Fall

Mushroom Gratin

November 6, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Scandinavians are avid foragers. From berries to mushrooms to wild greens, foraging is a very popular activity in the Nordic countries. This is partially due to a Scandinavian law known as allemansrätt, which translates to “every man’s right” or “freedom to roam”. This means there are no trespassing laws and everyone is free to enjoy the use of the land, including foraging whatever tasty edibles might grow there.

Couple allemansrätt with the fact that the Nordic countries have an ideal habitat for many wild edible foods, and you can understand why there is a long tradition of foraging in Scandinavia. This enduring custom also finds its way into the recipes of the region, many of which call for wild edibles as ingredients.

In the autumn, Nordic foragers turn their attention to mushrooms. While hunting for wild edibles may not be on your agenda for the coming weekend, you can do the next best thing and pick up some mushrooms from the grocery store and make this delicious and easy Mushroom Gratin.

Creamy, thyme-infused mushrooms covered with crispy, buttery bread crumbs and baked until golden brown and bubbly, this dish bring comfort and warmth to the late autumn table. It makes a delicious side dish as part of a cozy supper (think roast chicken or pan-seared steak), or this gratin can easily stand on it’s own as a vegetarian main, maybe paired with some sautéed greens and mashed potatoes on the side.

The inspiration for this Mushroom Gratin comes from the recipe for Baked Mushrooms in Beatrice Ojakangas’ Scandinavian Cooking. She says that the dish in Finnish in origin, probably intended to be made with something gathered by hand from the forest floor. My version uses easy to find cremini or even white button mushrooms (foraged from my local grocery store), fresh thyme and just enough cream to gently coat the mushrooms in a velvety, savory sauce. Soft white bread crumbs create the buttery, crispy top that so perfectly contrasts with the saucy mushrooms below.

Please give this simple Mushroom Gratin a try! I know you’ll love it. It might even find its way on to your Thanksgiving or holiday table over the next couple of months. It makes a delicious Nordic-inspired addition to any festive gathering.

Mushroom Gratin

A delicious and easy gratin with creamy, thyme-infused mushrooms covered with crispy, buttery bread crumbs and baked until golden brown and bubbly.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 8 small servings 1x
Category: Vegetarian
Cuisine: Finnish, Scandinavian, Nordic

Scale

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for buttering the baking dish

1 heaping cup fresh bread crumbs (from white sandwich bread, sourdough or a country loaf)

2 pounds cremini or white button mushrooms, washed and quartered

2 small shallots, minced

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 tablespoons all-pupose flour

½ cup water

½ cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 2 quart baking dish and set aside. Place breadcrumbs in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium and add butter. Once butter has melted, transfer one tablespoon to the small bowl with the breadcrumbs. Stir with a fork to combine.
Add shallot to the remaining butter in the pan and saute until soft and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, increase heat to medium high and season with salt and pepper. Saute until mushrooms are browned and tender, about 10 minutes. Add thyme and stir to combine.
Reduce heat to medium low, add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in water and cream and bring to a simmer. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake 10 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Serve.

Notes

Adapted from Scandinavian Cooking by Beatrice Ojakangas

Keywords: mushrooms, easy, gratin, simple, creamy, breadcrumbs, Nordic, Scandinavian

Swedish Limpa

October 24, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

As the weather begins to turn cold, my baking thoughts turn to the spicy, citrusy rye bread known as Swedish Limpa. A tender crumb thanks to the addition of buttermilk and a hint of orange and anise make this an exceptionally warm and comforting bread, perfect for fall and winter.

What is Swedish Limpa?

The word “limpa” simply means loaf in Swedish. Unlike some Scandinavian rye breads which can be dense and seedy, Limpa is slightly sweet with a fine crumb. In the United States there are many recipes for Swedish Limpa, most of which contain orange zest and spices such as anise, fennel and/or caraway. If you are of Swedish decent, chances are there is a recipe for Limpa in a family recipe box somewhere.

