Nu er julen startet !

Now Christmas has started! It may still be before Thanksgiving back in the United States but here in Denmark, all our thoughts are already on wish lists, nisser, and Christmas celebrations. For me the Christmas season started this past weekend with my Danish family, some Christmas shopping and the scent of Danish treats.

Since I had come back from Greenland it has been darker and colder in Denmark, so thoughts of Christmas definitely adds cheer even on a cloudy day. It is wonderful to walk around Copenhagen and observe the Christmas decorations that are going up everyday. (That is as long as it isn't rainy or snowing)

This past Saturday, in the true Christmas spirit I spent the day with my Danish family getting gifts for those back home, and baking cookies with my host Mom. In total we made over 300 cookies! This seems like a large amount when you consider how big American cookies are, but Danish cookies are considerable smaller. These cookies are a perfect sized mouthfuls of holiday spirit, without the guilty conscience of gobbling up a gigantic American Christmas cookie.

Pictured above are some Pebernødder cookies.

After baking the three different types of cookies, Pebernødder, Jødekager, and Finskbrød, they were loaded into multiple Christmas tins. We tested out the cookies with tea, coffee and a movie, creating a wonderful end to the Saturday.

Though that was the end of our Saturday it sure was not the end to the Christmas baking for the weekend. On Sunday my host Mom made Æbleskiver, a traditionally Danish Christmas dessert. These round puffs are typically eaten with jelly or powdered sugar, which we promptly did soon after they were made. Below is a picture of the delicious dish of Æbleskiver, next to the special pan required to cook them. Such is not an easy task, particularly when they must be turned several times to create the round shape. Thus it was probably a good thing someone with more talent than me in the kitchen was making them.

Thus was the wonderful start to the Christmas season!

After a weekend of Danish Christmas treats, we will spend Wednesday evening with two other host families and my friend Sandra as we celebrate Thanksgiving!

Vi Ses!