Dessert

Almond Tiger Cake

January 17, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who, when asked what their favorite type of cake is, says “marble cake, of course!” Generally something one comes across at a graduation or birthday party, the marble cake seems to be the choice of the indecisive. Hmmm…do I want chocolate or vanilla…how about both? But as we all know, marble cake is not usually the coming together of two delicious flavors into something greater than the sum of its parts. It does have a pretty swirl, though, and does its job of making us feel like we are making everyone happy.

Introducing the Tiger Cake

In the Nordic countries, a marble cake is known as a Tiger Cake. Isn’t that charming? Perhaps the poor marble cake just needs a name change and a good recipe to go along with it. I recently set out to make my own version of Tiger Cake, one that was not only beautiful but delicious in its own right. I also wanted my Tiger Cake to be a fika-style cake…..something unfussy and simple enough to make on a lazy weekend morning and pair with an afternoon cup of coffee or tea.

The recipes I found in my research were all quite similar. There was one, however, from an issue of King Arthur Flour’s Sift magazine (such a beautiful publication if you haven’t seen it), that included almond flour in addition to all-purpose along with a bit of almond extract. I knew I wanted both in my recipe as that touch of almond flavor brings a delightful Scandinavian vibe to any baked good. The almond flour and a bit of sour cream in the batter added much needed tenderness and a moist texture in the final product that is something between a butter cake and a pound cake.

The Bundt Pan Wins

After trying a recipe or two that called for a loaf pan, I quickly decided I wanted to bake my cake in a bundt pan. It adds visual interest and has a way of turning a very simple cake into something special just because of the pan you chose to bake it in.

As far as achieving a “tiger look” with batter, I read a few different theories on the best way to create that marbled appearance In the end I chose to simply alternate spoonfuls of batter in the bundt pan and than swirl a a skewer through it a few times in a figure-8 motion. This did the trick and wasn’t overly fussy or time consuming.

Tips and Tricks for Great Almond Tiger Cake

I’ve got just a few thoughts for making your Almond Tiger Cake the best it can be:

Use a baking spray rather than greasing and flouring your bundt pan. I’ve done both, and the appearance of the cake baked in a pan sprayed with baking spray is far superior to that of a greased and floured pan. It can be difficult to prevent flour from settling in the grooves of your bundt pan, and this can lead to unsightly lines of flour in your baked cake. In order to achieve the best appearance possible, go with the baking spray.
Use a bit of almond flour in the batter. There is a wonderful article here at the King Arthur Flour website which discusses the virtues of including a bit of almond flour in your baked goods. It does, indeed, create a tender and moist final product. You will find it in many of the cakes I bake and for good reason.

Create a paste with the cocoa powder, espresso powder and hot water prior to folding it in to half of the batter. This helps it come together more quickly and easily than if you simply add the cocoa powder straight to the batter and mix from there. Overmixing is never a good idea as it can toughen the texture of your cake. The more gently and efficiently you can fold the chocolate mixture into the batter, the happier you will be with your final product. And the espresso powder? It will deepen the chocolate flavor without adding any coffee flavor. It really makes a big difference.
Don’t overthink the pattern as you alternate spoonfuls of batter in the cake pan. This isn’t meant to be perfect, just a charming, haphazard mix of chocolate and vanilla swirled together.

Tap the pan on the counter a few times to help the batter settle and resist the urge to smooth out the top of the batter. This will help create that tiger appearance in the baked cake.

Run a skewer through the batter in a figure-eight motion a few times until swirls begin to appear. Not only will this create the look you are after, it will also help the batter settle without you having to smooth out the top.

Go forth and make this easy and delicious Tiger Cake! This one is worth it, I promise. Who knows? Maybe it will become your new favorite.

