These pastry-like sour cream twist cookies have yeast in them but no rising. You just have to chill the dough a while, roll in lots of sugar, and twist to get one of the best Swedish Christmas traditions! We make these every year. I love to dip them in hot chocolate! Originally published Dec 15, 2016.
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Right after I had the baby, my wonderful amazing mother came and stayed with us for a while to help us cope with the fact that our children officially outnumber us.
Mom knows that I make Butterscotch Oatmeal for the kids nearly every morning, so she made some too, except that she actually followed the recipe. (I usually only add half the sugar because I don’t want my kids to turn into junkies like me.)
Well, Charlotte noticed. “Grandma, this oatmeal is REALLY GOOD. What did you put in this??” I explained to her that Grandma added “too much” sugar. I said, “Do you know why sugar is bad for you?” And she said, “I don’t care.”
Me neither Charlotte, me neither. But I won’t be admitting that to you for as long as I can swing it. Here’s hoping we don’t die young. And cheers to all your future dental bills.
You’ll love these sour cream twists cookies
Whether you call them Swedish sour cream twists or German sour cream twists, you’ll love these flaky layered cookies. You’ll love them even more with a mug of hot chocolate. This is the other recipe from Eric’s great-grandma Prudy that I promised you guys this year. It’s a huge personal favorite of mine. It might be my favorite Prudy recipe, although Butter Pecans are another top contender. Or maybe it’s the cardamoms. Or maybe I don’t have to choose and I can love them all!
Ingredients for Sour Cream Twists
Sour cream twists are like a cross between a pastry and a cookie. There is yeast in the dough, but you don’t need to let them do a traditional rise. You just chill the dough for a while and let the yeast work some yeasty magic.
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- butter
- flour
- active dry yeast
- sour cream
- eggs
- kosher salt
- vanilla
- white sugar
How to make Swedish (or German) sour cream twists
One of the first times my mother-in-law Kris made this recipe for Swedish sour cream twists, years after Prudy had passed away, she couldn’t decide if the “sour cream” called for in the recipe was sour cream that we buy in a tub, or regular heavy cream that had gone sour. She decided to use the tub kind and it worked out great, but sometimes I want to try it with sour heavy cream. I wonder how much it would change the result.
The other different thing about this recipe is that there is no sugar mixed in the dough; instead you roll and fold the dough in sugar several times, which makes tiny delicate layers.
Sprinkle the sugar directly onto the dough and fold it in.
These layers are what make the cookies so light and flakey.
Roll the dough into a rectangle, sprinkle with sugar, and fold it into thirds like a business envelope (add sugar between layers).
Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough and a cookie cutter to cut into strips.
Don´t forget to sprinkle the strips with MORE sugar!
Then once you’ve shaped the twists, you roll them in sugar before baking. When you bake them the sugar gets crispy around the edges and crystalizes a little bit, giving them just the right amount of crunch on the edges while still having a tender, yeasty center.
The bottoms are crispy perfection!
They are sweet but not overwhelming. They are seriously the best thing that will ever be dipped in your hot chocolate! These would be great to leave out for Santa, or even to snack on for breakfast while opening stockings!
What to serve with sour cream twist cookies
Hot chocolate! Seriously, these twists were made for hot chocolate. If it’s just me and I don’t want to make a huge batch of cocoa, I´ll make this single-serving hot chocolate recipe and take a few minutes for myself. I also love them alongside a steaming mug of warm Spiced Wassail!
How to store sour cream twist cookies
To keep your sour cream twist cookies fresh and tasty, make sure they’re completely cool before storing—nobody wants soggy cookies from condensation. Pop them into an airtight container to lock in that fresh-baked goodness. If you’re stacking them, slip a piece of parchment or wax paper between each layer to prevent sticking. Find a cool, dry spot away from direct sunlight or humidity for the container.
If you want to save some for later, freezing is a great option. Lay the cookies out in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container or a zip-top freezer bag, and they’ll stay perfect for up to three months. When you’re ready to indulge, just thaw them at room temperature for a few hours or overnight.
Other Christmas cookie recipes to try
Here are some of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes. You can find all my cookie recipes on Pinterest.
- Pariserwafiers (Swedish Cream Wafer Cookies) >> another pastry-like cookie that is heavenly BLISS, I tell you
- Grandma Prudy’s Spritz Cookie Recipe >> another family favorite from Grandma Prudy
- Thumbprint Almond Raspberry Cookies >> a classic for a reason!
