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Fattigman

December 22, 2014 / Cookies, Desserts

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.

Fattigman are fried cookies dusted with powdered sugar for a special snack at Christmastime.

It had been years since I’d eaten fattigman, “poor man’s cookies”, during the holidays. These special fried cookies have crossed my mind frequently in recent years, but I could never find the time to make them.

This year, I decided I had no real excuse to not dive in to the recipe.

Fattigman are fried cookies dusted with powdered sugar for a special snack at Christmastime.

Although they are a bit finicky, I only needed one single bite to be transported back in time. Sometimes it seems odd that so much of our memories are tied up in tastes and smells, and not necessarily the actions of the given day.

I don’t recall any singular moment of fattigman at Christmas, only that they were there on the table often, ready for us to eat along with the spritz cookies and the Midwest appetizer platter of cheese and summer sausage.

Our Christmases never felt like a big to-do, but there was always plenty of food, plenty of coffee (for the adults), euchre at night, and hours of just being.

Fattigman are soft, rich cookies that are spiced with classic cardamom.

Our families have shifted quite a bit over the past ten years, which I suppose is part and parcel of growing up. It makes sense, but that doesn’t mean things get any easier.

Especially these days, as both my brother and I have children, but my small unit lives so far away from the rest of the family. We do what we can. What I can do, is cook and bake.

Fattigman is similar to pie crust in that you mix up the dough and chill it before forming. Spiced with classic cardamom, the dough is soft and rich thanks to extra egg yolks.

Fattigman cookies do take some work to get to form properly, so don’t get frustrated if your first few bows don’t look quite right. You can easily toss the dough back into a ball, re-roll and re-cut to try again.

Fattigman, "poor man's cookies", are a traditional Scandinavian holiday cookie.

These are best served immediately, but if you plan to save them for later, make sure they are crisp-fried and well-drained. Save the powdered sugar dusting until right before eating.

Fattigman

Fattigman

Yield: 4 dozen
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Fattigman are fried cookies dusted with powdered sugar for a special snack at Christmastime.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cream or half & half
  • 1 tablespoon bourbon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
  • Oil for frying
  • Powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Beat together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, cream, and bourbon.
  2. Add cardamom, salt, and flour, and mix until a soft dough forms.
  3. Dust a work surface with flour and knead about 5 times just to bring dough together smoothly.
  4. Divide dough into two, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  5. When ready to cook, heat 2 inches of oil in a deep skillet to 375°F.
  6. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out dough to 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Using a knife, pasty wheel, or pizza cutter, slice dough into diamonds.
  7. Cut a small slit in the center of each diamond. Pull the bottom tip of the diamond through the slit, creating a bow shape.
  8. Fry fattigman in oil in batches, about 1-2 minutes per side (they should be crisp, but not too browned). Remove and cool on paper towels, paper bags, or newspaper, then dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Notes

The bourbon is optional, but will help prevent the oil from soaking into the dough during frying.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Cuisinart 1.1-Liter Deep Fryer
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  • Ebuns Rolling Pin (Traditional Pins 10-inch Barrel)
    Ebuns Rolling Pin (Traditional Pins 10-inch Barrel)
  • OXO Good Grips 3-piece Mixing Bowl Set
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 2 cookies
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 92Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 52mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 0gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g

Did you make this recipe?

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© Megan

More cookie recipes you might like:

Candied Meyer Lemon Cookies – Food Fanatic

Double Chocolate Cookie Sticks – Stetted

Lemon Drop Cookies – Bluebonnet Baker

Peppermint Snowcap Meringues – Very Culinary

Super Chocolatey Raspberry Cookies – Stetted

Swedish Meatballs
Santa Hat Brownies

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  1. Rachel says

    December 23, 2014 at 9:18 am

    Your family plays euchre too? 🙂 It’s amazing the simple little bits and bites that transport us back in time…for me, it’s peanut butter blossoms and Danish butter cookies. Both remind me of my grandmothers.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      December 30, 2014 at 8:17 pm

      @Rachel It must be a Midwestern thing! I never learned how to play it myself, though.

      Reply

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