An Easy Rye Bread for Beginners

As I’ve discussed before, rye has a reputation for being a tricky flour to work with. But this simple loaf contains just enough bread flour in addition to rye to avoid any of the pitfalls associated with rye bread baking. If you are new to baking rye bread at home, this Swedish Limpa is the perfect place to start.

My Limpa Recipe

This recipe comes from my great-grandmother, Emma. She grew up on the southern tip of Sweden within sight of the sea. Her father owned the local flour and saw mill and also tended to fruit orchards on their land. As a child Emma travelled all over Sweden by train with her father selling fruit harvested from the family’s orchards.

In the early 1900’s, Emma immigrated to America, bringing this Limpa recipe with her. I’ve updated it slightly and added more detailed instructions, but it is very much in its original form. The combination of rye, orange and anise is as addictive as it is unusual. I often find myself craving a slice, slightly warm from the oven, spread with a generous layer of salted butter. And a good, strong cup of coffee, of course.

Food can be such a powerful link between past, present and future. Making this simple Swedish Limpa is a very tangible way for me to connect with my great-grandmother, revisit her stories and honor her legacy. And I am so delighted to carry this recipe forward and share it with you! As the leaves fly and the temperatures drop, give this warm, comforting and easy Swedish Limpa a try.

Swedish Limpa

An easy and tender buttermilk rye bread with just a hint of orange and anise. Perfect for fall and winter!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 20 minutes +3 hours rising time
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours, 55 minutes
Yield: 1 loaf 1x
Category: bread
Method: baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Swedish, Scandinavian

Scale

Ingredients

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons molasses

Zest of 1 orange

1 teaspoon anise seed, toasted briefly in a dry skillet and then ground, or 1 teaspoon ground anise seed

1 teaspoon fine salt

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 cup dark rye flour (I use the Bob’s Red Mill brand)

2 cups bread flour

Instructions

Combine buttermilk and baking soda in a liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
Combine butter, water, molasses and orange zest in a small saucepan and heat to a simmer. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Add buttermilk mixture and molasses mixture to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
Add ground anise seed, salt, yeast and rye flour to the bowl.
Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium low until ingredients are combined. Add bread flour and continue to mix on medium low until the dough is fully combined and clearing the sides of the bowl. Increase speed to medium and knead for approximately 4 minutes. If you are mixing and kneading the dough by hand, the process will take longer.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for approximately 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the dough from the bowl and pat into an oval shape that is about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for another 45 minutes to an hour.
Remove plastic wrap and decoratively score dough with a razor blade or a sharp knife. Place on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 30-35 minutes. The internal temperature of the dough should be at least 198 degrees when it is done. Allow bread to cool before slicing.

Keywords: Swedish, Limpa, bread, rye, easy

Nordic Apple Strips

October 7, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

I love it when I can use one dough in multiple ways. It’s like having a little black dress in your closet that pairs with heels and a necklace one day, tall boots and your favorite scarf the next. The dough I use for my Swedish Cinnamon Buns offers just that kind of versatility. These Nordic Apple Strips are made with the very same dough (sans the cardamom) and filling but in the form of a long strip filled with thin slices of fresh apple. You’ve got to love something that offers such delicious flexibility!

If you have never made my Swedish Cinnamon Buns before, know that there is a teeny-tiny extra step at the beginning of the process that makes a HUGE difference in creating the soft and tender texture of the final product. It is a technique borrowed from the process of baking Japanese milk bread. Basically, a small amount of flour and liquid (water, milk or a combination of the two) is cooked on the stove for a very short period of time creating a roux-like mixture. This process gelatinizes the starches in the flour allowing them to absorb more liquid and results in a higher rise and a more tender and moist final product that stays that way for a longer period of time. Science aside, it takes five minutes and yields amazing results. WELL worth the effort.

