Hindbærsnitter: Danish Cookies from Scandinavian from Scratch

"In this popular Danish cookie, a thick layer of fresh raspberry jam is spread between two large sheets of shortbread, and the top is drizzled with lemony royal icing before it's cut into squares and sprinkled with freeze-dried raspberries. When raspberries are in season, I like to make my own raspberry jam, with less sugar than most commercial varieties, which lets the taste of the fruit shine."

- Nichole Accettola

If you're looking for a family-friendly dessert, you can't go wrong with Raspberry Squares, Hindbærsnitter, popular Danish cookies that my kids have decided are world-class homemade Pop-Tarts.

If you can hang onto your spoon long enough for the fresh raspberries to transform into a delicious jam before your very eyes, it's worth the wait. It contains less sugar than most store-bought versions and tastes way better.

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• Hindbærsnitter: Danish Cookies

Scandinavian from Scratch

This hindbærsnitter recipe comes from Scandinavian from Scratch: A Love Letter to the Baking of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden by Nichole Accettola.

I first set foot in Copenhagen at age eighteen, the summer after graduating from high school. Back in Ohio, I'd become close friends with Malene, a Danish exchange student who spent a year at my school, and so I left home to spend that summer with her family.

I instantly fell in love with the Danish way of life. We went everywhere by bike. Until then, growing up in rural, hilly Ohio, I had barely biked anywhere and became enamored of this new mode of transportation, using my own legs to get me wherever I needed to go!

Because Scandinavia is so far north, the sun practically never sets in summer, and so birds chirp through the night, which I found disorienting and delightful. And that summer I also became smitten with the baked goods there: breads, danishes, cookies, cakes-all of it!

How to Make Hindbærsnitter: Danish Cookies

Ingredients

• raspberries - these Danish cookies require fresh or thawed frozen raspberries for the jam and freeze-dried raspberries for the topping
• sugar - granulated sugar for the jam and powdered sugar for the shortbread sheets and lemony royal icing. We like to use Stevia instead of granulated sugar, but you do you
• lemon - you'll want lemon juice for the raspberry jam and both the juice and zest of ½ a lemon for the lemony royal icing
• flour - grab your favorite all-purpose flour and cake flour for the perfect Danish cookies
• salt - touch of salt is all you need for the shortbread sheets, but if you cook often, an attractive salt tiger is fun for everyone
• butter - unsalted butter is need for these homemade Pop-Tart lookin' cookies
• vanilla - don't skip out on the vanilla extract. It makes for the perfect shortbread cookie flavor
• egg
• water - you may or may not need to add water to the lemony royal icing, depending on the consistency

Equipment

• Apron
• Prep Bowls
• Kitchen Scale
• Child-Friendly Knife
• Measuring Spoons
• Measuring Cup
• Saucier
• Wooden Spoon
• Silicone Spatula
• Rolling Pin
• Sheet Pan
• Parchment Paper
• Dough Scraper
• Whisk
• Box Grater
• Mixer
• Cooling Rack

Make the Jam

Wash your hands with soap and water. Place a saucepan/saucier on the stove and turn the heat to medium. Add the berries and the lemon juice to the pan.

Weigh out the sugar needed using the kitchen scale. Transfer the sugar to the pan.

Allow the mixture to simmer and reduce. Stir occasionally and cook for 10 minutes until it thickens slightly. Turn off the stove when finished.

Transfer it to a Small Bowl

Use a spoon to transfer the jam to a small bowl. Place it in the refrigerator to chill.

If you'd like to make it ahead of time, the jam can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week.

Combine the Flour, Powdered Sugar, & Salt

Use a kitchen scale to weigh out the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and powdered sugar. Transfer it to a mixer with a flat beater attached.

Use a measuring spoon to add the salt. Mix the ingredients on low until well combined.

Add the Butter

Use a knife to dice the butter. Add it to the mixer and mix on medium-low speed until it forms a coarse sand.

Add the Egg

Crack the egg into the mixer and mix until well-combined.

Add the Vanilla

Use a measuring spoon to add the vanilla to the dough. Mix until well combined. You should end up with one large clump of dough.

Divide the Dough & Refrigerate

Transfer the dough to parchment paper and divide it into two equal portions. Use a kitchen scale to achieve equal weights.

Wrap each portion in parchment paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight, depending on when you'd like to enjoy your Danish cookies.

Roll Out the Dough

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Be sure to arrange two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a clean work surface. Unwrap a dough portion, leaving it on the parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper on top to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin.

You may need to help your kids get started by flattening it out some before they take over.

Roll the dough into a 9-inch square, ensuring uniform thickness. Repeat with the other dough portion.

Remove the top piece of parchment paper. Use a dough scraper to neaten the edges.

Bake the Shortbread

Transfer each shortbread sheet (along with the bottom layer of parchment paper) to a baking sheet. Use a fork to prick the sheets all over, at least twenty times. This will keep them from puffing while they bake.

Bake the shortbread sheets for 25 to 30 minutes. Be sure to rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back. The edges should be just starting to brown and it should be baked through but not crispy.

Make the Lemony Royal Icing

While the shortbread sheets bake, make the lemony royal icing. Use a scale to weigh the powdered sugar. Add the lemon juice to the bowl with the sugar. Use the box grater for the lemon zest. Whisk everything together.

You may need to add the water to achieve the consistency of thick honey.

Assemble the Danish Cookies

When the shortbread sheets have cooled, transfer them to a clean work surface.

Use a spatula to add the raspberry jam to the bottom layer of shortbread.

If more than one child is working, they can divide tasks. Let the hindbærsnitter rest for about an hour while the icing hardens.

Use a serrated knife to gently cut the hindbærsnitter into 9 3-inch squares. They are best eaten within one day, before the jam has had time to seep through.