Sweet Photo Shoot

Looking for a good way to spend quality family time and spread holiday cheer this season? Get together in the kitchen with loved ones and bake! We at Viking magazine were in the holiday spirit earlier this fall as we planned our holiday cookie photo shoot. Check it out on page 20 of the December 2014 issue.

Choosing which cookie recipes to feature was no easy task. We looked to two of our favorite Scandinavian cookbooks, “The Great Holiday Baking Book,” by Beatrice Ojakangas and “Scandinavian Christmas,” by Trine Hahnamann. Read on for a peek behind the scenes of the photo shoot.

What: Viking’s Holiday Cookie Photo Shoot
When: October 8, 2014
Where: Blue Ox Studios, Minneapolis
Photographer: Tom Thulen
Food styling: Betsy Nelson

Schedule: 
8-10:30 a.m. — Bake cookies on site at the studio
10:30-11:30 a.m., — Cut out gingerbread cookies, set up lighting equipment
11:30 a.m-1 p.m. — Place oat and cranberry-orange cookies on set and take photos (seen on pages 22-23)
1-3 p.m. — Frost gingerbread cookies and take photos (seen on page 20)

Before the shoot, we planned the layout.

Cutting out letters using gingerbread dough

Food stylist Betsy Nelson icing the cookies

A view of the opening shot

Cranberry-orange cookies!

The layout coming together on screen

Looking for more cookie recipes? Don't forget to check out Sons of Norway's Recipe Box. 


Anya Britzius is editor of Viking magazine. She lives in Minneapolis, Minn., and enjoys baking, reading and keeping up on modern Norwegian trends.