Skip to content
H. Schønberg ErkenArkivet
NOENLog in

Hjortetakk (fried ring cookies)

Hjortetakk (Norwegian fried ring cookies) from Henriette Schønberg Erken's Stor kokebok (1914, p. 558): an egg-sugar batter with cream, melted butter and cardamom, a dough with hartshorn (baker's ammonia) that rests overnight, rolled into rings and deep-fried to a light brown in lard.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 558 (falt i det fri)

Be the first to rate

About the dish

Hjortetakk is one of the classic deep-fried cakes in Norwegian Christmas baking, closely related to fattigmann and smultringer (Norwegian doughnuts). The name comes from hjortetakksalt (hartshorn), the leavening agent that gives the cakes their characteristic cracks. The recipe appears in the baking chapter of Erken's «Stor kokebok» from 1914, page 558, where the ingredient list is printed in a narrow column beside the method.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Beat eggs and sugar

    Beat the eggs and sugar airy and pale for about 15 minutes.

  2. 2

    Mix in

    Stir in the whipped cream, the melted butter and the ground cardamom.

  3. 3

    Flour and hartshorn

    Stir the hartshorn into half of the flour and mix it into the dough.

  4. 4

    Resting time

    Cover the dough and let it stand in a cool place overnight.

  5. 5

    Roll rings

    The next day, roll out the dough finger-thick, adding only as much of the remaining flour as strictly necessary. Cut into lengths and form into rings.

  6. 6

    Fry in lard

    Fry the rings to a light brown in lard at about 175 °C (345 °F), a few at a time. Set them to drain on paper.

Changes from the original

The ingredient quantities are given in modern units (grams, dl, teaspoons). Lard for deep-frying is listed as a separate item with an estimated amount; neutral frying oil is mentioned as an alternative. «Uttrilles fingertykt» (rolled out finger-thick) has been specified as about 1 cm thick ropes. The amount of cardamom was partly illegible in the source and is interpreted as 1 teaspoon.

In stores now

Clean, minimally processed groceries matched to the ingredients — approximate prices.

Product data and prices via Kassalapp. Prices are updated daily and may vary.

Tidsmaskin – hva endret seg?

Velg to utgaver og se hva Henriette Schønberg Erken la til, fjernet eller endret mellom dem.

Fra19141949Modernisert
Til19141949Modernisert
1914 (korrekturlest, s. 558) → 1949 (korrekturlest, s. 650)~51% av teksten endretfjernetlagt til
3 egg 375 gr. 8 eggeplommer 4 hviter ½ kg. sukker 2¼ del. fløte 150 gr. smør 2 1/2 del. fløte 1 teske ½ teskje kardemomme 1 teske hjortetaksalt — hjortetakksalt ca. 1 ¼ kg. hvetemel. Eggene og sukkeret vispes 1/4 ½ time, irøres den vispede fløte, det smeltede smør, den støtte kardemomme, tilsidst tilsist halvparten av melet, hvori hjortetaksaltet er utrørt. Staar tildækket hjortetakksaltet erutrørt. Står tildekket natten over. Næste dag uttrilles deigen fingertykt fingertykk med tilsætning tilsetning av det øvrige mel, saa meget, så meget som netop nettop nødvendig. Dannes til ringer. Kokes lysebrune i smult.

Community interpretations

Be the first to share your own version.

See interpretations →

Frequently asked questions

Why must the dough stand overnight?
The dough should stand covered overnight so that it becomes firm and easier to roll out. That is why the total time is around 12 hours, while the actual work is short.
What is hartshorn, and how much is used?
Hartshorn is an old leavening agent (baker's ammonia/ammonium carbonate). Here 1 teaspoon is used, stirred into the first half of the flour.
How are the hjortetakk shaped and cooked?
The dough is rolled out finger-thick with only as much extra flour as necessary, formed into rings and fried to a light brown in lard (deep-frying).
How many does it make, and how are they flavored?
The recipe from Schønberg Erken's «Stor kokebok» (1914, p. 558) makes about 30 pieces, and is flavored with 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom.

Related recipes

More dishes in the same category from the archive

Read also

Kommentarer

Ingen kommentarer ennå. Bli den første til å dele!