These Nordic Apple Strips are a really easy and delightful fall fika treat, basically a long buttery cinnamon bun with tender apple slices tucked inside. All you need is a crisp fall day, a cup of coffee and someone to share them with.

When you are ready for a little change from the afternoon cinnamon bun, give these Nordic Apple Strips a try! I know you won’t be disappointed.

Nordic Apple Strips

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 45 minutes + 1 hour 30 minutes rising time
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
Yield: 2 apple strips
Category: fika
Method: baking
Cuisine: Nordic Scandinavian, Swedish, Danish

Ingredients

For the Tangzhong:

5 tablespoons water

5 tablespoons whole milk

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the dough:

5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, cooled

½ cup whole milk, slightly warm

2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon fine salt

¼ cup granulated sugar

3 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 large egg

All of the Tangzhong, cooled

For the Filling:

5 tablespoons soft unsalted butter

Pinch of fine salt

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin

2 teaspoons all purpose flour

For the Egg Wash and Topping:

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

Pearl sugar and sliced almonds for sprinkling

Instructions

Make the Tangzhong: Combine water, milk and flour in a medium saucepan. Whisk until combined and no lumps remain. Place saucepan over medium heat and cook mixture, whisking constantly, until it thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Make the dough: While the Tangzhong is cooling, begin preparing the rest of the ingredients for the dough. Combine yeast, salt, sugar and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk briefly by hand to combine.
Attach the dough hook to the mixer. Add melted and cooled butter, slightly warm milk, egg and the cooled Tangzhong (it can be slightly warm to the touch) to the dry ingredients. Mix on medium low until fully combined.
Increase mixer speed to medium and knead mixture for 3-4 minutes or until dough is slightly tacky but not sticky and clears the side of the bowl. It’s okay if it’s sticking to the bottom of the bowl slightly. If it seems too sticky, add another tablespoon of flour and mix for another 1-2 minutes. You can also mix and knead the dough by hand but it will take longer, more like 8-10 minutes.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for an hour or until 1 ½ or 2 times its original size. The time will largely depend on the temperature of your kitchen.
In the meantime, make the filling. Combine butter, salt, brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Using a fork, mix ingredients together until a smooth, spreadable paste forms. In a small bowl, toss apples with flour. Set aside.
Once the dough has risen, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it onto a clean countertop. Divide into two pieces. Cover one piece of dough with plastic wrap. Roll other piece out with a rolling pin until it is in the shape of a rectangle that is about 8 x 15 inches in size. The dough should be smooth enough that you do not need to add flour during the rolling process. If yours is sticking the rolling pin, however, sprinkle a little flour over the dough as necessary to prevent this from happening.
Using an off-set spatula, spread half of the filling in a thin layer over the center third of the dough. Shingle a thin layer of apples on top of the filling (see photo).
Cover the filling by bringing each side of the dough to the center, overlapping slightly. You may need a metal dough scraper to help coax your dough from the counter top if it is sticking. Seal at the seams and the ends. Carefully transfer the strip to a prepared baking sheet (again, a metal dough scaper may be helpful here). Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for an additional 30-45 minutes. Repeat process with remaining dough.
Meanwhile, make the egg wash. Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl. Once the first strip is ready to go into the oven, remove plastic wrap and brush the surface of with the egg wash Sprinkle pearl sugar and almonds over the top.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat process with remaining strip. If the seam down the middle gives way and the strip open up while they are baking, not to worry. As they are cooling, gently coax them back together again. Cool slightly and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

These strips slice best with a sharp serrated knife (bread knife).

Swedish Apple Cake

September 9, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

The fact that it is time to bake with apples again brings me great joy. We’ve made some wonderful treats over the summer with berries, rhubarb and peaches, but there is something so homey and cozy about apple desserts, cake in particular. There are many, MANY delicious recipes for apple cake out there in the world, but today we will be focusing on the Swedish Apple Cake.

