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Sörur
Almond meringue cookies with buttercream
Sörur: Icelandic almond meringue Christmas cookies with coffee buttercream and chocolate
Sörur are Iceland's most loved Christmas cookie, named after the French actress Sarah Bernhardt and adapted from a Danish pastry. Icelandic families bake them in batches through Advent and keep them in the freezer, where they are eaten straight from frozen. A chewy-crisp almond meringue disc is spread with silky coffee buttercream made on egg yolks and dipped in dark chocolate. The yolks are cooked by a hot sugar syrup; for anyone pregnant, very young or vulnerable, use pasteurised egg yolks. They are gluten free. Chef's tip: grind the almonds with the sugar, which stops them turning oily, for a finer meringue.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 24
Ingredients
For the almond meringue
- 7 oz blanched almonds
- 7 oz icing sugar
For the coffee buttercream
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 3 egg yolkspasteurised if needed
- 5 ½ oz buttersoft
- 2 tsp instant coffeedissolved in 1 tsp hot water
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
To coat
- 7 oz dark chocolate
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What you'll need
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 325°F (275°F fan) and line two trays. Blitz 7 oz blanched almonds and 7 oz icing sugar in a food processor to a fine powder.
Step 2: Whisk 3 egg whites to stiff peaks, then fold in the almond mixture gently with a spatula until just combined.
Step 3: Spoon or pipe 24 small rounds, about 3 cm across, onto the trays. Bake for 15–18 minutes, until pale gold and dry; they lift off the paper when cool.
18 minStep 4: For the buttercream, boil 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar and ¼ cup water to 250°F (a drop in cold water forms a soft ball). Meanwhile whisk 3 egg yolks until pale. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup in a thin stream onto the yolks and whisk until the bowl is cool, about 8 minutes; the hot syrup brings the yolks above 160°F.
12 minStep 5: Beat in 5 ½ oz butter a spoonful at a time, then 2 tsp instant coffee and 1 tsp cocoa powder, to a smooth buttercream. A common mistake is adding butter before the yolk mixture has cooled, which melts it into soup. Chill for 20 minutes until spreadable.
Step 6: Spread a domed spoonful of buttercream on the flat side of each meringue, smoothing it to a peak. Freeze on a tray for 30 minutes, until firm.
Step 7: Melt 7 oz dark chocolate gently, dip each cookie buttercream-side down to coat it, and set on paper. Keep in the fridge or freezer and serve cold.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sörur take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 24 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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Perfect for:Christmas