Almond Tiger Cake

A deliciously moist and tender marble cake made with a bit of almond flour and almond extract.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes + cooling time
Yield: 1 9-inch bundt cake 1x
Category: desserts, fika
Method: baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Swedish

Scale

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

¾ cup almond flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 ¼ teaspoons fine salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

½ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup whole milk

¼ cup cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon espresso powder

3 tablespoons hot water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10 cup capacity bundt pan with baking spray (such as Pam for Baking) or, alternatively, grease and flour the pan. Set aside.
Combine flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
Combine butter and sugar in the work bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together at medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, thoroughly mixing between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the sour cream and extracts and mix until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low and add ⅓ of the milk followed by ⅓ of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Repeat this process two more times ending with the final ⅓ of the flour mixture.
Transfer about half of the batter to a separate bowl. Whisk cocoa powder and espresso powder with hot water in a small bowl until a thick paste forms. Fold cocoa mixture into this batch of batter until consistent in color.
Alternate dropping heaping spoonfuls of the white and brown batters into the prepared pan, creating a checkerboard effect. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to help the batter settle.
Stick a skewer into the batter and swirl it back and forth in a figure eight motion as you make your way around the pan a few times creating a marbled effect.
Transfer pan to the oven and bake until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. Invert cake onto a serving plate and cool completely before serving.

Lingonberry Skyr Mousse

December 3, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

The season of entertaining is upon us and I, for one, am always looking for ways to make hosting a festive dinner party easier and more enjoyable. I mean, who wants to be frantically running around the kitchen preparing dinner while your guests sip cocktails without you? We’ve all been there. But let’s resolve this year to enjoy our own gatherings, shall we?

Enter this Lingonberry Skyr Mousse. Creamy, festive and bursting with lingonberry flavor, this easy recipe is COMPLETELY do ahead. As dinner comes to a close, little individual portions of this sublime dessert will be patiently waiting for you in the fridge. There’s nothing for you do to other than maybe toss a few frozen berries on top of each serving and set out some dessert spoons. DONE.

And just because it is easy and make-ahead doesn’t mean that your guests won’t be completely wowed by this gorgeous Nordic dessert. A lovely shade of pink, big lingonberry flavor, and a light and creamy texture keep you coming back bite after bite. When I was testing this recipe I could not walk by the fridge without sneaking a little taste (which often led to an entire cup) of this sublime treat.

I served mine in martini glasses which makes for a lovely presentation, but any small glass or cup will do.

This Lingonberry Skyr Mousse does call for frozen lingonberries. If you live in a larger city or in a place with a strong Scandinavian heritage, you should have no problem finding them. Many grocery stores and specialty Scandinavian stores carry frozen lingonberries. If you can’t find them in your area, you always can order them from www.sturdiwheat.com. You’ll get three pounds of lovely lingonberries delivered straight to your door!

I tried making this Lingonberry Skyr Mousse with a 14.5 ounce jar of lingonberry preserves in place of the sugar and frozen lingonberries. The flavor wasn’t quite the same, and the color of the final product was more of a dusty rose than the soft pink mousse pictured above, but it is an acceptable and delicious alternative if you don’t have access to frozen lingonberries.

You’ve just got to give this Lingonberry Skyr Mousse a try sometime during this holiday season. It’s really something special. And your guests will think so too!

Lingonberry Skyr Mousse

A light and airy lingonberry mousse made with Icelandic yogurt (skyr) and whipped cream. A delicious and impressive make-ahead dessert for easy entertaining this holiday season!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes + 2 hours cooling time
Yield: 6–8 portions 1x
Category: dessert
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

½ cup cold water

1 packet unflavored gelatin

¾ cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

1 ½ cups frozen lingonberries, plus additional berries for serving (see note below)

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 cup full-fat skyr or Greek yogurt

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Place water in a saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over the top. Let sit for 3 minutes. Add sugar and salt. Heat mixture over medium until sugar dissolves. Add lingonberries and remove from heat. Transfer mixture to a blender and puree until smooth.
Whisk lingonberry mixture with vanilla and skyr in a medium bowl until fully combined. Set aside. Whip cream to medium peaks in a mixer. Gently whisk cream into lingonberry mixture until fully combined.
Pour mousse into individual serving cups and chill at least two hours. Serve, garnished with lingonberries.

Notes

Frozen lingonberries are available at some grocery and Scandinavian specialty stores, particularly if you live in an area with a strong Scandinavian heritage. They can also be ordered online through www.sturdiwheat.com. You can substitute a 14.5 ounce jar of lingonberry preserves for the frozen lingonberries and sugar. Should you choose to go that route, simply omit the sugar and add the full jar of preserves to the saucepan with the water and gelatin in step 1. Heat over medium until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Transfer mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Continue with step 2.

