Dessert

Roasted Peach Ginger Ice Cream

August 16, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Making homemade ice cream feels nostalgic to me, like something from a bygone era. I picture kids on a front porch cranking the handle of one of those wooden ice cream makers that required large quantities of rock salt in order to make it work. And the truth is, in our modern world complete with a dizzying array of pre-packaged ice creams available in the freezer section of the grocer store, making your own ice cream at home is hardly necessary. But perhaps this is exactly why we should bother to undertake the activity. Sometimes something slow, a kitchen project that takes a little time and planning, is just what we need to help us shift gears from our faced-paced, on-the-go 24/7 lives.

You will need an ice cream maker for this project, and thankfully they’ve come a long way since the days of hand cranks and rock salt. Simply push a button and the machine does the work for you. Consider it a worthwhile investment, a promise of countless batches of cold creamy goodness for years to come. I’ve had my ice cream maker for over 20 years and it’s still going strong!

On Wednesday I wrote about the joys of having a jar of fruit compote in the fridge. This Roasted Peach Ginger Ice Cream is just one more delicious idea for putting that compote to good use. The ice cream itself is simply a classic custard base made with cream, milk and egg yolks. Add your Roasted Peach Ginger Compote towards the end of churning and boom! Peach ginger ice cream. Couldn’t be easier.

Tips and Tricks for Smooth and Creamy Ice Cream

Ice cream is incredibly straightforward and simple to make, but it is a process, and there are definitely a few tips and tricks for ensuring that it’s creamy and delicious every time:

Remember to freeze the work bowl of the ice cream machine in advance. Ice cream making is not for the impulsive, the impatient or the spontaneous. It’s an activity that rewards planning and preparation. The work bowl of your ice cream maker must be thoroughly chilled prior to successfully churning ice cream. See the manufacturer’s instructions for specific details for your particular model, but this may take anywhere from 24-48 hours. During the summer months, I just keep the work bowl in the freezer so that when I’m ready to make a batch of ice cream it’s ready to go.
Temper the egg yolks prior to adding them to the milk and cream mixture. There is a very good reason that the recipe asks you to SLOWLY mixing about a cup of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks prior to adding them back to the pan. This process is called tempering and it helps ensure that your eggs don’t solidify once they hit the shocking heat of the cream mixture. We want creamy custard here, not scrambled eggs.
Strain the custard base once it has finished cooking. Some recipes will skip this step, but if you don’t strain the mixture, you run the risk of having little bits of cooked egg in your finished project. Not good. Better to be on the safe side and strain.
Cool the mixture COMPLETELY before putting it into the fridge. Ice crystals are the enemy of smooth and creamy ice cream. One of the reasons we use an ice bath to cool the custard base down quickly and completely is so that condensation doesn’t form after you cover the mixture and cause additional water to find it’s way back into the custard (water that will eventually freeze and become icy). I will let my custard sit in the ice bath until it is cool to the touch and then cover and transfer it to the refrigerator.
Don’t skimp on the cooling time prior to churning. To prevent ice crystal formation, it’s important to make sure that the mixture is good and cold before it goes into the ice cream maker. I almost always make my custard base one day and churn it the next.
Add a little vodka to the fruit compote. This is a little trick I picked up from the good people at America’s Test Kitchen. The freezing point of vodka is lower than that of water, so adding a little to your fruit helps keep it from freezing to the point that it becomes hard and icy.

Maybe ice cream making is just the thing to put on your to-do list this weekend to help you slow down and squeeze every ounce of goodness from these waning days of summer. If you are a krumkake baker, whip up a batch of those as well to use as ice cream cones….they are darling and the perfect light and crispy compliment to the peach ice cream. By Sunday night you’ll be sitting on the porch basking in the warm glow of an August evening, ice cream cone in hand, fully appreciating the slow rhythm of the season.

Roasted Peach Ginger Ice Cream

Easy and creamy homemade peach ginger ice cream

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 15 minutes + at least 3 hours chilling time
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours
Yield: 4 cups
Category: dessert
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Ingredients

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 ½ cups whole milk

¾ cup sugar

Pinch of fine sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 egg yolks

1 generous cup Roasted Peach Ginger Compote

2 tablespoons vodka

Krumkake for serving, optional

Special Equipment Needed:

Ice Cream Maker

Instructions

Place a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl that is set inside a larger bowl containing ice and water.
Whisk egg yolks and ¼ cup sugar together in a separate medium bowl. Set aside.
Heat cream, milk, remaining ½ cup sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium heat until steaming and just below a simmer.
Slowly and pouring in a steady stream, ladle about 1 cup of the warm cream mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly. Transfer the cream and egg mixture back to the saucepan with the remaining cream mixture. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens and is just beginning to bubble.
Immediately strain custard through the prepared fine mesh strainer and add the vanilla. Allow it to cool in the bowl over the ice bath, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has come to room temperature. Cover and transfer the custard to the refrigerator to cool completely, at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
Transfer custard to an ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer’s directions. Meanwhile, add the vodka to the Roasted Peach Ginger Compote and stir to combine. Add compote mixture to the ice cream during the last few minutes of churning, making sure that it is distributed thoroughly. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and freeze until ready to use. Serve in krumkake cones if desired.

