New Traditions and Krumkake

Krumkake, a large, light, very thin Norwegian cookie made from an egg-based batter poured into an embossed hinged iron similar to a waffle iron. Peeled off the iron while warm and pliable, each krumkake is then rolled around a cone-shaped metal tube so that it hardens in that shape. Can be filled with sweetened whipped cream*.

*Note: see comments two posts down about best temperatures for beating cream and egg whites. Ann, the latter is for you.

Ken has been telling me about krumkake for a long time. How great it is. How his family would make it every year. Sounds amazing. Before last christmas he bought a krumkake maker (basically a really thin waffle iron with a pretty design). Surely we had krumkake last christmas with his new toy. Sadly no, the maker never even made its way out of the box. Grrr. This year is different, he says. We'll have krumkake for this Christmas this year. He's been saying this for two weeks. (smile and nod)

Last night I got home and painted the closet. The hardest room thus far due to all the fumes. To celebrate, he took me out to dinner at the 'best tex-mex place in portland', which happens to be right next to Crema about 3 doors down. They boast the best margaritas in Portland. I got one. And they just may be the best in Portland... but they suck by tucson standards. I've had enough of margarita=sour mix + cuervo gold to last a lifetime (sorry dad, you're guilty of this too but your other drinks are awesome). Poca Cosa and Sara Burke have changed me forever into a fresh lime and orange juices, cointreu and anejo/reposado tequila on the rocks with salt-loving margarita snob. I am picky. I don't care. I have tasted the nectar of mexico and i'm not coming back. I switched to beer almost immediately. But the food was good. Passable for not being in Tucson. The only weird thing to me is that instead of refried beans and rice, they serve pinto beans and mashed potatoes. Hmmm. Is that the tex part of tex-mex? Either way, I love mashed potatoes so it didn't bother me a lick.

OK, where were we. Ah yes, krumkake. After dinner back at the house, I heard the stand mixer going (no, still no word from kitchenaid by the way). Hmmm. Lo and behold there is my sweet husband making krumkake (the batter needs to sit overnight). I didn't think I would care for it all to much, but holy cow that batter is good. Sugar/eggs/vanilla/flour/OJ/butter. Come to think of it, of course it's going to be good. He had to physically push me away from the bowl.

So he'll bake the cookies off later today after work. I can't wait to see them. He'll roll them up like little tubes. I got permission to use some in an experiment -- namely dip one half of a cookie in dark chocolate and allow to harden. I imagine it will be pretty good, especially with the subtle orange flavor of the cookie. Sounds like Dave Herman's dream; he loves orange and chocolate. Anyway, I can't wait. We're both working half days today and then he's off tomorrow and I'll probably come in for a little bit. I feel the weekend approaching. Hooray!