Finnish Fingers

Pearl sugar is what turns these into something special. Those opaque white beads of compressed sugar don’t melt in the oven, so the surface of each cookie comes out glittering with little caramelized crystals. The base itself is a textbook shortbread: butter, sugar, one egg yolk, vanilla, and flour. Nothing fancy. The technique is what carries it.

The egg white wash is the glue that holds the pearl sugar in place. Brush the rolled ropes before slicing, then dip each cut piece in the sugar. Working in this order keeps the cut ends sugar-free, which gives the fingers their proper Scandinavian look. Chilling the dough before rolling is the move that lets you handle this much butter without it turning into a greasy mess on the counter.

Pro Tips

• Use European-style butter if you can. The higher fat content gives these fingers their characteristic crumble.
• Roll the ropes to a uniform half-inch thickness. Thicker fingers bake unevenly and the centers stay doughy.
• If you can’t find pearl sugar, sub coarse sanding sugar or crushed sugar cubes. Avoid regular granulated, which dissolves into the egg wash and loses the crunch.
• Watch the bake closely. These should be pale gold, not browned. Dark edges turn the butter bitter and the sugar crystals lose their shine.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of grated lemon zest to the dough for a brighter, more citrus-forward cookie.
• Roll the dough in chopped almonds before slicing for a textured crunch.
• Substitute a teaspoon of cardamom for the vanilla to push the cookie into traditional Scandinavian territory.