Because my in-laws are Swedish and have enthusiastic Swedish pride....I myself have been wooed and seduced into all that is Swedish. I have a particular fondness for the dala horse. Seriously simple in design, it is a traditional icon that I just love. The red-orange color and the uncomplicated shape could not be better in my mind. I happened to stumble upon a website that showed part of the process in the actual making of this horse and I became even more smitten. It is made in only one county in Sweden, Dalarna, and it is illegal to make them anywhere else. They are all hand carved and hand painted. They come in a variety of sizes, as well as colors. Red-orange being the most favored. Here are some photos of the process: an older grandfather carving, bins and bins of carved horses, red and blue painted horses pre-final paint details and the last step - hand painted details. Don't you just want one......or fifty? I did. So I set about making almost that many.
In celebration of my very favorite Swedish Icon, I made three dozen dala horse cookies this year.
They taste just as good as they look.
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