Nutmeg Cuts (Muskotsnittar)

Hej everyone!

To start this week off I wanted to dabble in some Swedish baking. Prior to this, the only Swedish baked good I have experience with is Pepparkakor (pepper-cock-er), which is a popular Swedish ginger snap. Knowing how much our family loves them, I began searching for some other gems in the Swedish baking category. After looking into some Swedish baking recipes, I stumbled upon a coffee break cookbook titled “Fika.” It is full of traditional and contemporary recipes as well as the history and culture behind them.

Swede’s have fika (pronounced “fee-ka”)  once a day, whether it’s alone or with a group of people. Fika is the act of taking a break and having a baked good alongside their cup of coffee (similar to the British tea time). This act of taking a break during the day to relax and rejuvenate, as well as spending time with one another, dates back to the early 1900’s. As I cook through this book, I will be tagging them with the label “fika”. In no time, we’ll have plenty of recipes where we’ll be able to have our own fika’s daily!

Featured below is the recipe for one of the more traditional fika pairings, muskotsnittar (pronounced “musk-ot-sneet-tar”), in English it translates to nutmeg cuts. It’s an easy and simple recipe that utilizes nutmeg and ginger, which are staples in Swedish baking. Muskotsnittar is similar to a shortbread cookie and rather dry, it definitely eats better with a cup of coffee used as dunkers. Now, there really isn’t anything fancy about this cookie either. It is rolled out into logs and given a simple linear design created by the backend of a fork. While it is simple and maybe not the prettiest cookie you’ll make, it’s definitely a great start and welcoming to Swedish baking.

Njut av! (Enjoy!) - Sean


Tips

When moving rolled logs from work surface to baking sheet, use a long kitchen knife underneath to support log and prevent from snapping. (I had trouble keeping the log in one piece and actually had to reconstruct them on sheet).

Make sure you mix sugar mix before adding butter. This will help prevent big clumps of nutmeg and brown sugar ending up in your cookies. After sugar mixture is mixed, then add butter and cream.

Be sure that you roll your logs to 1/4 inch and that they are even. Uneven logs will cause parts of the cookie to finish before others and will result in an uneven bake.

Nutmeg Cuts (Muskotsnittar)

Total Time - 1 hour; 45min. Prep / 15min. Cook; Yields - 40 cookies

Ingredients

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground ginger

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 sticks (room temperature)

2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together spices. Add the butter to sugar mixture and cream together until well blended (use a hand mixer and mix until it becomes one).

2. Mix in flour and work together with your hands until dough is firm.

3. Cover the dough and let sit in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

5. Divide dough into 4 equal parts and roll each into a log about 12-14 inches long and 4 inches wide. Place logs on baking sheet and flatten out to 1/4 inch thick. (2 logs should fit per baking tray).

6. Using the back of a fork, lightly press into the dough to create a linear design.

7. Bake the logs for 15-17 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before cutting each log into 10 equal sized slices.

8. Store in an airtight container and enjoy with coffee!