Jesperson Christmas in Denmark
Compiled By Wendy Kay Smith
Before leaving Denmark, the Jespersen’s celebrated one last Danish Christmas. They made their favorite treats: gingerbread and pebernodder (peppernut) cookies and a drink called Glogg (red wine, a squeeze of brandy, and dried fruits and almonds).
They attended services at the Gaudersland church one last time, and they had a special Christmas Eve dinner consisting of golden browned duck, boiled white potatoes, thick gravy, caramelized brown sugar potatoes, and pickled cabbage. For dessert they had Risalamande (rice pudding) with cherry sauce.
Annie tells of their traditional Christmas breakfast: “Hans was waiting for our traditional Christmas Breakfast of aebleskiver or apple slices. I could hardly cook enough of these light and fluffy spherical pancakes, and usually the batter was gone before the children were full. The pancakes were cooked in a special pan and served with jam” (pg 39).
Danish Christmas Risalmande (Rice Pudding) Recipe
3 2/3 cup milk
1 cup white rice
½ cup fine sugar
2/3 cup sliced almonds
½ cup cream sherry
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cup whipping cream
Bring milk to a boil. Add white rice and sugar to milk. Cook until rice is tender, then cool. Add almonds, cream sherry, and vanilla. Whip the whipping cream and then stir in gently to the rice pudding.
Pheffer Nuts (Peppernuts)
This recipe was my Grandma Ries’s (Marinda Catherine Peterson Smith Ries) recipe. It was probably handed down from her mother and could originally have come from Annie.
1 cup molasses 1 tsp ginger
2 cup dark Karo syrup ½ tsp cloves
2 cup sugar ¼ tsp pepper
1 cup shortening 4 tsp soda
4 eggs Salt
½ tsp nutmeg 2 tsp annis seed or oil
Flour (enough to make a stiff dough) about 3 qts.
(Directions in Mrs. Ries’ words) “I like to use some annis seed and some annis oil then mix it all stiff with a spoon and chill in fridge then add more flour and chill again than make into rolls (about the size of nickels) and chill until you have time to bake. You can put one layer of rolls in pan, cover with wax paper and put more layers on and keep for a whole week if need be. Slice thin and bake about 10–12 minutes in 325 or 350 oven. This makes an awful lot. Try just ½ recipe first.”
Sources: Annie’s Journey: Denmark to Zion, Harleen Gross, pg 39.