‘In every Scandinavian home you will find mountains of these all throughout the festive season,’ says Brontë. ‘Each country has regional variations and names, but the main ingredients are the same.’
Mix the flour and bicarbonate of soda with the dry spices and salt. Add the butter and all the other ingredients and mix until you have an even dough. Shape into a log and wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge overnight before using.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Roll out the dough thinly on a floured surface and use cookie cutters to cut your desired shapes. You want the biscuits to be thin. Arrange on baking sheets lined with baking parchment. Bake in the preheated oven – each batch will take 5–6 minutes depending on the thickness. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Dust with icing sugar and serve or keep in an airtight container.
Recipe taken from her book Brontë by Home by Brontë Aurell (Ryland Peters & Small, £16.99), with photography by Peter Cassidy. To find out more about Brontë, a food writer and co-founder of ScandiKitchen, visit scandikitchen.co.uk
