traditions than mine. You get to know a lot about people (do you eat from a common pot or tray ~as some African nations, or is everything in separate bowls~as in some Asian nations). Food and eating is a common denominator for all peoples. Forget stuffy boardrooms and press conferences. Let's have world peace kitchens.  Come in, by my side, let's share, exchange food and traditions, and talk.

Sweeti-Pi's sister's beloved Lloyd is Norwegian and I savor every word as he speaks of his childhood and the foods he remembers and loves.  Lloyd nearly waxes poetic as he speaks of his mother's fish recipes (herring and salmon in particular it seems), but fish is something I try once every couple of years, just to confirm, yep, still don't like it. 

So, that leaves me with baked goodies, a task I undertake with delight for Lloyd. I saw this simple recipe on Norway-Hei.com and could not resist its simplicity.   I can assure you with great enthusiasm, I loved these cookies.  Methinks these are a cousin to the snickerdoodle, not so much cinnamon and sugar, but lots of gorgeous butter,  tender, slightly crispy.  This cookie is going to be year 'round favorite with me for its ease of preparation, simple pantry ingredients, and delicious flavor.

Alas, I cannot say how the cookies went over with Lloyd.  I can attest that his and Susan's three naughty cats liked them, as the box I packaged them in was gnawed on and broken into...apparently the aroma was irresistible to them...

The dough requires a couple hours of refrigerator time, so you might want to start these earlier in the day and putter about until you're ready to bake.

Norwegian Morkaker - Shortbread Cookies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, no substitutes (!)

2/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

cinnamon-sugar mixture (roughly 1/4 cup sugar with 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon)

In a medium-sized bowl, cream the butter and sugar until white and creamy, about 6 minutes.  Add the flour gradually until well blended. 

Chill the dough in the refrigerator, about 30 minutes.  Remove the dough and place on waxed paper and form a 2-inch roll.  Place back in the refrigerator to complete cooling (about two hours).

Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on all sides of the outside of the cookie roll.  Cut into slices and place on cookie sheets. Bake at 387*F for 10 minutes.  Cool cookies completely before placing in airtight tin.

**MY NOTES:  I took a shortcut with this recipe that seemed to work pretty well.  After mixing all the ingredients, the dough is crumbly, but will form a mass if gently squeezed.  I ripped off a two foot or so piece of waxed paper and squeezed the dough into a rough cylinder, and then rolled the dough in the wax paper, shaping further as I rolled it.  I cut off any excess waxed paper, tucking ends up to form a neat cylinder and then just popped in the refrigerator for two hours.  No need to handle the dough twice.

The cinnamon adhered well to the dough roll, but the sugar wasn't quite so cooperative.  I spread a line of cinnamon sugar mix on the waxed paper and gently, but firmly rolled my cylinder of dough back and forth through it.

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