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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)

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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.

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Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
1914 (proofread, p. 558) → Modernised~84% of the text changedremovedadded
3 egg stk egg. 375 gr. sukker g sukker. 150 gr. g smør 2 1/2 del. (smeltet). 2,5 dl fløte (vispet). 1 teske ts kardemomme (støtt). 1 teske hjortetaksalt ca. ts hjortetakksalt. 1 kg. hvetemel. Eggene 000 g hvetemel (ca., halvparten i deigen, resten til utbaking). 1 kg smult (til frityrsteking, kan erstattes med nøytral olje). Visp egg og sukkeret vispes 1/4 time, irøres sukker luftig og lyst i ca. 15 minutter.. Rør inn den vispede fløte, fløten, det smeltede smør, smøret og den støtte kardemomme, tilsidst kardemommen.. Rør hjortetakksaltet ut i halvparten av melet, hvori hjortetaksaltet er utrørt. Staar tildækket melet og bland det inn i deigen.. Dekk deigen til og la den stå kaldt natten over. Næste over.. Neste dag uttrilles trilles deigen fingertykt ut fingertykk med tilsætning tilsetning av det øvrige mel, saa meget, så mye av resten av melet som netop er strengt nødvendig. Dannes Skjær i lengder og form til ringer. Kokes ringer.. Kok ringene lysebrune i smult. smult ved ca. 175 °C, noen få om gangen. Legg dem til avdrypping på papir.

Note on Modernised

Ingrediensmengdene er satt i moderne enheter (gram, dl, teskje). Smult til frityrsteking er ført opp som eget punkt med mengdeanslag; nøytral frityrolje er nevnt som alternativ. «Uttrilles fingertykt» er presisert til ca. 1 cm tykke pølser. Kardemommemengden var delvis uleselig i kilden og er tolket som 1 teskje.

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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.

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