Blueberry Rye Crumble Bars

July 24, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

It’s time to visit our imaginary Nordic lake cottage. Perhaps it is a classic red painted affair with white trim, nestled near the shore of a tranquil lake, surrounded by tall evergreens. Maybe something like this?

Our days are long and languid and just warm enough to be pleasant. Each morning we rise early for a walk in the woods, metal pails in hand, ready to gather the sweet, wild blueberries that cover the forest floor. We walk through the cool shade of the trees, picking berries as we go, tasting a few here and there, returning to our cottage with fingers stained blue and pails full of luscious ripe berries. We immediately toss a handful or two into our breakfast of warm porridge sprinkled with brown sugar and drizzled with cream. We gaze at the lake reveling in the quiet of the early summer morning, and our most pressing concern becomes what do we do with the rest of the blueberries?

Okay, back to reality. That’s not quite how this recipe came about (other than in my very active imagination) but a girl can dream, can’t she? In truth, this recipe is a cross between a crumble bar recipe from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce and Beatrice Ojakangas’s recipe for blueberry bars in Scandinavian Cooking. Two books that you should not be without, by the way. I love the idea of a hearty crumble bar made with rye flour, hearty oats and sweet, wild blueberries, three Nordic-inspired ingredients that happen to get along very well together.

My “foraging for berries” was more a trip to the frozen section of the local Trader Joe’s, but I decided to stick with the wild berries as opposed to the fresh, conventionally grown blueberries that you might find in plastic containers in the produce section of the store. Not only are wild blueberries smaller and quite often more flavorful than their conventionally grown counterparts, they also contain twice the amount of antioxidants making them a more nutritious choice. Using frozen berries also makes these delicious bars something you can bake all year long, in case you need that blueberry fix come January.

Crumble Bar Tips for Success

A few tips for ensuring that your Blueberry Rye Crumble Bars are summer cottage worthy:

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 9 inch cake pan and cut a piece of parchment paper to fit inside the pan with enough length to hang over the sides. And then take the extra step of buttering the bottom and sides of the parchment (just a couple of inches up the sides is fine). Not only will this help ensure that your bars won’t stick, it creates a sling so that you can take the bars out of the pan before cutting them if you so choose. If you decide to take them out in one big piece using the sling, you must chill the bars for several hours in the fridge beforehand to make sure they are firm enough and won’t fall apart.
After you pat the crust into the pan, press/slide the bottom of a metal measuring cup over the crust to even it out and ensure that it is packed tightly.
Freeze the crust briefly and bake prior to adding the filling. This creates a firm, shortbread-like base for your bars and keeps them from getting soggy.
Make sure your fruit to crust to crumble ratio is proportional. This recipe has a nice balance between the three components.
Squeeze the crumble mixture together in your hand and break off into irregular sized pieces, about 3/4 inch in diameter and smaller. This makes for a nice, craggy top.
Once you have added the crumble topping to the pan, gently press down on it with the back of a spatula. This helps create an even bar and keeps the crumble from falling off once you are ready to cut and serve the bars.
Do not skimp on the cooling/chilling time! If you try to cut into these while they are still warm, you will end up with something more like blueberry cobbler. The crust needs time to cool and set up. At the very least, wait until they have cooled to room temperature. Better yet, chill the bars for several hours in the fridge before slicing. That way you can use the parchment sling to easily remove them from the pan and they are delicious chilled.
All of these components can be made in advance. Keep the crust in the freezer and the filling and crumble in the fridge for up to 24 hours before beginning the baking process.

Since we don’t have a Nordic lake cottage (yet!) we will have to let frozen wild blueberries and delicious recipes like this one transport us in the meantime, our tastebuds at least. We can always close our eyes and munch and dream of lakes and trees and long summer days.

Blueberry Rye Crumble Bars

Wild blueberries, hearty rye flour and oats come together to create a delicious Nordic-style crumble bar.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours and 25 minutes
Yield: About 16 small bars
Category: Fika
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Ingredients

For the Crust:

½ cup dark rye flour (I like the Bob’s Red Mill brand)

1 cup all purpose flour

⅓ cup dark brown sugar

½ teaspoon coarse salt

½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Crumble:

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons rye flour

¼ cup all purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon coarse salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Filling:

3 cups blueberries, preferably wild (frozen is fine)

⅓ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Finely grated zest from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Pinch of coarse salt

