These cookies may look a little imperfect and rustic, and just so you know—they are not macarons. Don’t be confused by the shape! Here in Norway, we call them Success Cookies, and they’ve become a bit of a tradition around the holiday season.
I made my very first version of Success Cookies in a Norwegian cookbook I did about 15 years ago. Back then, I made them with macarons and used the same custard buttercream filling I’m using here.
Since then, so many people have created their own versions—everyone does it a little differently now, and I really love seeing that.
But these ones? They’re not made with classic macarons. I know a lot of people find macarons tricky to get just right. One day I was making my Budapest roll (if you’ve tried it, you know how delicious that batter is), and I thought—what if I just piped this as cookies instead? So I did. They baked up a little imperfect, a little cracked, very rustic… but the taste? Incredible.
These cookies are made with almonds or hazelnuts, a little vanilla pudding powder or cornstarch, and they’re piped in a free-form, no-stress way. No need for them to look perfect—because they’re all about taste and texture.
If you’ve never had a Success Cookie before, just know: it’s a very Norwegian thing. We usually fill them with a custard buttercream that’s unlike anything else. It’s not overly sweet, it’s not heavy, and it’s made with egg yolks, vanilla beans, and sea salt. It’s whipped to be soft and creamy, and honestly—it’s lip-smacking good.
I just pipe that custard buttercream between two cookies and drizzle them with dark chocolate. They might not win a beauty contest, but they win everyone over at first bite.
They’re best cold, straight from the fridge or freezer. I like to keep them in a ziplock bag and enjoy one each day. The custard, the chewy nutty cookies, the chocolate—it’s just so delicious. I really hope you love them as much as I do.
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