Brune Pinner — Norwegian Almond Christmas Cookies

Brune pinner are one of Norway’s classic Christmas cookies — thin, crisp and buttery, topped with almonds and a little sugar. They’re part of the traditional syv slag (“seven sorts”) of Scandinavian holiday baking, and they come together from one simple dough with no special equipment. Here’s how we make them from scratch.

Brune Pinner — Norwegian Almond Christmas Cookies

Brune pinner are crisp, buttery Norwegian Christmas cookies topped with almonds and sugar — one of the traditional "seven sorts."

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 14 minutes mins

Chilling 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 4 minutes mins

Servings: 40 cookies

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Norwegian, Scandinavian

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Dough

• 200 g butter ¾ cup + 2 tbsp (1¾ sticks), softened
• 200 g granulated sugar 1 cup
• 1 large egg yolk save the white for brushing
• 1 tbsp light syrup 1 tbsp — Scandinavian lys sirup, golden syrup or light corn syrup
• 5 g baking soda 1 tsp
• 300 g all-purpose flour 2½ cups — hold back a little for adjusting

Topping

• 1 egg white the one saved from the dough, lightly beaten
• 90 g granulated sugar a scant ½ cup
• 90 g chopped almonds about ⅔ cup

Equipment

• Stand mixer or hand mixer Creams the butter and sugar light and pale — the base of the whole cookie.
• Digital kitchen scale We bake by weight for consistent dough every time.
• Baking sheets (2) Three logs to a tray, spaced well apart — they spread.
• Parchment paper Keeps the logs from sticking to the tray.
• Pastry brush For an even egg wash so the almonds and sugar stick.
• Sharp knife A long, sharp blade cuts the warm strips cleanly in one stroke.
• Wire cooling rack They crisp as they cool, and only with air underneath.

Method

 

1. Cream. Cream the softened butter and sugar in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) until light and pale.
2. Add the yolk and syrup. Beat in the egg yolk and syrup (and the vanilla extract, if using). Save the egg white for brushing.
3. Add the dry ingredients. Fold in the flour, cinnamon, vanilla sugar and baking soda, holding back a little flour to adjust — mix just until it comes together.
4. Chill. Knead the dough together quickly, then chill 30 minutes (or longer). It's much easier to shape cold.
5. Shape the logs. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Divide the dough into 6 pieces, roll each into a thin log and lift onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 3 logs per sheet, spaced well apart.
6. Flatten. Press each log flat with your fingers to a scant ¼ inch (4–5 mm) thick.
7. Top and bake. Brush with the beaten egg white, then sprinkle with sugar and chopped almonds. Bake high in the oven for 12–14 minutes, until golden at the edges.
8. Cut while warm. Straight out of the oven, cut on the diagonal into sticks about ¾ inch (2 cm) wide. Cool completely on a rack, then store airtight.

Notes

Chef’s tip — cut them warm, in one stroke. Straight out of the oven the strips are soft enough to slice clean; give them five minutes and they shatter under the knife. That diagonal cut is what gives brune pinner their look.

• Don’t overbake. They’ll feel soft when they come out — they firm up and crisp as they cool.
• Storage: airtight at room temperature for 2–3 weeks, which makes them one of the best early bakes to get ahead of the Christmas rush. They freeze well too.

Tips for perfect brune pinner

Two things make or break these cookies. First, press the logs to an even scant ¼ inch (4–5 mm). Thin and even is what gives you that snappy crunch all the way through — thick spots stay soft in the middle while the edges brown. Second, cut them while they’re warm; there’s more on that in the recipe notes.

If the dough feels soft and hard to handle, don’t fight it — give it longer in the fridge. A cold dough rolls into neat logs; a warm one spreads. The same goes for our sandnøtter, where a short chill makes the dough easy to roll into even balls.

Make it your own

Swap the chopped almonds for pearl sugar for a sweeter, crunchier top — the finish our serinakaker are known for — or add a pinch of cardamom to the dough for a slightly different Nordic twist.

More Norwegian Christmas cookies

• Sandnøtter — Norwegian Christmas Butter Cookies — tender, crumbly and marked with the classic fork pattern
• Krumkake — Norwegian Waffle Cookies — rolled thin and crisp on a patterned iron
• Norwegian Julekake — Soft Tangzhong Christmas Bread — the Christmas bread that sits alongside the cookies