[Magdalen] Christmas Treats.

[Jay Weigel]

Oh my, David, you bring back such memories! Growing up in Wisconsin made
Christmas a treat all its own (and I'm sure those who grew up in Minnesota
have similar culinary memories). For many years my parents lived next door
to a Norwegian couple--he was retired from TVA)--and we and our children
always called them Tante Møsse and Onkel Torald. At Christmastime Tante
Møsse would send over a HUGE tray of Norwegian cookies....oh my! My
daughter still talks about those cookies.

On another note (ha!), a few nights ago I watched the PBS program of the
St. Olaf Choir "Christmas in Norway" which I think was taped last year.
Along with the St. Olaf Chorale, it featured a Norwegian choir of girls
ranging in age from probably 8 or 9 to around 14. It was quite amazing as
the two choirs were standing at opposite ends of the chancel and their
directors had their backs to one another and so had to look over their
shoulders from time to time. The Norwegian girls sang in flawless English
and the American kids in what sounded like perfect Norwegian,
interchangeably. What I couldn't get over was how much those little
Norwegian girls looked just like the girls I grew up with. If you didn't
see this program, check the PBS website and see if it's available for
viewing online. It's totally worth it. (As a side note, I can't get over
how much Anton Armstrong, the St. Olaf conductor, is getting to look like
James Earl Jones.....or a giant bullfrog!)

On Thu, Dec 22, 2016 at 11:32 AM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:

>
>
> I yearn for ethnic holiday cookies and breads this time of the year.
> They were an integral part of the holiday season during my Upper
> Midwest USA upbringing, and the special recipes by family and
> friends are lost to me for good.
>
> Still there are the pleasant memories of them.  Here are some of  them:
>
> (1) Fattigman (literally "fat man)," small cookies that were the  specialty
> of my godmother, Aunt Gladys.
>
> (2) Crumkake; thin, delicate rolled confections.  No one made  them
> better than my mother.
>
> (3) Sunbakkels: baked in special "sunburst" shaped tins.  Loaded  with
> cardamam spice.  Another of my mother's specialties.
>
> (4) Pfeffernusse cookies:  a German specialty of a German  neighbor.
>
> (5) Julekage:  A sweet holiday bread common to all the  Scandinavian
> countries.
>
> (6) Date filled cookies.  My mother and Aunt Helen made several
> varieties of these.  They weren't ethnic Scandinavian but were  part
> of the Christmas scene.
>
> (7) Rosettes:  A local woman (Mrs. Chris Thompson) was so good  at
> these treats, she made them for the entire village.
>
>
> David Strang.
>