- My All-Time-Favorite Shortbread Cookies >> shortbread is a classic anytime of year, but especially holidays
- Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies >> sugar cookies topped with candy canes = Christmas magic
- Dipped Chocolate Peppermint Cookies >> similar to the peppermint candy cane cookies, but in CHOCOLATE
- Unbelievably Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Man Cookies >> there´s just something so fun about making and eating gingerbread men cookies
- Biscotti For People Who Thought They Hated Biscotti >> you know it’s good when you have to keep a stock in the freezer all season long
- Perfect Linzer Cookies >> cute shapes like sugar cookies, but with WAY more sophistication
- Easy Christmas Butter Cookies from Drive Me Hungry
- Cake Mix Christmas Cookies from Six Sisters Stuff
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Swedish Sour Cream Twists (Layered Yeast Cookies)
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened (2 sticks)
- 3 & 1/2 cups flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 & 1/4 cups white sugar, for rolling out dough, plus more
- 1/2 cup white sugar, for rolling twists in
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the flour and beat well.
- In another medium bowl, stir the yeast into the sour cream.
- Beat in the eggs, salt, and vanilla.
- Beat the sour cream mixture into the flour mixture until combined. The dough will be very sticky.
- Cover the bowl and let chill in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight. It’s easier to manage the dough when it’s cold, and it gives the yeast a chance to develop.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a few baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper.
- Sprinkle a generous handful of the 1 and 1/4 cups sugar onto a work surface. I used a pastry cloth, or a silpat would work well too. If you roll out on the countertop you will need quite a bit of sugar since the dough is so sticky.
- Scrape the dough on top of the sugar, sprinkle some more on top, and use your hands to pat it down. Roll it into a rectangle with a rolling pin. See photos.
- Sprinkle the rolled dough with more sugar. Don’t be stingy! Use a lot so that it doesn’t stick, you may need more than the 1 and 1/4 cup called for.
- Fold the dough in half, sprinkle the top with sugar, and roll out into another rectangle. Repeat this sugaring, folding, and rolling, process 3-4 times, until the sugar is gone.
- The final time you roll the dough in a rectangle, sprinkle with sugar, then fold the dough in thirds like a business envelope (add sugar in between layers).
- Roll into a long strip, about 4-5 inches by 22-24 inches. See photos.
- Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into strips about 1/2 inch wide. (Each strip should be about 1/2 inch by 4-5 inches).
- Use your fingers to twist each strip, then roll generously in 1/2 cup sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart.
- Repeat with the remaining strips of dough.
- Bake at 350 for about 17-20 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges. If you think you will like them extra crispy for coffee-dipping, leave them in a couple minutes longer.
- The recipe makes 36-40 twists, depending on how you long you made the twists.
- Serve with hot chocolate! It’s so good!!
I see you are using a pastry cloth for the Swedish Sour Cream Twists. My mother always used one but I don’t remember seeing it when we went through her kitchen after she passed away. Where can I get one now? I see some advertised but the reviews are not favorable. Any ideas?
Hey Elizabeth! I just did some poking around online and you’re right, I can’t find one with amazing reviews. I have one that I bought on Amazon that is just ok, and another one that you see in the photos that someone gave me. I wish I knew where my friend bought it. Maybe check a baking supply store if there is one nearby, or otherwise a store like Bed Bath and Beyond or maybe William Sonoma? (Although I searched online and WS a least doesn’t seem to have them.) It’s funny that they are so difficult to find considering how useful they are. Good luck!
Here is a link to purchase excellent quality pastry cloth.
https://www.oklahomapastrycloth.com/
Thanks for sharing Dianna! I have seen this company before but haven’t bought one. Do you have one yourself? If anyone has one, chime in with a review!
Thanks for the recipe, these turned out really well. The dough is really easy to work with once it gets flattened and sugared once. Also thanks for the tip about keeping it cold to make the twists. Was having trouble, popped them in the fridge for a bit and they were fine. :)
I’m so glad you tried out this recipe Lauren! It’s truly one of my favorite cookies :) Chilling makes all the difference.
I had to laugh when I took these out of the oven because mine do NOT look like the picture! Apparently I made them too fat. They looked like the picture before baking but they untwisted in the oven, so they look like kind of sloppy figure 8s. Ha! But they are seriously delicious and worth another try. Love this recipe!
