“You take a hole, and make a ring around it”. That was the recipe for Smultringer in the Norwegian Christmas TV series “Jul i Skomakergata” (Christmas in Cobbler Street). It was one of the most popular series in Norwegian TV history. Since the premiere in 1980, it has had countless reruns. Below you can see an excerpt while you enjoy your freshly baked Norwegian Smultringer.

Ingredients

5 eggs

8.8 oz sugar (250 grams)

1.6 oz butter, melted (½ deciliter)

5 oz heavy cream (1½ deciliters)

5 oz sour milk (1½ deciliters)

3 tablespoons hartshorn (Ammonium bicarbonate)

1 tablespoon ground cardamom

26.5 oz flour (750 grams)

Frying:

35 oz lard (1 kilogram)

Method

Whisk eggs and sugar until fluffy. Whip the cream stiff and mix with the egg mixture. Add milk. Mix in hartshorn, cardamom and most of the flour. Add butter and mix well. Leave it cool until the next day. Roll out the dough, about 1 cm thick, and cut out circles. Leave the donuts cool until the lard is ready. Heat the lard in a pot, preferably an iron pot. Fry the donuts golden brown on both sides. Use a stick to remove them from the pot, and let them drain on paper towels. Make sure the lard keeps a steady temperature throughout the cooking.

Tip: The dough is easier to work with if you leave it covered and cool over night before sticking out the donuts.

NOTE:

Use a wooden stick to see if the lard is hot enough. If it creates bubbles, it is ready for cooking. Be careful when you use lard. It gets extremely hot and it is easy to burn. Never put water on a grease fire and cover the pot with a metal lid to prevent an accident.

Text by: Anette Broteng Christiansen, ThorNews

Recipe: Tine

Photo: Melk.no

Categories: Culinary Surprises, Culture, History, Recipes, Traditional Food