Krumkake

Scandinavian krumkake cookies are crunchy and delicious treats that are cooked on the stove instead of the oven. Fill them with whipped cream, fruit or frosting for an extra special dessert.  

If you are looking for a fun new cookie to add to your recipe box, krumkake definitely fit the bill. They are crunchy and delicious plain and even better when filled with whipped cream or frosting. The iron is pretty and can also be used for making homemade pizelles or stroopwaffles as well!

Krumkake are a simple but delicious cookie that is definitely worth a try. The batter is easy to throw together and “bakes” on a decorative iron on the stove.

The batter as written had a delicate vanilla flavor. You can easily spice them up with a pinch or cardamom and orange zest or add a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. 

You also have several options for shaping your treats. Laying them flat on a cooling rack is the easiest way and the best way to see the decorative imprint.

The most traditional shape is a cone shape. You roll the hot cookie around a form and press to set.

Traditionally this is done around a wooden cone form. We couldn’t find my grandma’s cone so I used cream horn molds that were double stacked for more rigidity.

You can also make a cigarello type shape by wrapping the cookie around the handle of a wooden spoon. They are perfect when each end is dipped in melted chocolate. 

The shaping is the hardest part of making these cookies. You need to form them straight off of the stove.

They are flexible while they are hot, so you have to work quickly and watch your finger tips.  The cookie will hold its shape as it cools and gets crunchy. 

Original post from 2016:

Vintage Kitchen Gadgets and Great-Grandma’s Krumkake Iron

After weeks of talking about it, it was finally time! Grandma and I were looking through all of her kitchen gadgets a little while back. 

She has at least one of everything!  Need an electric crepe maker?  She’s got it!  

Want a vintage toaster (like really vintage with cages for the toast that you have to flip to toast both sides)?  She’s got one.

Want an ebelskiver pan? She has two. (Update, she has three!)

Vintage bean pots? Yep, three! And that is just the start.

As we were looking for something else, she came across her mom’s krumkake pan. The funny part is, I had no idea what that was.

Grandma said we needed to make krumkakes next time Aunt Donna is in town. Of course, I had no idea what krumkakes were so I assumed we were making crumb cakes.

I couldn’t quite figure out why we needed a special pan for that, but I was all in anyway! I am not one to say no to a fun cooking day.

Quality Time Making Treats with Grandma and Donna

Grandma and Donna came over during Little Dude’s nap time and we went to work. I quickly learned that we were making krumkakes and not crumb cakes and was really excited to see the vintage iron.

Grandma couldn’t find the form to roll the cookies around, so we searched the kitchen for something the right size. The handles of one of my cast iron pans seemed to be about perfect.

The batter came together really quickly and we started making the cookies. We read the helpful tips in a vintage cookbook and got going.

A little bit of batter, a little squeeze of the handles, a quick flip, count to thirty, check for golden brown, flip again and remove. We left some of the krumkakes flat, but rolled most of them.

They were delicious sprinkled with powdered sugar, but we felt like a rolled cookie should also be filled.  So, I quickly went to work to make a batch of whipped cream cheese frosting. A quick squeeze of frosting in each cookie elevated them to the next level.

While grandma finished the krumkakes, Donna made a batch of pizzelle batter. She has a pizzelle maker that is much like a waffle iron.

Other than a little baking soda in the pizzelle batter, the recipes and techniques were very similar. Donna made the pizzelles with a mix of lemon and vanilla.

They were delicious as well! We had a good time making treats and catching up.

Before they left, Little Dude impressed the ladies with his own culinary skills.  He made himself some avocado egg salad.  

That kid loves his avocados! Of course there was more than enough to share, so they each got to try the fruits of his labor.

They were quite impressed with how much he was able to do on his own and even more impressed with the results!

Tips for making great krumkake

Make sure you beat together the eggs and sugar until the color lightens and the mixture looks creamy.

The batter should be like thick pancake batter. Add a tiny bit more flour as needed to get it thick. You can check out the video for a visual.

Grease your krumkake iron before the first cookie, but you shouldn’t have to grease it again after that. Just keep on making cookies!

It may take a couple of cookies to find the right heat and times. We had the best luck over medium heat on a small burner.

After 30 seconds on each side the batter had been cooked to a light golden brown. Work quickly to form them and set them aside to cool.

Once you get a rhythm going it will actually go pretty quickly. Just have fun with it!

Krumkake are best stored unfilled in an airtight container at room temperature. They can be stored that way for up to a week.

Fill them with fruit, whipped cream or frosting just before serving. That way the shells stay crispy and the inside is at its peak!

The krumkake in these pictures are actually filled with Russian Buttercream. It is still creamy and soft, but more stable than whipped cream.

If you like these, you may like making cream horns from puff pastry as well. They are delicious with all sorts of creamy or fruit fillings as well.