Jump to: navigation, search green marzipan, chocolate, cookies, butter, cacao, punsch liqueur Cookbook: Punsch-roll  Media: Punsch-roll Punsch-roll (Swedish: Punschrulle) is a Swedish small cylindrical pastry covered with green marzipan with the ends dipped in chocolate, with an interior consisting of a mix of crushed cookies, butter, and cacao, flavoured with punsch liqueur. This pastry is often called dammsugare ("vacuum cleaner"), referring not only to its appearance, but also to the supposed practice of the pastry baker collecting crumbs from yesterday's cookies for filling.[] Other names are arraksrulle (as arrak is an ingredient in punsch) and "150-ohmer" (because a brown-green-brown colour sequence on a resistor denotes a resistance value of 150Ω.) The same pastry is called Træstamme ("tree trunk") in Danish and in Denmark. These however, are usually not colored green and no liquor is added to the cookie butter. The Dutch variant is called a mergpijpje ("little marrowbone").

The mergpijpje is cream-colored instead of green, and comes in two variants. A small variant with cream filling, and a large variant, reuze mergpijp ("Giant punsch-roll"), filled with cake and a layer of cream. The reuze mergpijp is sometimes also filled with a thin layer of berry jam.It’s a very strange name for a cake – but it does exist.  A “dammsugare” is not a cake shaped like a vacuum cleaner, though they do look a little like those 1950s cyclinder cleaners. It name derives from the tradition of how it was first made… Swedish vacuum cleaner cake (Dammsugare) is also known as Punschrulle (Punch Roll) and Arraksrulle (Arrack Roll). The names it has been given are in reference to its flavour and appearance – the outside is made out of green marzipan, the ends of which are dipped in chocolate. Inside there is a mix of cookie crumbs, punch liqueur, butter and cocoa powder. The tale is that confectioners years ago used to gather cookie crumbs from the floor (which is where the “vacuum” part comes from) then mix them with punch liqueur to disguise the taste of the old crumbs.

The name Dammsugare (Swedish for vacuum cleaner, literally “dust sucker”) therefore refers to the gathering of the crumbs to put inside the pastry. Punch/Arrack Roll refers to the liqueur taste of the pastry (arrack is an ingredient in punch liqueur). The origin of the pastry however is a bit unclear. robot steam vacuum cleanerSeveral different confectioners claim they invented it, which makes it very difficult to pinpoint a year or country of origin. vacuum cleaner awBut Vacuum Cleaner (Dammsugare) is extremely widely known as a Swedish pastry and can be traced back to the early 1900s.vacuum cleaner dust bags india Today the Swedes regard it as one of their most loved coffee cakes – they eat millions each year! 

Obviously, it’s not made in quite the same way now but is still as yummy. Look out for Dammsugare when you’re next at IKEA – you’ll normally find a packet in the Swedish Food Department – or when on your next holiday in Sweden! If you’d like to try making your own, see here for a great recipe for dammsugare. Here's a special treat for Easter - classic Swedish "dammsugare". The name means "vaccum cleaners", and that's a very strange name for a cookie indeed. Well, traditionally these are made with lime-green marzipan and chocolate dipped ends, and maybe there was an early vaccum cleaner model that looked like that..? I really don't know, and there doesn't seem to be a simple answer out there, so it'll have to remain a mystery. And it has many names, "dammsugare" just happens to be most widely used one. "Punschrulle" is also quite common, getting it's name from the liqueur used to flavor the filling. Punsch, as I've written before, is made from arrak and very sweet.

