Dammsugare: “Vacuum Cleaner” Cookies

Dammsugare translates to “vacuum cleaner” in Swedish, and while this might seem like a weird name for a cookie, it actually makes a lot of sense.

Dammsugare don’t need to be baked and are traditionally made with all the leftover cake and cookie crumbs in a bakery. Not the ones left on customers’ plates—that’d be gross! More like the leftover bits. When I worked at a bakery in Stockholm, we made them from the cut-off ends of brownies and almond cake, and from cookies that we hadn’t sold by the end of the day.

Punsch

Dammsugare can also be called punschrullar, or “punsch” rolls. Punsch is a type of liquor that is very popular in Sweden and is closely related to arrack. These can be made with punsch, arrack, or arrack flavoring (think of it like the arak version of vanilla or mint flavoring). While you could make these without alcohol, they really won’t be the same. They are what they are because of punsch/arak. These would probably also be good if you substituted rum or another spiced liquor.

Based on Vibes

When I made these, I did both the hard and easy way. They were a bit more difficult because I made my own marzipan. But I only did that because I have a lot of almond flour at home and I wanted to use it up before it goes off. The recipe for marzipan is HERE if you’d also like to make your own or if you don’t have access to ready-made marzipan sheets. I also did not temper the chocolate. You can if you want to, but I haaaaaaaate tempering chocolate. I just skipped it and used regular melted chocolate. The only downside to this is that the dammsugare needs to live in the fridge and the chocolate will bloom in a couple of days. This doesn’t hurt them, of course, but it’s not as cute.

Don’t be afraid to vibe with this recipe. I feel it is more a “cooking” than “baking” recipe in that you can really kind of make it your own and season it how you wish. There aren’t a lot of chemical reactions necessary for these to be good (like there are in cake and bread).

The recipe comes directly from Sju Sorters Kakor. I have translated the recipe into English and doubled it. Also, I have only made them once, so it’s not perfect or THE way to make these. As I said earlier, vibe with it, make them how you like! If you’d like to watch me make them check out my tiktok tutorial here: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGepaHT7j/

Print Recipe

Dammsugare

Ingredients

• 200 g Butter
• 2 dl Powdered Sugar about 1 US cup
• 2 tsp Vanilla Sugar or Extract
• 4 Tbsp Cacao Powder
• 6 dl Cake and Cookie Crumbs about 3 US cups
• Punsch or Arrack or Arrack Essence
• Green Marzipan
• Dark Chocolate

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients except the punsch in a large bowl. Ensure the mixture is homogeneous. A stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment works well for this, but a big bowl and a spatula will work just as well.
• Start by adding a couple of tablespoons of punsch or a bit of essence to the mixture. Taste and adjust the amount as needed. The flavor should be quite strong, but be careful not to make the mixture too soupy. It should be firm enough to form into logs. This will vary based on the type of crumbs you are using.
• Once the mixture is flavored to your liking, form it into logs. You can use a piping bag, or if the mixture is very stiff, roll it into logs as you would with cookie dough.
• Chill the logs in the fridge for at least an hour until they are cold throughout.
• Roll out the marzipan using a bit of powdered sugar to prevent sticking.
• Place each log onto the rolled-out marzipan and wrap it in a single layer. The marzipan should overlap slightly. Use a bit of water to help the marzipan stick together if necessary.
• Cut the wrapped logs into 5cm (2in) pieces.
• Melt or temper the dark chocolate.
• Dip the ends of each piece in the chocolate and place them on a piece of parchment paper or a Silpat.
• Place the pieces back in the fridge to allow the chocolate to harden.
• Keep the dammsugare in the fridge and enjoy!