Sweet Celebrations BY AMY BOXRUD Holidays and baking go hand in hand. And nobody knows baking better than Sverre Sætre, Norway's premiere pastry chef. While committed to promoting traditional Norwegian cakes and desserts using the best local ingredients, Sætre is also known for adding a new and original twist to his recipes. We've chosen three that may just become your new holiday favorites. Butter Cookies with Almonds Makes 2 dozen 1 heaping cup almonds 1 cup powdered sugar 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 egg 2 cups fl our Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grind or fi nely chop the almonds and arrange them on a baking sheet. Bake until golden. Stir with a wooden spoon occasionally. Cool the almonds to room temperature. Mix the butter and powdered sugar in an electric mixer or with a wooden spoon. Stir in the cooled almonds. Then stir in the egg and fl our. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until fi rm. Remove the dough and roll it to a thickness of ½ " . Poke the dough with a fork. Cut out rounds with a cookie cutter 2 " in diameter, or cut 1-½ squares. Bake the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment for approximately 15 minutes, or until light golden. Be careful not to over bake. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Sætre recommends butter from Røros, Norway, but any high-quality butter with good fl avor will do. sonsofnorway.com VIKING DECEMBER 2013 13 PHOTOGRAPHY BY (LEFT) ANNA KERN / JOHNER.COM (RIGHT) JOHN MOWERS / UNLEASHED PRODUCTIONS. FOOD STYLING BY RACHEL SHERWOOD.http://www.JOHNER.COM http://www.sonsofnorway.com