Nearly all of the recipes I found for Swedish Apple Cake were comprised of a very basic cake (which may or may not include cardamom) topped with circles of cinnamon and sugar-coated apple wedges. I tried a few of these and they were good, but I wanted to take the apple topping to the next level. I LOVE caramelized apples so I figured why not cook the apples on the stove in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon before they go on top of the cake? That way they would have a chance to get golden and caramel-y, something that wasn’t happening when they went into the oven raw.

This worked to some extent. I had delicious, caramelized apples to put on top of my cake, BUT the first time I went to bake it, the center of the cake collapsed. Definitely not what I was going for. I retooled the batter slightly and dialed back the amount of apples I was using. Much better! Now I had a sturdy, moist cake that was capable of holding the apples aloft as it baked.

I was almost ready to declare the recipe ready to go when out of the corner of my eye I spotted the leftover apple/butter/brown sugar mixture in the pan. What if I made a quick syrup out of this deliciousness to brush over the cake when it came out of the oven? This was the best version yet, and the syrup gave an attractive sheen to the apples making the cake even more eye-catching than it was before.

Tips for Apple Cake Success

Use a sturdy apple such as the Granny Smith. Because we are sautéing the apples slices before they go on top of the cake, it’s important to choose an apple that can withstand a bit of cooking without falling apart or turning to mush. Granny Smiths will do just that.
Take the time to grind your own cardamom. I know I say this a lot but it really makes a big difference in the flavor of your baked goods. It’s worth the extra five minutes that it takes to get the seeds out of the pods and crush them yourself.
Don’t overmix the batter once you add the flour. Vigorously mixing a cake batter after the flour is added activates the gluten and can cause your cake to be tough in texture. Mix so that the flour is JUST incorporated, no more.
Create your circles of apples so that the slices just touch one another rather than overlap. This should give you just the right amount of apples to fill the space of the cake with two circles of slices. Save the smaller apple slices for the center circle and leave the center of the cake empty.
Don’t skip the step of making the quick syrup and brushing the top of the cake after it has baked. This step really takes this cake from good to great and gives it a gorgeous shine at the end.

As we begin the transition to fall baking, let this apple cake be one of the treats that makes it into your rotation. It’s simple, elegant and delicious…the perfect fall fika treat!

Swedish Apple Cake

An easy and moist cake baked with a hint of cardamom and topped with caramelized apples. The perfect fall fika treat!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: One 9 inch cake 1x
Category: fika
Method: baking
Cuisine: Swedish, Scandinavian, Nordic

Scale

Ingredients

For the Apple Topping:

3 medium granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½ inch thick wedges (about 1 pound)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon fine salt

½ teaspoon cardamom seeds, crushed in a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder

¾ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

¼ cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan. Make the Apple Topping: Heat butter in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add apples and saute until they are lightly caramelized, about 5-8 minutes. Add brown sugar and cinnamon and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and apples are evenly coated, about 1 more minute. Remove apples from the heat and set aside.
Make the cake: Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom together in a medium bowl and set aside. Whisk sugars and eggs together in a large bowl until fully combined. Slowly add melted butter to sugar and egg mixture and continue whisking until uniform in texture. Add sour cream and vanilla and whisk until fully combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until batter just comes together.
Scrape batter into prepared pan and even out the top with a small offset spatula. Arrange apples over the top of the batter in two concentric circles. The apples should just touch each other but not overlap. Reserve the butter and sugar mixture that remains in the skillet. Transfer cake to the oven and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached, about 40-50 minutes.
Add a couple of teaspoons of water to the skillet along with the reserved butter and sugar mixture leftover from making the apple topping. Cook over medium heat until warm and syrupy in texture, about 1-2 minutes. Brush syrup over the top of the cake, particularly the apples. Cool cake for at least 20 minutes on a wire rack and serve.

