Fika

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.

St. Lucia Buns (Lussekatter)

December 9, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

The Story of Saint Lucia

Before the adoption of the Gregorian calendar we use today, Scandinavians recognized December 13th as the longest night of the year. When Christianity found its way to northern shores, monks brought with them the story of Saint Lucia, a young Italian girl who worked to help persecuted Christians who were hiding in the catacombs of Rome under the reign of Diocletian in 285 AD. In order to keep her hands free so that she could carry as many supplies as possible, Saint Lucia attached candles to a wreath on her head to provide her with much-needed light in the dark catacombs.

Celebrating St. Lucia Day

In modern Scandinavia, December 13th or St. Lucia Day is a celebration of light in the midst of the darkest time of the year and serves as a kickoff to the Christmas season in Sweden. Festivals of light are held in towns and schools all over the country on December 13th, with one girl chosen to portray Saint Lucia wearing a white dress, red sash and a crown of candles on her head.

St. Lucia Buns

It is customary to serve these bright, sunny saffron buns on St. Lucia Day in Sweden, either for breakfast with coffee or for an afternoon fika treat paired with a steaming cup of glögg. Soft, slightly sweet and studded with golden raisins, cheerful St. Lucia Buns are a reminder that longer days and sunlight are just around the corner.

Use the Tangzhong Method

For this St. Lucia Bun recipe, I revisited the sweet bun dough I developed for my beloved Swedish Cinnamon Buns. I used the same simple bread-making technique called tangzhong which helps yeasted baked goods stay soft and tender. Basically, a small amount of the 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, moist bun that stays that way for a longer period of time. It’s a quick and easy step that makes a big difference in texture.

A Little Saffron Goes a Long Way

St. Lucia Buns customarily contain saffron which adds an exotic flavor and a bright yellow hue to the final product. In my testing, however, I discovered that too much saffron could be overpowering to these delicate buns. I found a recipe for St. Lucia Buns in the book Bread Illustrated by America’s Test Kitchen that called for a mere 1/4 teaspoon of saffron threads AND a bit of turmeric to bring additional yellow color without more saffron flavor. This was my favorite combination by far….a beautiful yellow dough and just a hint of saffron flavor.

Give these delicious St. Lucia Buns a try, either on December 13th in celebration of St. Lucia Day or anytime during the holiday season. They are a bright and cheerful reminder that these dark days won’t last forever.

St. Lucia Buns (Lussekatter)

A soft, slightly sweet Scandinavian saffron bun that is traditionally served on St. Lucia Day (December 13th).

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 50 minutes + 1 1/2 hours rising time
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours and 45 mintues
Yield: 16 buns
Category: baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Swedish

Ingredients

For the Tangzhong:

5 tablespoons water

⅛-¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled

⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric

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

⅓ cup golden raisins, chopped

For the Egg Wash and Topping:

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

Pinch of salt

Pearl sugar for topping

Instructions

Make the tangzhong: Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add saffrom and turmeric. Steep for 15 minutes. Add milk and flour. 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. Add raisins and continue to knead until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. 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.
Once the dough has risen, preheat oven to 350 degrees and adjust oven racks so that they are in the upper and lower middle positions. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it onto a clean countertop. Roll out with a rolling pin until it is in the shape of a rectangle that is about 16 by 6 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 a pizza wheel, cut the folded dough lengthwise into 16 one inch strips. Cover with plastic wrap.
Working with one piece of dough at a time and keeping the rest of the dough covered, roll and stretch the strip of dough between the palms of your hands and the countertop into a 16 inch rope. Coil the ends of the rope in opposite directions creating an “S” shape. Place bun onto prepared baking pan. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing buns about 2 ½ inches apart with 8 buns on each baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the egg wash. Whisk egg, water and salt together in a small bowl. Once the buns have risen and are ready to go into the oven, remove plastic wrap and gently brush the surface of each bun with the egg wash Sprinkle pearl sugar over the top of each bun.
Bake buns for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, switching and rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. Cool slightly on a wire rack and serve warm. Buns are best when eaten the day they are made.

Keywords: saffron, buns, St. Lucia, raisins, Christmas, Advent, holiday, yeast bread

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

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 Ginger Snaps (Pepparkakor)

October 1, 2019 by Kristi 2 Comments

This recipe was brought over from Sweden by my great-grandmother, Emma, when she immigrated to the United States in the late 1800s. Emma was known for hosting legendary afternoon fika gatherings, and these ginger snaps were one of the signature cookies she would serve.

