Norwegian Christmas Cookies

A stiff, heavily spiced almond dough of the kind Norwegian-American households baked by the tinful in December. The written method stops at "bake," so shaping and timing are left to the cook.

• ShapingThe dough is too stiff to drop and too rich to roll thin without chilling. Chill it at least an hour, then either roll about 1/4 inch thick and cut 3-inch rounds, or form it into logs, chill, and slice. The stated yield of fifty 3-inch cookies is the guide to thickness.
• Oven and time400F is correct for a spiced cookie of this sugar content, but no time is given. Expect 8 to 10 minutes for 1/4-inch cutouts; they should be set at the edge and still slightly soft in the centre, since they firm as they cool.
• ShorteningHere this most likely means hydrogenated vegetable shortening or lard; the vegetable shortening in particular gives a soft, cakey crumb. Butter can be substituted roughly cup for cup and tastes better with the cinnamon and almonds, but the cookies will spread more and crisp harder.
• Soda without an obvious acidTwo teaspoons is a fair amount of soda for this quantity of flour, and the only acid present is the brown sugar. Dark brown sugar, with more molasses in it, will do more to balance the leavening and reduce the risk of a soapy aftertaste.
• AlmondsChop them fairly fine. Large pieces tear the dough when you roll it and make clean 3-inch rounds difficult. Blanched or skin-on both work; skin-on gives more colour and a fuller flavour.
• "Well greased sheet"Unnecessary now, and with this much sugar a greased pan encourages spreading. Parchment on a bare sheet is better.
• StorageFifty cookies is a Christmas-tin quantity. They keep two to three weeks in a tightly closed tin and improve after a day or two as the cinnamon settles into the crumb.