If you can't find it, try using something like Amaretto or Frangelico instead - won't be the same, but it'll be really good. It's impossible to give exact measures here. A lot depends on the type of crumbs you use. I had biscotti crumbs, but if you use something like pound cake, you're getting a much softer texture and might need less alcohol and more sugar to firm it up. My advice is to have extra of everything, and add more as you go along to get a good, firm, rollable texture. I made marzipan from almond paste, some glucose and powdered sugar, but it's easier to buy ready-made and ready-colored marzipan. You will need about 300-350 g - I ran out and had to throw out the extra filling. Swedish Dammsugareabout 40 cookies200 g cake or cookie crumbs (as long as they're neutral in flavor, use anything)150 g butter, softened3 tbsp cocoa powder2 tbsp powdered sugar2 tbsp punsch liqueurmarzipan, see above150 g dark chocolate, meltedStart by placing the crumbs in a bowl - a regular bowl if you're doing this by hand or with handheld beaters, or in the bowl of your Kitchen-Aid if you have one.

Mix in the butter, and then cocoa, powdered sugar and punsch. You need a fairly firm dough, that can easily be shaped, so add ingredients accordingly - and taste it, too. Roll out thin logs of the dough, and place in the fridge to firm up. Roll out the marzipan and shape it around the dough logs. Place them with the seam-side down, and cut into smaller lengths. Dip the ends in melted chocolate, and something more if you like - I used some colored sugar, but sprinkles, crushed nuts or coconut would also be nice. Keep them in a cool place. And if you can stand it, they're better the day after they're made... Sju sorters kakor (Seven kinds of cookies) A custom that is sadly on the wane in Sweden but should get revived: seven kinds of cookies at the �kafferep� (coffee parties for ladies). The tradition has been known since the 19th century. In 1720, Stockholm already had 15 so-called �kaffehus� (caf�s), where coffee was served with buns in a French manner. From time to time drinking coffee was prohibited in Sweden, and wheat (for baking) wasn�t much harvested until the 19th century.

When coffee became legal to drink in 1822, it also became a custom to serve �sm�kakor� (little cookies), but the ingredients in those were usually too expensive for most people. Check our digital sample issue online. Don't miss another Swedish tradition, event or local activity in the U.S., subscribe to The Swedish Newspaper in America: Digital or Print + Digital Subscription (Nordstjernan, your link to a Sweder Life!) (Story continues after the advertisement)During the 19th century more and more recipes were developed for cookies and a certain competitiveness was developed between hostesses, which in turn led to the seven kinds of cookies at each visit. Some sources say it refers to the minimum number of cookies considered proper for the kafferep. The practice is known since the late 1800s. It only refers to the number of cookies provided � that is, beyond any wheat bread, cake or soft cake. According to some, the hostess may be considered stingy if she baked fewer than seven varieties and pompous if she baked more than that.

Don't miss another Swedish tradition, event or local activity in the U.S., subscribe to The Swedish Newspaper in America: Digital or Print + Digital Subscription (Nordstjernan, your link to a Sweder Life!) The number seven has had a magical meaning for thousands of years. It might be connected to natural phenomena, like the seven colors in the rainbow. Many cultures through the centuries have supported the cult of the magic number. In Sweden, young maidens traditionally picked seven kinds of flowers to put under their pillows on Midsummer to dream about their husband-to-be. According to mythology, the city of Rome was built by seven kings, and according to Islam, Allah created seven heavens on top of each other. In the first book of the Bible, God created the world in seven days. And later, anyone who dared to kill Cain would "suffer vengeance seven times over.� Seven years of plenty and seven years of famine appear in Pharaoh�s dream in Genesis 41, and in Exodus 13 there are seven days of the feast of Passover.

The fall of the walls of Jericho takes place on the seventh day after marching around the city seven times. Jesus is known to have had seven last words (or sayings) on the cross. And seven is the number of the wonders of the ancient world. Below are recipes for seven of the most popular Swedish cookies. Swedes aren�t in love with cookies as much as Americans are, but there�s one cookie that most Swedes know and love: �dr�mmar.� A �dr�m� was always found on the tray when �sju sorters kakor� were served. Ingredients for about 6 dozen: 2 cups all-purpose flour, � tsp salt, 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened), 1� cups sugar, 1 tsp crushed baker�s ammonium, � tsp almond extract, 1� cups sweetened flaked coconut. Sift together flour and salt. Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in ammonium carbonate and almond extract until combined well. Mix in flour mixture at low speed just until blended, then stir in coconut.

Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 300�F. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and arrange 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets. Bake cookies in batches in upper third of oven until pale golden around edges, 18 to 22 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool. Another really popular Swedish cookie that most people actually buy (in Sweden try the Delicato brand), but they are actually not too difficult to make at home. This cookie is also called �arraksrulle� or �punschrulle� or �s�kring.� We have many names for the things we love � (K�rt barn har m�nga namn � ) Ingredients for about 40 cookies: � cup cookie or cake crumbs (as long as they're neutral in flavor, use anything), � cup butter (softened), 3 tbsp cocoa powder, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, 2 tbsp punsch liqueur (if you can't find any, then use Amaretto or Frangelico instead), � cup marzipan and green food coloring, � cup dark chocolate, melted.

Start by placing the crumbs in a bowl ― a regular bowl if you're doing this by hand or with handheld beaters, or in the bowl of your Kitchen-Aid if you have one. You need a fairly firm dough that can easily be shaped, so add ingredients accordingly, and taste it, too. Roll the dough into thin logs and place in the fridge to firm up. In a bowl mix the marzipan with a few drops of the green food coloring until even, using your fingers. Place them seam-side down, and cut into smaller lengths. Dip the ends in melted chocolate, and something more if you like ― colored sugar, sprinkles, crushed nuts or coconut. These cookies taste best the day after they�re made. Hallongrottor (Raspberry caves or Raspberry thumbprint cookies) A common Swedish pastry that has its American equivalent in the thumbprint cookie. An easily baked, molded cookie. � cup sugar, 2 sticks butter, ⅓-� vanilla pod + 1 tsp sugar (vanilla sugar substitute), 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, raspberry jam.

Preheat oven to 400�F. Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Cut butter into chunks and add to dry ingredients. Mix well using your fingers or a pastry cutter. Roll the dough into a loaf and cut into even slices. Roll each slice into a walnut-sized ball and place in a small cupcake form. Using your thumb, make a depression in each ball, and fill this with a teaspoon of raspberry jam. Bake for about 15 minutes or until slightly browned. Also try using lingonberry jam (and put a little cinnamon in the dough). A biscuit-like pastry that contains, as its name suggest, mostly oat (havre). The �flarn� usually look like flat cookies but you may want to give them their pretty rolled shape. � cup butter, � cup sifted flour, � cup sugar, � cup quick cooking oats, 2 tbsp light cream. Preheat oven to 375�F. Grease and flour baking sheets. Melt butter in medium saucepan then add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to bubble.

Remove from heat and stir briskly. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 4 inches apart on well-greased and floured baking sheet. Bake only 5-6 cookies at a time for about 5-6 minutes until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove carefully with flipper and place over rolling pin, glass or mug so they curl and become firm. If the cookies harden before they can be removed from the cookie sheet, then re-heat in oven for a few seconds to soften. 2� cups flour (sifted before measured), 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp salt, � cup unsalted butter, softened, 1� cups sugar, 1 egg, � cup molasses.Sift together flour, baking soda, spices and salt and set aside. Beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar in a large bowl. Add egg and molasses and mix well. Add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Using about 1� teaspoon dough for each, roll into balls. Roll them in the remaining � cup of sugar so they are fully coated.

Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake until set, 9-10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Great cookies with caramel flavor. 1 cup butter, ⅔ cup sugar, 1 tbsp light-colored molasses, 1 tbsp vanilla, 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder. Preheat oven to 350�F. Stir butter, sugar, molasses and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flour and baking powder, and quickly work to a smooth dough. Split the dough in 4 evenly sized pieces. Roll out to "sausages" as long as the baking plate. Put the dough sausages two and two together on baking paper on the plate and flatten them out slightly. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15-18 minutes. Cut the sausages in diagonal cuts.Finska pinnar (Finnish sticks) Also known as Finska fingrar (Finnish fingers), this cookie is the size of a finger (actually a bit thicker) and can be given a slight vanilla taste. It is not known why they are called Finnish, it seems only logical to believe they originate in Finland.