Instructions

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Butter a 9 x 9 inch cake pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the inside of the pan, with enough overhang so that the parchment covers the bottom and comes up and over the sides by a couple of inches creating a sling. Place the parchment inside the pan. Butter the bottom and up the sides of the parchment just a couple of inches (see photo).
Combine flours, brown sugar and salt together in a work bowl of a food processor. Process until combined. Add melted butter and vanilla. Pulse until fully combined and the texture of wet sand.
Transfer dough to prepared pan. Set empty work bowl aside to use for the crumble (no need to rinse). Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan, using the bottom of a metal measuring cup to smooth it out and press it flat. Place crust in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the crumble: Combine all ingredients except the butter in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined and oats are slightly broken up, approximately 5-7 pulses. Transfer mixture to a bowl and add melted butter. Stir with a fork to combine. Set aside.
Place the frozen crust in the oven. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until golden brown and slightly firm to the touch.
Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium low heat until berries begin to give up their juice, about 2-3 minutes. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture has become jamlike in texture, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside to cool.
When the crust comes out of the oven, increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Spread the blueberry filling evenly over the top of the crust (a small offset spatula works really well here), taking care not to touch the hot pan.
Squeeze some of the crumble mixture together in your hand. Tear off irregular-sized pieces of the crumble and scatter it in an even layer over the top of the blueberry filling. Crumble pieces should be ¾ inch in diameter or smaller. Repeat with remaining crumble. Press gently on the top of the crumble with the back of a spatula to create an even layer and help the crumble stick together.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until crumble topping is crisp and golden brown. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool slightly before placing in the fridge for a few hours to chill bars before slicing.
Before serving, run a small knife along the inside edge of the pan to loosen any blueberries that may be stuck to the sides. If you have chilled the bars in the fridge, gently lift the parchment paper sling and remove bars in one piece from pan. Cut into squares and serve. If you have simply let the bars cool to room temperature without chilling, slice the bars in the pan into squares and serve.

Notes

Adapted from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce and Scandinavian Cooking by Beatrice Ojakangas

Keywords: blueberry, crumble, bars, rye, oats, lemon, butter, Fika

Summer Skyr Tart with Fresh Berries

June 28, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

What is Skyr?

Skyr (pronounced skeer) is a dairy product that has been an important part of Icelandic food culture for over a thousand years. Here in the United States, it is often marketed as the Nordic answer to Greek yogurt. In Iceland, however, skyr as technically considered a fresh cheese, something like quark, because of the addition of rennet in the recipe. Most commercial brands no longer use rennet to make skyr, just particular strains of probiotics that are unique to the product, and different from those used to make yogurt. Skyr is also strained, much like Greek yogurt is, which helps give it a thick, creamy texture and high protein content. It takes 4 cups of milk to make 1 cup of skyr.

How to Enjoy Skyr

There are many ways to enjoy skyr. It makes a nutritious accompaniment to your morning granola and fruit. Or stir in a little lemon juice, garlic and fresh herbs to make a savory sauce to pair with roasted vegetables or a bowl of cooked lentils. In Iceland, they serve it for dessert with sugar, fresh berries and drizzled with cream. This may seems strange in a dairy-on-dairy kind of way, but skyr is naturally low in fat and pairs deliciously with a little full-fat cream poured over the top. Just don’t stir it all together before you eat it….the point is to have a little cream and a little skyr in each bite, distinct from one another.

This tart is perhaps the most beautiful way to enjoy your skyr….a buttery, crisp crust filled with a combination of skyr and cream cheese and topped with heaps of fresh summer berries. It is a stunning and delicious dessert for any summer occasion (4th of July, perhaps?) and is incredibly simple to put together. This is just the thing to bring to the neighbor’s barbecue or the family picnic….it’s an eye-catcher even before you take the first bite. I promise, there will be praise and accolades. You will be recognized as the amazing Nordic Kitchen God or Goddess that you are. While it’s best served chilled on the day it is made, I will happily eat the leftovers of this tart for at least a day or two afterwards, oftentimes as an unconventional breakfast.

Summer Skyr Tart with Fresh Berries

A fresh, easy and gorgeous summer berry tart with a skyr and cream cheese filling.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes plus cooling time
Yield: one 9-inch tart 1x
Category: dessert, fika
Method: baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Icelandic

Scale

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

⅓ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon fine salt

½ cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½ inch pieces

For the Filling:

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup skyr (Icelandic yogurt), set at room temperature for about an hour

¼ cup sugar

4 cups mixed strawberries, blueberries and/or blackberries

¼ cup strawberry natural fruit spread or jam

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Process flour, sugar and salt together in a food processor until just combined. Scatter butter pieces over the top. Process until mixture has a sandy texture, about 12 long pulses. Turn dough out into a 9 inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.
Press dough into an even layer over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan creating a crust. Flour the bottom of a metal measuring cup and press it over the bottom and sides of the crust to help even everything out. Freeze tart shell for 15 minutes.
Prick the bottom of the crust several times with a fork. Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Check on the crust occasionally to ensure that it isn’t puffing up. If it is, gently press it down with a fork or wooden spoon. Allow tart shell to cool completely in the tart pan.
Make the filling: Combine cream cheese, skyr and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until filling is fully combined and slightly increased in volume, about 3 minutes.
Transfer filling to cooled tart shell (continue to keep the tart shell in the pan. The crust can be delicate and the pan will help support it while you are going through the process of filling it). Even out the filling with an offset spatula.
Warm jam for about 30 seconds in the microwave until it becomes liquid. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. In a large bowl, gently toss mixed berries with strained jam.
Carefully spoon berries on top of tart filling. Lightly cover with plastic wrap or invert a plastic container over the top of the tart and chill for at least an hour or up to 6 hours. Leave in pan until just before serving.