Notes

Adapted from The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook and Fika by Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall

Keywords: Swedish, apple, cake, fall, baking, fika, Nordic, Scandinavian, cardamom

Roasted Pear Compote with Cardamom, Vanilla and Fresh Ginger

February 26, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

roasted pear compote on rye crispbread with cream cheese and coffee — *Rye crispbread with cream cheese and roasted pear compote*

It’s time we had a little chat about cardamom. Citrusy, spicy, floral….it is, shall we say, a very complex and exotic spice. Although native to India, cardamom has somehow managed to find its way into many traditional recipes for Scandinavian baked goods. The Nordic countries are famous for their cardamom buns, cakes and cookies. How did this far-flung spice find its way from India to Scandinavia? Some claim that the Vikings brought it north with them after encountering it on their travels to the Byzantine Empire (now Turkey) or possibly Constantinople (now Istanbul). Others say it was first brought to mainland Europe when the Moors established a presence on the Iberian peninsula, and it made its way to Scandinavia from there. Whatever the circumstances, cardamom is the darling spice of the Nordic baking world.

It is not, however, beloved by all. I once bought my daughter a large cardamom-laced sugar cookie from a Scandinavian bakery. She eagerly took a big bite, unaware of the cardamom lurking inside, and spit it out, disgusted. “Mom, why does my cookie taste like soap!?” Oh, how my Swedish, Norwegian and Danish ancestors must have rolled in their graves upon hearing this! Clearly I had not done as good of a job raising her as I thought I had. Not enough exposure to cardamom and now the taste was unpleasant, foreign and apparently soapy to her. We joke that it might make a good title for her memoir someday: Why Does My Cookie Taste Like Soap? Discovering my Nordic Heritage the Hard Way (coming to a book store near you in 20 years or so). As I said, not beloved by all.

To be honest, I didn’t like cardamom as a kid either. I now enjoy it in small doses ( a little goes a LONG way), and I feel like some of the recipes I encounter are a bit heavy handed with this potent spice. If you are new to cardamom or are trying to convince your children of its deliciousness, I would suggest a light touch at first…a quarter or half teaspoon of it here or there. I also recommend buying the pods and grinding the seeds inside yourself rather than purchasing ground cardamom. You will be rewarded with a much truer flavor.

This pear compote is delicately laced with whole cardamom seeds, and I absolutely love it. It makes a delicious topping for toast, crispbread, porridge and granola served with filmjölk, yogurt or milk of your choice. Or you can just eat it with a spoon! According to Live Lagom: Balanced Living the Swedish Wayby Anna Brones, compotes are a very common way to serve fruit in Sweden. This one is my take on a pear compote I made in cooking school some years back. In class we used it as a filling for a gingerbread cobbler, which is something to consider. The combination of pears and gingerbread is utterly magical.

Roasted Pear Compote with Cardamom, Vanilla and Fresh Ginger

This delicious fruit compote makes a perfect topping for rye crispbread, porridge, granola, oatmeal….the options are endless!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Yield: 12 ounces 1x
Category: compote
Cuisine: Scandinavian, Nordic

Scale

Ingredients

5-6 small to medium-sized Bartlett pears, peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes

2 tablespoons honey

Seeds from 2 crushed cardamom pods, pods discarded

4–5 thin slices of fresh ginger (no need to peel)

a pinch course salt

½ vanilla bean

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients except vanilla bean and lemon juice in an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish.
With a small sharp knife, split vanilla bean down one side of the pod.Open up the pod and lay it flat on your cutting board. Using the back of your knife, remove the black seeds from the interior of the pod by scraping from one end of the open pod to the other. Place seeds and empty pod in the baking dish along with the other ingredients.
Bake for 45 minutes, stirring half way through, or until pears have softened considerably.
Remove the pan from the oven. Using a spoon, remove and discard the vanilla bean pod and ginger slices. Mash pears with a potato masher or the back of a fork until they are create a chunky, rustic mash. Add lemon juice. Taste the mixture and season with additional lemon juice, salt or honey to taste. Once the compote has cooled, transfer to a clean jar and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Keywords: compote, pears, cardamom, ginger, Scandinavian, Nordic