Keywords: lingonberries, skyr, mousse, easy, dessert, make ahead, festive, holiday, Christmas

Pear Cardamom Bundt Cake

November 16, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Looking for an easy, delicious cake to serve for your next afternoon fika gathering? Look no further. This Pear Cardamom Bundt Cake is just the thing. Made with homemade Roasted Pear Compote with Cardamom, Vanilla and Fresh Ginger (or substitute a chunky applesauce from the store in a pinch), this spiced bundt cake is incredibly moist and bursting with pear flavor. And if you’ve got some of the pear compote on hand, it only takes about 20 minutes to get this baby ready for the oven. That’s my kind of cake!

*The beautiful bundt pan*…a work of art in and of itself

The History of the Bundt Pan

Chances are that you already own a bundt pan. Millions of Americans do. But have you ever wondered how this unusually shaped pan with a hole in the center came to be? It was originally designed by the Nordic Ware company of Minneapolis in 1950 at the specific request of a group of Jewish women who were looking to recreate traditional Eastern European cakes that had a hole in the center. But the popularity of the bundt pan didn’t really take off until 1966 when the Tunnel of Fudge bundt cake won second place in the annual Pillsbury Bake-Off. Demand for these unique pans suddenly skyrocketed as women all across America wanted to bake their own versions of this gooey chocolate cake.

Today, there are as many bundt cake variations as there are bakers, and the Nordic Ware company continues to manufacture the beautifully-shaped pans that bake them. If you haven’t visited their website, please do. You’ll be amazed by the stunning array of baking pan options they have available.

Pear Cardamom Bundt Cake

This Pear Cardamom Bundt Cake is a rustic, cozy and simple variation of the bundt. It is the kind of cake that is very much at home with a mid-morning or afternoon cup of coffee. I opted for no glaze or frosting here, just a simple dusting of powdered sugar. It honestly doesn’t need anything more. Of course if you want to dress it up for dessert, a drizzle of warm caramel sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream wouldn’t hurt.

I’ve used my tried and true Roasted Pear Compote with Cardamom, Vanilla and Fresh Ginger in this recipe, and I highly recommend it. Starting with such a flavorful base naturally leads to a delicious cake. If you follow my blog, you know that I have strong feelings about making your own seasonal fruit compotes at home. They are so simple and versatile, and this cake is just another example of that. As I mentioned above, if you are in a pinch you can substitute a chunky, unsweetened store-bought applesauce. But the homemade pear compote really makes this cake something special.

Please give this Pear Cardamom Bundt Cake a try and let me know what you think in the comments below. I always love hearing about your Nordic cooking and baking adventures!

Pear Cardamom Bundt Cake

A deliciously moist and simple bundt cake featuring homemade pear compote and warm spices. The perfect afternoon treat with a cup of coffee!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes plus cooling time
Yield: 1 9-inch cake
Category: fika, desserts
Method: baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, ground in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle (or 1 teaspoon ground cardamom)

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups Roasted Pear Compote with Cardamom, Vanilla and Fresh Ginger

Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-cup capacity bundt pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon. Set aside.
Combine butter and brown sugar in the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time. Add flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Mix in pear compote.
Spoon cake batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 55-60 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate and allow to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve.

Notes

You can substitute 2 cups of chunky, unsweetened store-bought applesauce for the pear compote.

Keywords: pear, cardamom, bundt cake, fika, simple

Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries

September 17, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Swedish pancakes are one of the most well-known Scandinavian delicacies, and rightfully so. Tender, buttery and most likely served with a generous spoonful of lingonberries and a dollop of whipped cream, there is much to account for their popularity. Other Scandinavian delicacies may take a little getting used to (I’m looking at YOU, pickled herring), but the Swedish pancake poses only deliciousness. No hardship whatsoever.

How are Swedish Pancakes different from American Pancakes?

Unlike American pancakes which are prized for being tall and fluffy, Swedish pancakes are thin, delicate and crepe-like. They are traditionally made in a special pan called a plett, which has thin 3-inch round indentations designed for cooking the pancakes. The Swedish pancake batter itself has many similar ingredients to American pancakes (milk, butter, eggs, flour, etc.), but the consistency of the batter is much thinner, and it does not contain any leavening agents. Most Swedish pancake recipes also recommend a brief rest of the batter prior to cooking which helps ensure a uniformly thin and tender pancake.

When served, American pancakes are often buttered, stacked and drenched generously in maple syrup. Swedish pancakes, on the other hand, are traditionally rolled or folded and served with lingonberries, butter and/or whipped cream.

