These Norwegian Havre Kjeks (or havrekjeks) are a sweet and salty cracker made with oats and flour.
These crackers are both sweet and salty, and are just as tasty spread with butter and jam, served with milk or tea, or topped with cheese and smoked salmon, served with wine or a cocktail.
They are super easy to make. Pull together the dough in just a few minutes and then wrap it and refrigerate it until you are ready to roll the dough out, cut it into rounds or squares, and bake the crackers until they are browned at the edges.
In Norway, I guess you can buy these havrekjeks pre-packaged!
Ingredient Notes:
Typically, I understand they are normally made with oats, wheat flour, butter, milk, sugar, salt, and baker's ammonia.
What is baker's ammonia? It's an ingredient that your great-great-grandmother probably used to make extra crispy cookies, and was used as a leavening agent before they discovered baking powder. It's very helpful in adding extra crispness to cookies and crackers.
It's often used in European vintage cookies.
I have yet to use it in baking. I understand you need to use special care in preventing it from dissipating when you open it and you need to use it fairly quickly.
I substituted baking powder for the baker's ammonia, as well as plain Greek yogurt for the milk.
Helpful Tools:
Rolling pin: You will have to roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick before cutting it into rounds. For me, the easiest rolling pin to use is one that has little rings that hold the rolling pin over the dough at the right height... mostly because I'm not very good at judging the dough's thickness or keeping them uniform. My favorite one is stainless steel.
Parchment paper: I like to roll the dough between two layers of good, thick, non-stick parchment paper so I don't have to worry about sticking and adding more flour to the dough. My favorite brands are King Arthur, Reynolds, or Costco.
You can actually lift the paper off the rolled out dough, place it back onto the top, flip the whole thing over, and lift the bottom paper. At this point, cutting the rolled out dough is super easy.
Cookie Cutter: I used a 2 1/2 inch round cookie cutter. You could also use a square cutter if you prefer.
Two Bowls: One large and one medium.
How to Store these Havrekjeks:
Keep these crackers in an airtight container for up to a week. If they soften, you can re-crisp them in a 325 degree oven or toaster oven for about 5 to 10 minutes.
More Cracker Recipes You May Also Like:
Sourdough Crackers with Gruyère and Thyme
Leif Erikson Day:
Leif Erikson Day is October 9 so the Sunday Funday group is celebrating by Cooking like a Viking!
According to WinCalendar, "In 1925, Leif Erikson was officially recognized by President Calvin Coolidge as the first explorer to discover the continent. It took another four decades for the day to become official when, in 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared October 9th as Leif Erikson Day. In 2015, President Barack Obama reproclaimed the day and called upon Americans to celebrate the day appropriately in honor of Nordic-American heritage and the explorers that embarked on the expeditions that led to the creation of the United States."
Check out everyone's Norwegian-inspired recipes!
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Norwegian Havrekjeks (Sweet and Salty Oatmeal Rounds)
Ingredients
- 110 grams (1 1/4 cups) instant rolled oats
- 170 grams (1 1/4 cups) unbleached all purpose flour
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
- 115 grams (1/2 cup/1 stick) salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- Fleur de sel, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a medium-large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In medium-small bowl, whisk together the melted butter and yogurt. Pour it into the oat mixture and stir everything together with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a 1 inch thick disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 12 hours.
- When you are ready to bake, line two baking sheets with parchment and heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Roll out the dough (see note about parchment paper) and cut into 2 1/2 inch rounds. Place the rounds on the baking sheet, sprinkle them lightly with the sea salt/fleur de sel, and bake, one sheet at a time, for 14 to 20 minutes. Gather up the scraps, re-roll, and cut and bake.
- Cool the crackers on a cooling rack while you continue to bake the rest of the dough.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
Notes
I like to roll the dough between two layers of good, thick, non-stick parchment paper so I don't have to worry about sticking and adding more flour to the dough.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
61.29Fat (grams)
2.93Sat. Fat (grams)
1.73Carbs (grams)
7.44Fiber (grams)
0.45Net carbs
6.99Sugar (grams)
1.61Protein (grams)
1.38Sodium (milligrams)
101.01Cholesterol (grams)
7.27Recipe adapted from Crackers and Dips: More than 50 Handmade Snacks, by Ivy Manning, published in 2013. The book is so worth it if you love to entertain and you love crackers.
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I remember a Danish friend of mine telling that baker's ammonia was a modern day substitute for reindeer horn! But, like you, I was still stumped.
ReplyDeleteOh, it's that too. I think that's how they originally made it.
DeleteOh, Karen... if we lived closer you could stop by and get the baker's ammonia - I use it for Springerle cookies and always have it - smells horrific ;-) but makes great cookies indeed! I will try this recipe as soon as I have my oven working (insert discreet tear here)
ReplyDeleteOh no! I thought you found the guy with the magical powers! And of course you have it, lol!!!
DeleteI have never heard of bakers ammonia. I imagine we can find it on Amazon. You can find anything on Amazon LOL.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely on Amazon! And you're totally right!
DeleteWish I could have one of those crispy crackers..delicious!
ReplyDeleteThey look delicious and great tips on rolling the dough!
ReplyDeleteYes, I wrap the top of my baker's ammonia in plastic wrap before screwing the lid back on and it keeps it from sublimating away to nothing. I use it usually just once a year for the best sugar cookies. Papa's birthday/Christmas present.
ReplyDeleteYou can get Baker’s Ammonia from any Michael’s Store.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if J wanted to use the baker’s ammonia in this recipe, how much should I use? Is it a 1:1 swap?