Liquorice cookies with cranberries

Today it is my birthday, which even Google has celebrated for me  with plenty of cakes:-) a very appropriate picture taking the content of this blog into consideration !!!

Besides from hiking, I have been making preparation for coming birthday celebrations, where family, friends and rowing friends are coming around.

And for such an occasion there is need for something to eat. Cookies are always an easy thing to bake for guests, as they can be prepared in advance. The only drawback is, that I have to keep my fingers away from the tins with the cookies inside, so where still are cookies, when the guests are situated in my living room !!!

You can easily use this cookie dough as a hostess gift, as you can wrap the dough including the baking instruction, so the hostess/host afterwards can bake her/his own home-made cookies.

The starting recipe for these cookies is Markus Grigos lakrids-tranebæer småkager. I have made two modifications to this recipe. I have added into some salt to boost the overall flavour and the second modification is, that I am using a combination of English liquorice powder and raw liquorice powder to enhance the liquorice.

My good friends in Horsens are already now dreading to taste these cookies, when they hear, that I have been making modification on the liquorice, as they have a lower threshold for liquorice than I have. This afternoon tea with focus on liquorice is still standing clear in the minds of my good friends in Horsens !!!

UPDATE 2 March 2015:
These very Danish tasting cookies are being forward for the monthly blogging event Tea Time Treats having the theme of biscuits and cookies. Tea Time Treast is managed by Karen from Lavender and Lovage and Jane from The Hedge Combers.

Liquorice cookies with cranberries:

• 500 g (cake) wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 50 g English liquorice powder
• 2 teaspoons raw liquorice powder
• 125 g dried cranberries
• 375 g cold butter - diced in small squares
• 500 g sugar
• 2 eggs

1. Sieve the wheat flour and baking powder in the mixing bowl. Add in the salt, cranberries, liquorice powders, butter squares.
2. Mix on KitchenAid using the K-spade on speed 3-4, until the butter has disappeared into the cookie dough.
3. Add in the sugar and eggs. Mix until the cookie dough just gathers. Over mixing will give cookies with less crispness.
4. Divide the dough into 3 portions of 500 g each.
5. Roll the cookie dough into longer strings. Cover each cookie string in baking paper.
6. Place the cookies dough cold, either in the refrigerator or freezer.
7. Heat the (conventional) oven to 200'C
8. Cut the firm cookie dough into slices of 1 cm.
9. Place the cookies on a baking tray covered with baking paper.
10. Bake the cookies in the upper part of the oven at 200'C for 8-10 minutes.
11. Cool down the cookies, before storing them in airtight containers.