Notes

If you can’t find skyr, Greek yogurt can be used in its place.

Keywords: summer, berries, tart, skyr, cream cheese, fruit tart, fresh, easy

Finnish Strawberry Almond Tart

May 30, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Finns spend much of the summer at their country cottages, when both garden and wild strawberries are ripe. They serve uncomplicated foods, such as fish chowder made with freshly caught fish from the lake, raw vegetables, and a simply made strawberry pie such as this one.
–The Great Scandinavian Baking Book, Beatrice Ojakangas

Sigh. Doesn’t that quote make you want to pack your bags and head for a summer cottage in Finland? Maybe we can’t do that today, but we can head into the kitchen and make this Finnish Strawberry Almond Tart and perhaps imagine ourselves in a quaint little cottage in Finnish lake country. I can see it now….afternoon coffee and this delicious treat at a little table near the shore of a secluded lake, wildlife all around. And our tart would be made with fresh, wild strawberries we foraged ourselves just that morning.

*Imagining I’m in Finnish lake country right now….*

Fortunately for us daydreamy types, this recipe is incredibly simple to prepare and does not require any actual foraging (unless you choose to, of course!) I “foraged” for my strawberries in the local Hy-Vee produce section. And yet, this recipe is really something special. A sweet, almond dough surrounds vanilla scented strawberries, and it’s all captured in a tom. I’ve made a lot of strawberry desserts in my time but this one is easily a favorite.

The method is simple: A pat-in-the-pan dough (no rolling), a filling of sweetened strawberries thickened with cornstarch and a crisp, crumbly topping that is actually just a reserved portion of the dough and sliced almonds. Into the oven for 45 minutes and out comes this gorgeous treat. It is best served warm, with coffee of course, on the day it is made, but I’ve had it for breakfast a day or two later and had no complaints. It softens slightly over time but is no way any less delicious.

Good food writing, and good food, has the ability to transport us to another time and space. Let this tart be your passport to Finland for the afternoon, to uncomplicated summer living at a cozy cottage by the lake. I’ll meet you at that little bistro table down by the water for a steaming cup of coffee and a slice of this heavenly tart.

Finnish Strawberry Almond Tart

An easy summer tart filled with vanilla scented strawberries and surrounded by tender almond dough and sliced almonds.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 20 minutes +30 minutes chilling time
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield: One 14 x 4 inch tart 1x
Category: baking
Method: baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Finnish

Scale

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup almond flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fine salt

10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into ½ inch cubes

1 tablespoon cold milk

For the Strawberry Filling:

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

½ vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise and seeds scraped

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, almond flour, sugar and salt in the work bowl of a food processor. Process briefly to combine. Sprinkle cubes of butter over the top and pulse until mixture has a sandy texture, approximately 12 pulses.
With the machine running, add the milk through the feeder tube. Process until dough just begins to clump together in pieces. It will seem dry, but when you squeeze the dough in your hand it should stick together.
Press approximately two-thirds of the dough into a 14 x 4 inch tart pan with a removable bottom, starting at the bottom of the pan and working the dough up the sides as you go. The crust should be about ¼ inch thick. Wrap remaining dough in plastic wrap and reserve for the topping.
Refrigerate the tart shell and the reserved dough for 30 minutes. (The crust can be prepared the day before. In that case, wrap the tart shell in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours).
Meanwhile, prepare the Strawberry Filling. Combine all ingredients except almonds in a medium bowl. Set aside to macerate at room temperature while the dough continues to chill.
Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator. Fill with the strawberry filling. Crumble the remaining dough over the top in small pieces and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
Place tart pan on a sheet pan and transfer to the oven. Bake until the tart is golden brown and bubbly, 45-50 minutes. Let cool slightly before cutting into slices and serving warm. This tart is best on the day it is made.

Notes

Recipe inspired by The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas and minimally adapted from the Spring 2017 issue of Sift Magazine.