I know there are a lot of ginger snap recipes out there but I’m telling you, these cookies are really something special. They are thin, REALLY thin, as many Swedish style ginger snaps are. But instead of being hard and crispy all the way through, these are slightly chewy on the inside with just the right amount of crispness around the edges. These ginger snaps are melt-in-your-mouth buttery and have just the right amount of spice…perfect for an afternoon fika treat.

Secret Weapon: Pastry Flour

The unique texture of these gingersnaps is thanks to the inclusion of pastry flour in the dough. Pastry flour is a very soft, low-protein flour that produces exceptionally tender baked goods (pastry flour has approximately 9 percent protein while all-purpose flour has closer to 11 percent). While pastry flour is not something you might normally stock in your pantry, these cookies are reason enough to pick some up.

In an effort to make your life easier, I tried making these gingersnaps over the weekend with a combination of all-purpose flour and cornstarch, a common substitute for pastry flour. I was really hoping to avoid asking you to buy a specialty flour just for these ginger snaps. While this batch was indeed soft and tender, they did not have that thin, crispy-chewy quality of the original. If you are dying to make these and don’t want to pick up a bag of pastry flour, go ahead and use the all-purpose flour/cornstarch combination. They are still delicious, but they will be slightly thicker and have a more chewy texture throughout than the pastry flour version.

Tips for Ginger Snap Success

Use pastry flour. The texture of these cookies when made with pastry flour is sublime. It is well worth the investment.
Chill the dough thoroughly and keep it cold as you roll the cookies. Because pastry flour is so soft, this dough can be sticky and a bit difficult to work with. Make sure your dough is good and cold before you begin rolling it. I like to take just a portion of it from the fridge for rolling, leaving the rest in the refrigerator until I need it. If you find that the dough is becoming too soft to work with, put it back into the fridge or freezer and let if firm up before working with it again.
Roll small balls of dough, no more than 1/2 to 3/4 inch in diameter and leave plenty of room between ginger snaps. These cookies spread as they bake and if you don’t start with a small portion of dough, the ginger snaps will run together as they bake. I am usually able to get 5 rows of 4 cookies on each sheet.
Dip the bottom of your glass in sugar before flattening each cookie. As I said, this dough is sticky and if you don’t have a protective layer of sugar on the bottom of your glass, it will stick to the ginger snap. Also, that outer layer of sugar helps contribute to the delightful texture of the finished product.
Don’t over bake. The cookies will rise slightly in the oven and then fall becoming flat. This is when they are done. In my oven that takes about 8 minutes per batch.
Cool the cookies completely before removing them from the pan. This helps them release cleanly without any sticking. If you try to remove them too soon, the ginger snaps have a tendency to stick to the parchment paper.

I really hope you try these ginger snaps. They are truly one of a kind. Please let me know if you do in the comments below!

Swedish Ginger Snaps (Pepparkakor)

★★★★

4 from 1 reviews

A truly special Swedish ginger snap with a crispy outer edge and a pleasantly chewy center. The perfect fika treat!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 1 hour + chill time
Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours
Yield: 80–90 cookies 1x
Category: fika
Method: baking
Cuisine: Swedish, Scandinavian, Nordic

Scale

Ingredients

For the Dough:

2 cups pastry flour OR 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour and ¼ cup cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

To Roll Out the Cookies:

1/2 cup granulated sugar (more if needed)

Instructions

Whisk pastry flour (or all-purpose flour and cornstarch), baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Combine butter, sugar and molasses in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. This will take longer if you are mixing by hand. Reduce speed to low and add the egg. Mix until fully combined.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. Using a spatula, transfer dough to a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to one day or, alternatively, place dough in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. The dough will be easier to work with if it is well-chilled.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1/2 cup of sugar in a small bowl and find a drinking glass with a flat bottom.
Remove a portion of the dough from the refrigerator. Tearing off one small piece at a time, roll dough between your palms into a small ball about 1/2 -3/4 inch in diameter. Dough will be sticky. Place dough ball in the bowl of sugar and roll it around until it is completely coated. Place ball on prepared baking sheet.
Continue with remaining dough until baking sheet is filled, leaving at least 1 inch of space between each dough ball on the baking sheet. Dip the bottom of the drinking glass into the bowl of sugar and press down on each ball flattening it into a disc approximately 1/4 inch thick. Be sure to dip the glass in the sugar before flattening each cookie.
Place baking sheet in the oven and bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until cookies are just set. Do not over bake if you want the center of the cooke to remain slightly chewy. Let cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough, rechilling the dough as necessary if it becomes difficult to work with.

