Friday, April 10, 2009

Swedish Dammsugare

liladammsugare2

Here's a special treat for Easter - classic Swedish "dammsugare". The name means "vaccum cleaners", and that's a very strange name for a cookie indeed. The reason? Well, traditionally these are made with lime-green marzipan and chocolate dipped ends, and maybe there was an early vaccum cleaner model that looked like that..? I really don't know, and there doesn't seem to be a simple answer out there, so it'll have to remain a mystery.

And it has many names, "dammsugare" just happens to be most widely used one. "Punschrulle" is also quite common, getting it's name from the liqueur used to flavor the filling. Punsch, as I've written before, is made from arrak and very sweet. If you can't find it, try using something like Amaretto or Frangelico instead - won't be the same, but it'll be really good.

It's impossible to give exact measures here. A lot depends on the type of crumbs you use. I had biscotti crumbs, but if you use something like pound cake, you're getting a much softer texture and might need less alcohol and more sugar to firm it up. My advice is to have extra of everything, and add more as you go along to get a good, firm, rollable texture.

I made marzipan from almond paste, some glucose and powdered sugar, but it's easier to buy ready-made and ready-colored marzipan. You will need about 300-350 g - I ran out and had to throw out the extra filling.

liladammsugare1

Swedish Dammsugare
about 40 cookies

200 g cake or cookie crumbs (as long as they're neutral in flavor, use anything)
150 g butter, softened
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp powdered sugar
2 tbsp punsch liqueur

marzipan, see above
150 g dark chocolate, melted

Start by placing the crumbs in a bowl - a regular bowl if you're doing this by hand or with handheld beaters, or in the bowl of your Kitchen-Aid if you have one. Mix in the butter, and then cocoa, powdered sugar and punsch. You need a fairly firm dough, that can easily be shaped, so add ingredients accordingly - and taste it, too.

Roll out thin logs of the dough, and place in the fridge to firm up. Roll out the marzipan and shape it around the dough logs. Place them with the seam-side down, and cut into smaller lengths.

Dip the ends in melted chocolate, and something more if you like - I used some colored sugar, but sprinkles, crushed nuts or coconut would also be nice.

Keep them in a cool place. And if you can stand it, they're better the day after they're made...

Recipe in Swedish
Dammsugare

20 comments:

Tiggy said...

They look soo good! I cheated and bought Godbitens lattedammsugare instead. *hides*

When I was little we actually had a vaccumcleaner that look a lot like the original green vaccumcleaner-candy. And it was ooold! So old hehe..

I think my dad still has it somewhere in the house yet, maybe in the attic.

Lena said...

Jag saknar dammsugare - fast ibland kan man hitta paket pa IKEA.

Tack vare dig kan jag nu gora mina egna! Tackar.

Jag lagade ocksa karamell-kyckling haromdagen och den var supergod! Har ocksa provat choklad-kaka med applen. Trevlig pask och tack for en mysig och bra blogg!

Feline Flodin said...

Ooooh, Linn ääälskar dammsugare! ^^

Jessica said...

I make dammsugare with sugar dough due to almond allergy, serves just as well. Punchrulle? Think not.
In the absence of punsch I've used everything from golden rum rum to cognac. It just has to have some extra sweetness to it.

Karin said...

I havn´t done dammsugare in years but I have eaten them. Yum!
A variation is to roll the filling into balls and then roll them in brown "strössel", I cant figure out what that is in english...

Jag har en ickematrelaterad fråga också. Vad använder du för kattsand? mitt vanliga sort som jag köpt sen katten var liten har blivit alltför dyrt så sist köpte jag ICA:s eget. Du måste ju vara storkonsument på varan

Ehva said...

Tack för senast...dina dammsugare är dom bästa jag har smakat...Det var en rykande åtgång på dom på mitt kalas.. ska försöka göra själv nu när jag har receptet..kramar syster

Anne said...

Tiggy - those are real good too! I was surprised how easy these were to make though!

Lena, vad kul - glad påsk till dig med!

Jessika - ooh, I *really* don't like sugar paste much.. but I suppose it might do in a pinch. :)

Karin - strössel is generally called sprinkles. Och jo, det går en del kattsand. Vi använder en dyr variant som är ruskigt bra, Extreme Classic Gold Label. Men det går inte åt mycket, och vi har inte hittat nåt som är alls lika bra så... ja, det får väl kosta då.

Ehva, vad bra :) Jag glömde ju skriva i själva inlägget att det var till dig, och därför de är lila.. :)

Katiecakes said...

Oh oh!!! I always buy these when I go to Ikea!! I can't wait to try them out for myself! They're so tasty!!

Katie xox

Lattemama said...

I always assumed they were called that because they're originally made with cookie crumbs that you "vaccumed" up off the floor in the bakeries ...

Boywing said...

I am sure Lattemamma is right here, because that is the story I have heard from the bakers.

Anna said...

Snygga dammsugare! Och blå dessutom. Festligt!

samekissen said...

De kallas väl dammsugare för att innehållet ser ut som damm!? Sedan var gamla Volta-dammsugaren i rätt form även om den var orange =)

Jeanne said...

Vacuum cleaner cookies - that's too adorable!

Siouxchef said...

I live in Utah (United States) and will be coming to Stockholm in a month. I'm most excited about going to a supermarket there and seeing all the wonderful things. My question is this seems like a cookie (is it a cookie or more like a candy?) that I had in the Normandy area of France last Thanksgiving. Do you know what a French version of this might be called? Secondly, I'd be willing to try to fulfill some of your wishlist if you could be really specific about what you want. I'd love to hear from you.

Karen

Anne said...

Hi Karen!

Hm, it's somewhere in between a cookie and candy! It's rather chocolatey, but drier. I have no idea if there's a similar one in France though - how intriguing! Maybe some sort of Petit Four is similar? Welcome to Stockholm! I'd love to meet up for coffee, if our schedules match up, so drop me an e-mail!! :)

Anne

Anonymous said...

Thank you! I've been hunting for a recipe for 'Ikea green cakes' as we call them for years! Finally found this one! Looks excellent, will try it out asap! We go up to Nottingham Ikea (UK) to buy them now they can be home made!

Bibi Milneaux said...

thank you for this recipe :) i totally love dammsugare from Ikea :))

i'm following your blog now coz it's great!

xoxo

Iida said...

They look really great! Thank you so much for the recipe, I'll definitely try my own version and I think I'll cover my vacuum cleaners with pink marzipan... :)

Anonymous said...

I love these cakes from Ikea and i'm so happy you have shared the recipe. Many thanks Kaye UK

Vinterfrid said...

Lattemamma (and all others) - the name derivates from the shape of the earliest vacuum cleaners and NOT from cookie crums used; unfortunately that is a widespread misconception especially among younger people.