Scandinavian Strawberry Cream Cake

May 20, 2019 by Kristi 2 Comments

Otherwise known as the cake that singlehandedly stopped this blog in its tracks for a week. Not a real catchy title but a true statement. This recipe took more time and effort than I originally thought it would. I really wanted it to be ready last Friday on Syttende Mai (Norwegian Constitution Day) as this is the traditional dessert served in celebration of the day that Norway became an independent kingdom with the signing of its constitution in 1814. Alas, the recipe was not ready for publication. We did have plenty of test cakes to eat, though, so the day did not go uncelebrated here. I worked out all of the kinks over the weekend and arrived at this final glorious version yesterday afternoon. And I have to say, it was worth the wait. This cake is everything that I had hoped it would be…rich pastry cream and a luscious strawberry filling sandwiched between two layers of tender vanilla cake and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. It’s the perfect show-stopping dessert for any summer celebration, gathering or weekend dinner that you have coming up in the next few months. So what are we waiting for? Let me introduce you to this delicious Scandinavian Strawberry Cream Cake.

Scandinavian Strawberry Cream Cake — *So Summery!*

The Nordic countries are known for their wild summer berries so it’s not surprising that a strawberry cream cake would be a popular dessert all over the region. As I mentioned above, it’s the go-to celebration cake for Norwegian Constitution Day and a popular choice for Midsummer celebrations in June. The summer strawberry cream cake is a Scandinavian classic and one that anyone interested in Nordic baking should have in their repertoire.

The Right Amount of Richness

Let’s start with the cake itself. Some of the recipes I came across in my research contained butter and some didn’t. I tried both and much preferred the cake made with butter (surprise!) but not too much butter. One version I tried was simply too rich and buttery once the entire cake was assembled. A modest amount of butter was the answer, just enough to provide a luxurious mouthfeel and the right amount of richness. My final recipe turned out to be a variation of the cake I used for my Tosca cake a few weeks ago but with less butter and a little less sugar. I also wanted to avoid cutting the cake in half to create layers. We all know that deep down I’m a lazy baker and hate fussy techniques…cutting cakes into layers being one of them. One false move and your layers are hopelessly uneven. I baked the layers in separate 9 inch cake pans which worked perfectly and allowed me to skip that stressful cutting altogether.

Roasted Strawberries for Maximum Flavor

Now that I had the cake dialed in, it was time to address the filling. Some of the recipes I found called for using strawberry jam and pastry cream. Some just whipped cream and strawberries. I really liked the idea of the jam and pastry cream (I cannot say no to pastry cream) so I started there. My first version contained my standard pastry cream recipe and some store-bought strawberry jam stirred into chopped fresh strawberries. The fresh berries were fine, but the jam wasn’t adding anything other than a bit of sweetness and an artificial strawberry flavor. I really wanted the strawberry filling to taste deeply of strawberries and surprisingly, the combination of fresh strawberries and jam didn’t achieve that. Then I remembered my Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote recipe in which I roast strawberries and rhubarb in the oven with some sugar to create a delicious jam-like concoction. What if I tried that technique for the strawberry filling? I roasted a pound of chopped fresh strawberries in the oven with a quarter cup of sugar and a pinch of salt. Success! This was the deep strawberry flavor I was after. Store-bought jam out….roasted strawberries in.

Slice of Scandinavian Strawberry Cream Cake

Easy Assembly

Once I had mastered the cake and filling, it was time to assemble the cake. As I’ve said before, I’m a rustic baker by nature and am not much for elaborate decorating techniques. I really liked the idea of a cake that was open on the sides and piled high with whipped cream and minimally cut fresh berries. Most of the recipes I found called for whipped cream made with powdered sugar rather than granulated sugar. I tried both and much preferred the version made with granulated sugar. Powdered sugar contains cornstarch and thickens the cream really quickly. This can lead to over-whipped, curdled-looking cream in the blink of an eye. I liked the soft texture and appearance of the whipped cream made with granulated sugar much better, and it was easier and more forgiving to work with.

Rustic and yet elegant and bursting with true strawberry and cream flavor, this cake is the perfect way to celebrate summer with true Nordic style.

Scandinavian Strawberry Cream Cake

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

A show-stopping Nordic celebration cake filled with roasted strawberries and pastry cream and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Perfect for any summer occasion!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes + cooling time
Yield: 1 9-inch layer cake 1x
Category: Cake
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

For the Roasted Strawberry Filling:

1 pound strawberries, quartered

¼ cup granulated sugar

Pinch of fine salt

For the Cake Layers:

½ cup unsalted butter

¼ cup milk

1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon fine salt

3 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

For the Pastry Cream Filling:

2 egg yolks

1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup half and half

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of fine salt

For the Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To Assemble the Cake:

Roasted Strawberry Filling

Cake Layers

Pastry Cream Filling

Whipped Cream

2 cups strawberries, halved if small or quartered if large

Instructions

Make the Roasted Strawberry Filling: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine strawberries, sugar and salt in an 8 inch square baking dish. Roast in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir briefly. Return to the oven and roast for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Mash mixture with the back of a fork until it is a jam-like texture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Filling should be completely cool before assembling the cake. (Filling can be made up to a week in advance).
Make the Cake Layers: Warm butter in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave until the butter is melted. Add milk. Stir and set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees if you have not already done so to make the Roasted Strawberry Filling. Butter two 9 inch cake rounds. Place a 9 inch circle of parchment paper on the bottom of each pan. Butter the parchment paper. Flour the inside of the pans. Set aside.
Whisk flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until fully combined. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until light in texture and pale yellow in color, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add vanilla.
Reduce mixer speed to low and add ⅓ of the cooled butter and milk mixture followed by ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Repeat this process two more times ending with final ⅓ of the flour mixture.
Divide cake batter equally between the prepared pans. Using a small off-set spatula, spread batter out evenly to the edges of the pan. Bake until golden brown and a tester poked into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Set cakes aside to cool.
Meanwhile, make the Pastry Cream Filling. Whisk egg yolks, butter, cornstarch, half and half and sugar together in a medium saucepan. Place pan over medium low heat and whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pastry cream, followed by a layer of plastic wrap (this prevents the custard from forming a skin). Refrigerate until you are ready to use. Pastry cream should be completely cool before assembling the cake. (Pastry Cream Filling can be made 1-2 days in advance.)
When you are ready to assemble the cake, make the Whipped Cream. Place cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high to high speed until the cream starts to thicken. Add sugar and continue to whip until the cream can hold medium peaks. Add vanilla.
Assemble the cake. Place one cake layer on the bottom of a serving plate. Spread Pastry Cream Filling evenly over the top leaving a border around the edge of about ½ inch. Spoon Roasted Strawberry Filling over the top of the pastry cream. Place the second cake layer on top of the strawberry filling. Spread whipped cream on the cake and arrange fresh strawberries over the top, finishing with two or three whole strawberries for garnish. Serve immediately.

Notes

Using a serrated knife will help create clean cake slices.

If you want to make the cake in advance (up to a couple of hours), hold off on topping it with the whipped cream and strawberries until just before serving. Simply wrap the unfrosted, filled cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to add the whipped cream and strawberries.

Keywords: Strawberry, Cream, Cake, Scandinavian, Summer, Nordic

Krumkake

May 8, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

What are Krumkaker?

Krumkake is a Norwegian waffle cookie that is pressed inside a decorative iron and then wrapped around a form while it is still hot creating a cone shape. Krumkake actually means “bent cake” in Norwegian. Krumkaker (the plural form) can be eaten plain, or they can be filled with whipped cream or some other kind of sweet filling. They are often served alongside fresh berries in the spring and summer.

If you are of Scandinavian descent, chances are good that you have encountered krumkaker on a Christmas cookie tray at some point in your life. Here in the United States, they are most often made during the holiday season and are a beautiful addition to the Christmas cookie line-up. Delicate and golden with a decorative imprint on the surface, there is no doubt that these cookies have a lot going for them in the looks department.

But sometimes, krumkaker can be ALL looks and no substance. Many of the recipes out there produce a one-dimensional, overly sweet cookie that is drop dead gorgeous but hardly worth eating. When I decided to include a recipe for krumkaker here on the blog, I set out to change that. There’s no reason these cookies can’t be beautiful and delicious.

The Importance of Sugar

When I began testing recipes, I immediately began by reducing the amount of sugar. This worked well to a point, but if I reduced the amount of sugar too significantly, the cookies didn’t crisp up as well. I did a little research and as it turns out, the sugar in the batter melts as it is heated during the cooking process but then recrystallizes as the cookie cools creating a crispier cookie. So the sugar was playing more of a role than I realized. In the final version, I was able to reduce the sugar by about 1/4 cup from where I started. Any more than that and I was compromising crispiness which I was not willing to do.

Don’t Forget the Salt

Many of the recipes I came across in my research did not include salt. That explained the one-dimensional nature of many of the krumkaker I had tried. In order to fully experience the sweetness in baked goods, you need the presence of a little salt to balance everything out.

Brown Butter

Finally, I couldn’t resist browning the butter before adding it to the batter. I was going to melt it anyway so why not bring out the butter’s toasty, caramel notes and add just a little more depth to this very basic cookie? This version was the clear winner…..delicate and crisp with all of the good looks you might expect but also toasty and buttery with just the right amount of sweetness.

Krumkake with whipped cream and strawberries — *Ready for my close up!*

Keeping Krumkaker Crisp

As I mentioned above, having the right amount of sugar in your recipe is crucial to a crisp krumkake. There are a few other details that will also help achieve (and maintain) that delightfully light and crisp texture:

Add a little cornstarch. Several of the recipes I came across included a little cornstarch in the batter. When I added a little (2 tablespoons) to my recipe, the krumkaker were noticeably more tender and crisp.
Give the batter a rest. Some recipes called for resting the batter before baking the krumkaker. The texture of my cookies greatly improved when I included a short (30-45 minute) rest before baking.
Bake the krumkaker until they are nicely browned. If your cookies are pale in color, it’s possible that they haven’t baked long enough and are still retaining moisture. Brown is better.
Cool completely on a wire rack before storing. Warm cookies haven’t completely dried out and may still contain moisture. Wait until they are completely cool to seal them in an airtight container.
Choose the right storage container. Some people say that you should never store krumkaker in a plastic bag or storage container as it will lead to soggy cookies. I have had this experience as well. I use an old-fashioned cookie tin lined on the bottom with paper towels. I have also read that a glass container works well.
Fill them immediately before serving. Filling your krumkaker with whipped cream or some other delightful filling will eventually lead to sogginess over time. It’s best to wait until the last minute to fill them if you want them to retain their crispy texture.

