Licorice-filled Nostalgia

Ofer Bar-Lev
Feb 10
3 min read

It has been a while since I posted anything. I had a mild wrist injury which got in the way of baking, and I also decided to start working with and experimenting with sourdough, which is time-, attention-, and energy-consuming.

still, I found some time to develop another recipe, combining a childhood-favorite cookie, with some Nordic flavors - Licorice-filled Caterpillar Cookies.

As a child, I loved Turkish-delight-filled cookies. Those are cookies made of short pastry, simple and not too sweet, which gives the sticky Turkish delight a crisp contrast. These are a perfect accompaniment for tea or coffee and once I had one, it was hard to stop.

Recently, I came across plenty of Turkish delight in the various immigrant-owned stores in my neighborhood here in Copenhagen and it made me nostalgic. Unfortunately, not everyone is a fan of its flavor or texture, but I felt there was an excellent opportunity here for another fusion recipe. And what screams Nordic louder than Licorice?

True, even licorice is an acquired taste, and it can be quite intense for some. For Danes, on the other hand, it is a staple confection. Kids grow up eating it, adults eat it without batting an eye, and you can find it in various styles and contexts - from candy to ice cream, and all the way to gourmet dishes.

For many people, licorice is an acquired taste, and some Danes see it as a comforting, nostalgic and addictive flavor, even as a cultural rite of passage for foreigners. Personally, I like the sweet licorice and I find there are many interesting flavor combinations to explore with it. There is also the salty licorice (Salmiak), which is a taste I have yet to acquire.

In this recipe, I used soft licorice confections as a replacement for Turkish delight. They provided a delicate licorice flavor on the one hand, while resembling the sweetness and texture of the original ingredient. It was clear to me that this is a controversial recipe from its inception, but the opportunity to create something special overcame the fear.

And the responses? Surprisingly positive - even people who dislike licorice enjoyed them.So what do you say - will you give it a try?

Licorice-Filled Caterpillar Cookies - The Recipe

Makes 30 cookies

Ingredients

Dough

300g plain white flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

100g unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small cubes (0.5 x 0.5 cm)

100g sour cream (18% fat)

2 egg yolks

30g vanilla sugar

A dash of salt

Filling

30 pieces of licorice confections, cut in half

Finish

Powdered sugar, to tast

Method

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle blade, combine the flour, vanilla sugar, baking powder, butter and salt until the mixture resembles sand.
Add the egg yolks and sour cream, then mix just until the dough comes together into a cohesive mass.
Preheat the oven to 170℃ (345℉) on the fan-assisted (convection) setting.
Divide the dough into small, equal portions, each about 18-19 grams.
Press each portion with your thumb to create an elongated disc, then place 2 licorice pieces and close tightly into a cylinder shape.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet, seam-side down and bake for 15-20 minutes, until lightly golden.
Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack until completely cold.
Dust the cookies with powdered sugar and serve.

Tips & Tricks to Make a Difference

After forming the cookies into a cylinder shape, I like to roll them on top of my potato masher to give it a little bit of texture and enhance the caterpillar look.
If you want to achieve the original look of the Turkish-delight cookies, you can divide the dough into 3 equal parts and roll each one to a large circle, then divide to ten pieces. Place a whole piece of candy close to the wider edge of each slice and roll towards the pointy edge to get a shape reminiscent of a little croissant. This method is less recommended for this filling as it melts during baking and can seep out.