Oh sad, I’m sorry Lucia!! Yeah you have to roll them pretty tight. Try sticking the entire pan of twisted cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking. The colder they are the better shape they will be.
can these be put in the freezer? Or can the dough be left in the refrigerator for a while?
Hi Lisl, yes these freeze very well! And yeah the dough can be refrigerated for a few days, or frozen for a fee weeks.
What am I doing wrong. I followed directions and the dough was too crumbly and I tried adding water and more sour cream to no avail. Please advise
Is this from the Mary Martha Cookbook? I think I’ll make this for MOPS this week.
Hey Vicki! I don’t know if it’s from a cookbook! I got it from my mother in law who got it from her paternal grandmother, who was Swedish. I’m sure she didn’t make it up though, the recipe is pretty traditional.
I was wondering the same thing! It looks just like my books.
My family made these all growing up… came from my grandmother’s family. I have never seen a recipe similar in my life… until yours! EXACTLY the SAME! I never knew they were Swedish!
Ah! That is the BEST Renee!! It is such a unique recipe. It’s so fun how the internet brings all these old family recipes up and helps us figure out where they are from!
These were my favorite childhood cookies! My mom, who had a Swedish aunt, and her Polish friend (my godmother) made these the weekend before Christmas. I found my mom’s recipe card with only the ingredients and vague directions and have made these many times. If you don’t use full fat sour cream, add more flour by about 1/4. Cup. They are loved by my extended family whenever I make them and a special request by a brother inlaw. Thanks for the full recipe!
Awesome Mary!! Thanks so much for sharing this! That is a good tip about the extra flour. I’m so glad both our families can enjoy these! They are the best! Thanks again for the review :)
These look fabulous! Those flaky layers look absolutely dreamy. I love the idea of dipping them in chocolate!
I just finished up my last batch of the season. And dipped them ALL in hot chocolate. So good! Thanks Valentina!
haha oh that story made me laugh! And Charlotte’s response about why sugar is bad! Too funny! And these cookies sound amazing! Happy happy holidays!!
Just made here! We love them. I used very spoiled buttermilk. I hope we don’t end up in the ER! Ha! Seriously, good recipe. Thanks!
Christine
Haha!! That is awesome Christine! I’m sure you won’t end up in the ER. Good to know that I can use buttermilk in these! I’m so glad you liked them. Thanks for the review and Merry Christmas!
omg, these look so good! you had me at dipping in hot chocolate. now that it’s winter i’m a total hot chocolate junkie.
also? i finally made the brown sugar oatmeal early this week when my bf was home sick. i played it off like i was just making my own breakfast and then gave him a taste. i carefully asked if he would like some. “yes” was the answer AND he cleaned the bowl. high praise for someone who is super cranky & picky about food when sick and wouldn’t touch oatmeal even generally speaking. it was really good. but now i want to make it every day, which is why i didn’t buy a new bag of brown sugar at the store yesterday. too dangerous, lol!
i put a picture of it on IG, even. we had it with leftover apple cranberry compote that i made after watching one of the new ina garten barefoot contessa episodes. (she visits the southfield store and makes it as a topping for french toast.) BONUS YUM.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BN9r_A1jzOq/
Thank you so much for including my recipe for Sour Cream Twist Cookies. The cookbook you show looks very similar to my grandmother’s. There are handwritten notes, dog earred pages, and spots. So you know it’s a goo done.
This is one of my family’s all time favorites, just as are Bohemian Yeast Cookies (I will have to send you the recipe for these). Both use sour cream, and both are chilled overnight. The Bohemian Yeast cookies are filled with dates or raisins and sprinkled with powdered sugar after baking. Love these Eueropean delights. When I first baked the Sour Cream Twists, I didn’t work the dough fast enough and it fell apart! A desperate call to Mum fixed that!
Oh man! I want to east these RIGHT NOW! But I have to finish decorating, wrapping, etc., etc., etc before I can allow myself to bake anything! I’m so far behind Karen! It’s all Valentine’s fault ( but so worth it😘).
Thank you for posting these. I’m pretty sure Gramma Prudy is up in heaven smiling down on your blog. You’re going to love her Karen. She was the best.
Thanks……will try them tomorrow!
I’m glad you are trying them out Judy! Let me (and Kris :) know how they taste!