No more, “I’m just here to pretty up the Christmas cookie tray.” These krumkaker deserve year-round cookie status. Give them a try while it’s still strawberry season…filled with whipped cream and served with fresh berries, these cookies make a stunning fika treat or make-ahead spring dessert.

Krumkake

A toasty, buttery and delicately beautiful cone-shaped cookie.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes resting time
Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
Total Time: 1 and 1/2 hours
Yield: About 30 cookies
Category: Cookies
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Scandinavian, Nordic, Norwegian

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole milk

3 tablespoons water

¾ teaspoon fine salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

Sweetened whipped cream and fresh strawberries for serving, optional

Special Equipment Needed:

Krumkake iron, either an electric model like this one (what I use), or a stove top model

Cone-shaped form (the electric model mentioned above comes with a plastic one, but I like this wooden one)

Instructions

Place butter in a medium skillet (preferably not nonstick or cast iron so that you can more easily see the color change) and heat over medium low heat, swirling the pan frequently. Once the butter has melted, continue to cook over medium low, swirling the pan frequently, until the butter has a nutty aroma and is golden brown in color. Don’t walk away from the stove! Brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds. Transfer brown butter to a bowl to cool.
Whisk salt, cornstarch and flour together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Combine granulated sugar and eggs in a large bowl and whisk until fully combined and no lumps of sugar remain. Slowly whisk in cooled brown butter and vanilla extract. Keep whisking until the mixture is emulsified and cohesive.
Add milk and water and whisk until fully combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until batter is smooth and no lumps remain. Rest batter for 30-45 minutes at room temperature.
Working with 1 tablespoon of batter at a time, bake cookies on a krumkake iron, either an electric model or one that goes on the stove, according to manufacturer’s instructions. It may take a few tries to get the hang of how your iron works so be patient. I like to err on the side of a cookie that is darker in color. They are more crisp and have better flavor.
Remove the hot cookie from iron and place it on a clean kitchen towel. Quickly, while the cookie is still hot, carefully roll the krumkake around a cone-shaped form. Use the towel to help start the rolling process if the cookies are too hot for your fingers. The sooner you begin rolling the better. The cookies will almost immediately start to harden as they cool and become difficult or impossible to roll into a cone shape. Let the rolled cookie rest with the form inside, seam side down on the clean towel, while the next cookie is baking. Remove the cone form and transfer krumkake to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve.

Notes

Store krumkaker in a cookie tin or glass container at room temperature for 3-5 days. They also freeze well.

Keywords: Krumkake, cookie, cone

Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

March 29, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

It’s gloomy today and the rain falls steadily as I write. The last of the snow has finally melted and the daffodils are peeking up through the earth. My favorite magnolia tree in the backyard is filled with velvety buds, patiently waiting for her all too brief moment of blossoming. Change is afoot, both outside and in my kitchen as we transition to the early days of spring.

We are a ways out from fresh strawberries and rhubarb here in Nebraska, but the displays in the market tell me that somewhere not too far from here they are already bountiful. I can’t think of a better way to kick off this season of rebirth and renewal than with this Roasted Strawberry and Rhubarb Compote. Think of it as that perfect accessory that you can put with just about anything and elevate it from ordinary to extraordinary. Like a favorite scarf or necklace but edible. A batch of this compote will keep for at least two weeks in the fridge and will cheerfully adorn just about anything you choose to pair with it.

*Like Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp for breakfast!*

You may choose to:

Use it in place of jam on your morning toast

Slather it on top of rye crispbread with cream cheese for afternoon fika (don’t forget the coffee!)
Warm it slightly and spoon it over ice cream

Spoon a dollop next to your favorite granola and yogurt (it’s like having strawberry rhubarb crisp for breakfast!)

You get the idea. Enjoy these early spring days, my friends! They are fleeting. Soon it will be hot and humid and we will long for this in between season of fresh earth, cloudy skies and new beginnings.

Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

A cheerful spring topping for just about anything!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 1 1/2 cups 1x
Category: sauce
Method: roasted
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and halved if small, quartered if large

2 cups chopped rhubarb stalks, fresh or frozen

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup water

Pinch of salt

½ vanilla bean

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine all ingredients except vanilla bean in a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Using a small knife, slice down one side of the vanilla bean lengthwise so that it opens like a book. Using the back of the knife, scrape the black seeds from the inside of the split vanilla bean pod and place in the baking dish. Add the pod as well.
Stir everything together. Roast for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and stir mixture. Return to the oven and roast for another 20 minutes or until fruit is bubbly, extremely soft and falling apart.
Remove the vanilla bean pod. Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, lightly mash the fruit mixture until it is a jam-like consistency. Allow to cool. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Keywords: Strawberry, Rhubarb, Compote, Sauce, Jam, Roasted, Nordic, Scandinavian,

Simple Brown Butter Carrot Cake

March 18, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

easy brown butter carrot cake — *Easy, delicious, simple carrot cake*

I associate carrot cake with springtime. Even though I can easily buy carrots 12 months out of the year, NOW is when my thoughts turn to carrot cake. Does it have something to do with Easter? Bunnies (and by extension their beloved carrots)? I honestly don’t know, but last week, right on schedule, the craving hit and I set out to develop a recipe for an easy, delicious carrot cake.

Something to know about me as a baker….I lean towards the simple and rustic. You are not likely to find me in the kitchen painstakingly assembling a three-tier layer cake embellished with piped frosting and elaborate decor. While I admire this kind of work and will gladly eat it, it’s just not my personal style. I like a cake that is easy to put together for an afternoon fika treat, something I can pair with a strong cup of coffee around 4 pm without having to do too much planning ahead.

Something to know about me as a carrot cake lover….I like to keep it basic. Just carrots, spices and that tangy cream cheese frosting. You can keep your pineapple, your coconut, your chopped nuts. I want a carrot cake that is the essence of simplicity. When I began developing my own version, I started with a recipe for Danish Carrot Cake from the Scandinavian baking bible, The Great Scandinavian Baking Book by Beatrice Ojakangas. It was an all butter recipe, which seemed like a good idea (many carrot cakes are made with vegetable oil rather than butter), and it was a simple 8 inch square cake that looked like it would come together quickly. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite what I was looking for. Pale in color, light on carrots and spices, it hardly seemed like a carrot cake. Back to the drawing board.

I began researching why so many carrot cake recipes have oil rather than butter. It turns out that oil has more fat than butter (butter is part water), and the oil gives the cake that moist, almost dense quality we associate with carrot cake. So canola oil in, butter out for this next round. I also doubled the amount of carrots and swapped out a portion of the regular sugar for dark brown sugar to improve color and texture. This version was much better. I was happy with the texture but the cake still lacked flavor. For my next round, I doubled the spices and the salt (the contrast of salt is essential for bringing out the sweetness in baked goods) and swapped out a portion of the canola oil with brown butter. You know brown butter….unsalted butter that has been melted over low heat until it becomes nutty and golden brown? It makes a wonderful addition to baked goods (try it in chocolate chip cookies), and I was hoping that it would add a little richness and flavor without compromising the texture of the cake which had so greatly improved when I swapped oil for the butter. Success! This final version boasts a dense, moist crumb, plenty of carrots and just the right amount of richness and spice. And don’t forget the cream cheese frosting! It’s absolutely essential in my opinion. As is a good, strong cup of coffee to go with it.

Simple Brown Butter Carrot Cake

A simple, perfectly-spiced carrot cake with luscious cream cheese frosting.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes + cooling time
Yield: 1 8-inch cake 1x
Category: cake, fika
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Scandinavian, Nordic

Scale

Ingredients

For the Carrot Cake:

¼ cup unsalted butter

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

½ cup canola oil or vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ½ cups packed grated carrots (about 8 ounces)

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese (½ of a block), room temperature

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 inch square cake pan.
Place butter in a medium skillet (preferably not nonstick or cast iron so that you can more easily see the color change) and heat over medium low heat, swirling the pan frequently. Once the butter has melted, continue to cook over medium low swirling the pan frequently until the butter has a nutty aroma and is golden brown in color. Don’t walk away from the stove! Brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in a matter of seconds. Transfer brown butter to a bowl to cool.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
Combine eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl and whisk until fully combined and no lumps of sugar remain. Slowly whisk in oil followed by cooled brown butter and vanilla extract. Keep whisking until the mixture is emulsified and cohesive.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredient and stir with rubber spatula until just a few streaks of flour remain. Fold in carrots until mixture is just combined.
Using a rubber spatula, transfer cake batter to prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick poked into the center of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. Set cake aside to cool.
Meanwhile, make the frosting: Combine butter and cream cheese in work bowl of a stand mixer. Beat with the paddle attachment on medium high until fluffy and fully combined, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as necessary.
Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar. Once it is combined with the butter and cream cheese, add vanilla extract and return mixer speed to medium high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
Once cake has cooled completely, spread frosting on top. Serve.

Notes

Grate your carrots on the large holes of a box grater or using the grater attachment of your food processor.

If you don’t want to bother browning the butter, you can substitute 1/4 cup addition canola oil for butter.

It’s important that your butter and cream cheese be room temperature it you want a smooth, luxurious frosting.

Keywords: carrots, cake, simple, easy, cream cheese frosting, Spring, brown butter