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

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

Strawberry Rhubarb Barley Scones

June 7, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Better Together

My original plan for this recipe was rhubarb rye scones. No strawberry, just rhubarb. It seems that whenever I make something with rhubarb, strawberries are there, too. Couldn’t rhubarb just have its moment in the sun all on its own? I played around with the recipe for a few days and made a few batches of scones that were okay but that I didn’t really love. The trouble is that rhubarb by itself, without the assistance of a lot of sugar (and/or strawberries), can be aggressively sour. So theses rhubarb-alone scones required copious amounts of sugar in order to make them tasty, defeating my desire for a not too sweet scone. By Wednesday I was ready to admit that as hard as I might try to fight it, strawberry and rhubarb were meant to be together in this recipe.

And then I pulled out my copy of Kim Boyce’s brilliant book, Good to the Grain and found her recipe for Strawberry Barley Scones. Yes! This would be my starting point. I loved the whole concept of what she had created….a half barley flour, half wheat flour scone with a layer of homemade jam baked in the middle. I could hardly get to the kitchen fast enough to give them a try.

Making a few minimal adjustments to the dough and replacing the strawberry jam with my Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote, I hopefully slid my batch of scones into the oven. 25 minutes later, out came the perfect scone…tender, moist, not too sweet and full of strawberry rhubarb flavor. Sorry, Rhubarb! It looks like that moment in the spotlight will have to wait. You and strawberries are, once again, perfect together.

Tips for Scone Success

Scones are a relatively easy thing to bake, but there are a few tips and tricks that will help your scones turn out perfectly every time:

Keep everything cold. This is the number one thing to remember when baking scones. They are very much like biscuits in that you want to cut cold butter into the flour in order to create a flaky, tender texture. I store my barley flour in the freezer which not only helps keep it fresh but also helps the scone dough stay nice and cool.
Be organized and work quickly. This is all in pursuit of keep things cold. Have your ingredients and equipment prepped and ready to go, and store all cold ingredients in the refrigerator until you need them.
Do not over process the butter. There should be some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining once you are done processing the butter and flour together. This helps to contribute to the tender, flaky texture of your scone.
Do not over work the dough. After adding the wet ingredients to the dry, just mix everything together until it is just combined. The dough will look shaggy which is exactly what you want. You can give it a couple of kneads with your hands to help bring it all together and the go ahead and pat it out into circles from there.
Flour your work surface and use a dough scraper. The dough will be sticky. Make sure your work surface is generously dusted with flour, and dust the tops of the dough circles with flour as needed when you are patting them out. Use a dough scraper or thin metal spatula to help release the dough from the countertop and transfer the scones to the baking sheet. Barley flour has very little gluten so they will be delicate and a bit fragile when you try to move them.
Eat them the same day you bake. It’s not that these scones aren’t tasty the next day, but they are best when they are freshly baked. As most things are.

Strawberry Rhubarb Barley Scones

A tender, delicate scone with a layer of strawberry rhubarb compote in the center.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 8 scones
Category: baking
Method: baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Ingredients

1 cup + 2 tablespoons barley flour

1 cup all purpose flour

¼ cup packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon fine salt

8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces and chilled

½ cup cold buttermilk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup chilled Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

1 tablespoon cooled melted butter

Coarse sugar for sprinkling

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, barley flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the work bowl of a food processor. Process a few times to combine ingredients. Sprinkle half of the cold butter cubes over the top of the flour mixture and process until fully combined, about 6-8 long pulses. Sprinkle the remaining cold butter cubes over the mixture and pulse just until these butter pieces are about the size of a pea, about 6 short pulses.
Transfer mixture to a bowl. Whisk buttermilk,egg and vanilla together in a liquid measuring cup. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the buttermilk mixture in the center. Using a rubber spatula, fold everything together until a shaggy dough forms, kneading with your hands a couple of times if necessary to just bring everything together. Do not overmix.
Transfer dough to a floured work surface. Divide dough in half. Pat dough out into a two 7-inch circles that are about ¾ inch thick, dusting it with additional flour if necessary to keep it from sticking to your hands as you work. Cover the top of one circle with Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote leaving a ¾ inch border around the edge of the circle. Place the other circle on top of compote. Press down slightly to help everything adhere together.
Cut the dough into 8 wedges, cleaning off your knife or dough scraper in between each cut with a paper towel. Using a dough scraper or spatula, carefully transfer scones to parchment lined baking sheet (they will be delicate). Brush with melted butter and sprinkle generously with coarse sugar. Bake 22-26 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Notes

Adapted from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce.

Keywords: strawberry, rhubarb, scone, baking, breakfast, barley

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.