DANISH BROWN COOKIES By Andrew Fraieli, Denver VOICE Art Director HEARTY CHICKPEA STEW Jamie Miller, Denver VOICE Contributor This recipe, called Brunekage in Danish, is from my Danish partner’s grandmother. A classic for Christmas in Denmark, the cookies come out just almost crunchy, but keeping a hint of softness with more Christmas spices throughout than our normal U.S. holiday cookie fare. Together, the recipe makes two rolls of dough which is enough for about 50 cookies, though they are thin and easy to dash right through. INGREDIENTS: ☐ 125 g Brown Syrup (Harder to fi nd in the U.S., it is called Mørk Sirup in Danish and is cane sugar syrup mixed with beetroot sugar syrup.) ☐ 250 g butter ☐ 250 g sugar ☐ 62 g blanched almonds, fi nely chopped ☐ 17 g candied citron (Easy to fi nd at Safeway closer to Christmas, this looks like small pieces of green gummy candy.) ☐ 3.5 g clove powder ☐ 17 g candied orange peel (Similar to the candied citron, except orange.) ☐ 10 g cinnamon ☐ 8 g baking soda ☐ 375 g fl our STEPS: 1. Combine the syrup, butter, and sugar in a medium-sized pot and melt over burner until it reaches boiling. 2. Once boiling, remove from burner and let cool until next day inside the pot. 3. Preheat oven to 320°F. 4. Blanch the almonds by quickly dunking them in boiling water and then squeezing them, slipping off the almond’s outer skin. Chop fi ne, and stir into the butter/sugar/syrup pot. 5. Finely dice the candied citron and orange peel and stir into the pot. 6. Dissolve the baking soda in a few tablespoons of boiling water and stir in. 7. Finally, mix in the fl our. 8. We are aiming to make the dough into about 2 inch thick rolls, the number of which will depend on the size of the freezer ziploc bags, or others larger similar bags, we use to shape them. Pour about 2.5 inches of dough into the bag, and roll the bag of dough into a sausage shape sizing up to about 2 inches thick. Do this until the dough is out, about 2 bags, take out the air and seal them, then put them in the fridge. 9. Take a stick of butter and grease a bare cookie sheet. 10. Once the dough has fi rmed up from the cold, take out the dough sausage and cut thin, 1/8 inch thick slices and lay them out on the pan. If it becomes diffi cult to cut, place the sausage back in the bag and in the fridge to cool down and fi rm up again. 11. The cookies only bake for about 6-7 minutes, but they must be watched. They will rise slowly, and eventually fall down again. Once they have fallen completely, remove them from the oven. 12. Let cool on the sheet for a minute, then transfer to cooling rack. This stew is great for days after especially since the fl avors all marinate with time! INGREDIENTS: ☐ ¼ c olive oil, plus more for serving ☐ 4 garlic cloves, chopped ☐ 1 large yellow onion, chopped ☐ 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, fi nely chopped ☐ Kosher salt& black pepper ☐ Garlic salt ☐ Cinnamon ☐ 1 ½ t ground turmeric, plus more for serving ☐ 1 t red pepper fl akes, plus more for serving ☐ 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained & rinsed ☐ 2 (15 oz) cans full-fat coconut milk ☐ 2 sweet potatoes ☐ 1 c vegetable or chicken stock ☐ 1 bunch Swiss chard, kale, or collard greens, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces ☐ 1 c mint leaves, for serving ☐ Plain yogurt for serving (optional) ☐ Toasted pita, lavash, or other fl atbread, for serving (optional) STEPS: 1. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium. Add garlic, onion & ginger. Season with salt & pepper,& cook, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent& starts to brown a little at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. 2. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric, 1 teaspoon red-pepper fl akes, & the chickpeas, & season with salt & pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, so the chickpeas sizzle& fry a bit in the spices& oil, until they’ve started to break down& get a little browned& crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove about a cup of chickpeas & set aside for garnish. 3. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, further crush the remaining chickpeas slightly to release their starchy insides. (This will help thicken the stew.) Add coconut milk & stock, & season with salt & pepper. 4. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits that have formed on the bottom of the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until stew has thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. (Taste a chickpea or two, not just the liquid, to make sure they have simmered long enough to be as delicious as possible.) If after 30 to 35 minutes, you want the stew a bit thicker, keep simmering until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Determining perfect stew thickness is a personal journey! 5. Divide among bowls & top with mint, reserved chickpeas, a sprinkle of red pepper fl akes & a good drizzle of olive oil. Serve alongside yogurt & toasted pita if using; dust the yogurt with turmeric if you’d like. 6. As stew thickens, preheat oven to 400°F. Cut 1 sweet potato. Season with cinnamon, salt, garlic salt & pepper to your liking. Once oven is preheated, cook sweet potatoes for 35 minutes or until soft. 7. Add sweet potatoes & greens & stir, making sure they’re submerged in the liquid. Cook until they wilt& soften, 3 to 7 minutes, depending on what you’re using. (Swiss chard & spinach will wilt & soften much faster than kale or collard greens.) Season again with salt and pepper. 6 DENVER VOICE December 2024
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