American pancakes are almost always eaten for breakfast. Swedish pancakes, however, are traditionally served on Thursday evenings as a dessert following a meal of hearty pea soup. According to Food’s Ready, a cookbook put together by IKEA food services, this tradition harkens back to when Sweden was a Catholic country and it was customary to fast on Fridays. People would fill up on pea soup and pancakes the night before to help them get through that long day ahead without food.

When I was growing up, Swedish pancakes were strictly for Christmas morning. My mother made giant platters of the them, heaped high with lingonberries and butter. Not a present would be opened until my brother and I had singlehandedly cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast while the adults lingered over coffee and cookies. While I have fond memories of these special Christmas morning breakfasts, I see no reason why Swedish pancakes should be relegated to a once a year meal. So simple and delicious, why not enjoy them all year round?

Making Easy and Delicious Swedish Pancakes at Home

Use a blender to mix your batter ingredients. This creates an incredibly smooth, lump-free batter every time and couldn’t be easier. Just put everything in, let it whirl about and you’re done.
Rest the batter for at least two hours or up to two days. As I mentioned above, this will help ensure that your pancakes are uniform in texture and as tender as they can be. I recommend mixing the batter the night before so that it’s ready when you are.
Use a 10 inch nonstick skillet to make your Swedish pancakes. While those little 3 inch pancakes made in a plett are charming, they are small and somewhat insubstantial. It is just as common these days to see Swedish pancakes in a larger form, more like a small crepe. Choosing this modern, bigger pancake shape also means you have one less piece of special equipment to buy….a small nonstick skillet will do the job just fine.
Brush the skillet with melted butter prior to cooking each pancake. This imparts delicious flavor and just the right amount of browning to the pancakes.
Lift and swirl that skillet! Lift the heated skillet off of the burner before you pour the batter into the skillet. Once you pour the batter in, swirl it around so that it coats the bottom of the pan evenly. Continue swirling until the batter is just set. Then return the skillet to the heat. This technique may take a little practice but it makes for a pancake that is nicely browned and uniform in thickness.
Place a dollop of lingonberry butter inside each pancake. This is a little trick I learned from my mother. She would mix lingonberries and butter together and place a bit inside each warm pancake as it came off of the heat. Just a little bit of lingonberries and butter on the inside of the folded pancake makes a big difference in flavor.

This recipe for Swedish pancakes is quite easy and forgiving. Several of the recipes I tried during the testing process were fussy and often ended with fragile, torn pancakes. Not pretty. These, on the other hand, are delicate and tender but still easy to maneuver without any ripping or tearing.

So don’t wait until Christmas morning….go forth and make Swedish pancakes with confidence and ease. On any day of the week! They do not disappoint.

Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries

An easy and delicious recipe for a true Scandinavian classic. Tender and delicate pancakes served with lingonberries, butter and whipped cream.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes + 2 hours resting time
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
Yield: approximately 10 pancakes
Category: breakfast, dessert
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Swedish

Ingredients

For the Pancake Batter:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup whole milk

6 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for the pan

½ teaspoon vanilla

For the Lingonberry Butter:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon lingonberry preserves, such as the Felix brand

Pinch of salt

To Serve:

Lingonberry preserves

Butter (optional)

Lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

Make the Pancake Batter: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth. Transfer to the refrigerator to rest for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Meanwhile, make the Lingonberry Butter: Combine lingonberry preserves, butter and salt together in a small bowl with a fork. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees and place an empty heatproof tray or baking sheet inside. Heat a 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir the batter briefly to recombine. Brush skillet with melted butter. Pick the skillet up off of the burner and quickly add ¼ cup of batter. Immediately begin swirling the batter around the skillet so that it coats the bottom of the pan. Continue swirling until the batter is just set. Return skillet to the burner. Cook until the pancake is golden brown in spots on the bottom, about 30 seconds. Use a thin spatula to loosen the pancake, flip it over continue to cook on the other side for about 20 seconds. Transfer to a plate and add a small (about ½ teaspoon) dollop of lingonberry butter to on the top of the pancake. Fold into quarters. Transfer to oven to keep warm and repeat with remaining batter, wiping out skillet in between pancakes with paper towel as needed.
To serve, top pancakes with lingonberry preserves, additional butter and/or whipped cream.

Keywords: Swedish, pancakes, lingonberries, Scandinavian

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 2 Comments

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

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

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