Fattigmann I

This is a deep fried cookie which adorned our Christmas table every year until my Mor-mor's death, in 1981. This recipe came from a book called Norwegian Recipes, copyright 1947. Compiled by Magny Lanstad-Jensen and taken from "Urd" magazine by Mrs. Esther Klausen. My Mor-mor made tons of these every Christmas and while I never had the pleasure of watching her or helping her make them, I have made several attempts with this recipe. Please note that I am mostly posting for safekeeping. I am copying as written because I feel part of the charm of this recipe is the way in which it was written. I do not have information about how hot the oil needs to be nor how long (in minutes) they should be fried. Preparation time does not include chilling dough overnight.

• Ready In: 11 mins
• Serves: 120
• Yields: 120 cookies

Ingredients

• 12  eggs
• 10  tablespoons sugar
• 8  tablespoons  cream
• 1⁄8 ounce brandy
• 4  cups flour (author suggests cake flour with no baking powder to get dough of a lighter consistency)
• 1  teaspoon cardamom

Directions

1. Beat egg yolks thick with sugar.
2. Whip cream stiff, and fold in together with brandy.
3. Work well, and gradually add flour with cardamom, or just enough flour to make the dough right for handling.
4. Leave in a cool place or in the refridgerator overnight.
5. It really requires tow persons to do this --one for rolling and cutting and the other for the cooking.
6. The dough should be rolled out in a cold room, handling only a small lump at a time.
7. With cookie wheel, cut strips on the bias of the dough, from right side upwards from left side downwards, to make small diamond-shaped cookies.
8. Loosen them with spatula, and in the middle of each diamond, make a small slit with cookie wheel.
9. Thread one end of diamond carefully through slit.
10. Place cookies on lightly floured cookie sheets, and keep in a cold place until ready for cooking.
11. Then cookies are dropped in boiling lard or oil, until golden brown, and turned.
12. Then remove witha long steel knitting needle.
13. Let some of the grease drop off, and place on absorbent paper until cooled.
14. Store in air-tight container.