Fika

Rustic Strawberry Rhubarb Rye Galette

July 1, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

It is high season for both strawberries and rhubarb, and there is perhaps no better way to showcase the irresistible sweet/tart combination of the two than in a simple, rustic galette.

How to Make a Great Galette

A good galette is a lovely thing to have in your baking repertoire. Easier than a pie or a tart, a galette is essentially just a thin round of pastry dough topped with fruit and folded in on itself around the edges to encase the filling. It is a rustic, delicious and a simply charming way to showcase whatever fruit is in season.

I know pastry dough can be intimidating, but really, the process of making it at home is quite simple once you understand a few of fundamentals:

Use cold butter and ice water. If there was ever a word that was synonymous with good pastry or pie dough, that word is cold. Your ingredients, particularly the butter and the water, should be as cold as possible before beginning.
Work quickly. It is important to work quickly and efficiently to prevent the ingredients from warming up as you mix the dough together. Again, we want everything to be as cold as possible until the moment we slide our galette into the oven.

Flour and cubes of butter in a food processor

Cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a food processor until the mixture is like wet sand with some larger, pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. This should only take about 8-10 pulses. It’s important not to overwork the dough here as those larger pieces of butter will create pockets once the dough is baked resulting in a more flaky texture in the final product.
Don’t skimp on the chilling times. The rest periods built into the recipe are important for the dough to chill prior to the next step. Don’t be tempted to shorten or skip this time in the refrigerator as it will ensure a deliciously flaky galette and an easy dough to work with along the way.

Roll the dough on a piece of parchment paper. This will make it much easier to transfer to a baking sheet when you are ready to do so.

The dough should be firm but pliable when you roll it out. If the dough starts to get too warm and soft as you are rolling it will become excessively sticky and difficult to work with. If this happens, simply pop it back in the refrigerator until it is cool enough to work with again.
Trim the edges of the dough round with a pizza wheel…or not. The perfectionist in me likes those even edges around the outside so I go ahead and use a pizza wheel to trim any uneven spots. But, this is totally up to you. A galette is can be very attractive in a rustic way with an uneven edge as well. The choice is yours.

Leave enough of a border around the edge of the galette so that you have plenty of room to fold the dough over onto itself and contain the filling. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 to 2 inches which should be plenty of room to work with.
Bring the border up onto the fruit filling, folding every couple of inches or so as you go. Press the folds together firmly to make sure they don’t unfold in the oven.

Brush the crust with an egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Not only is this visually appealing, it also brings a welcome sweetness and crunch to the crust.
Once the galette is baked, brush the fruit portion with warm strawberry jam or jelly. This will give your tart a shiny, appealing appearance. If you are using a particularly thick or chunky jam, simply add a splash of water before you warm it up to help it loosen and brush on more easily.

That’s all there is to it! And thankfully, a galette is supposed to be rustic. That is part of it’s charm. So if you are new to baking with pastry dough or the process intimidates you, this recipe is an easy and forgiving place to start.

Should you find yourself wanting more galettes in your life, please try my recipe for Rustic Tomato Tart with Rye Crust! A savory version as opposed to sweet, this galette is a great way to showcase those ripe garden tomatoes that are just around the corner.

Looking for more strawberry rhubarb options? I’ve got a couple really yummy ones right here on the blog:

Roasted Strawberry Rhubarb Compote (good on just about anything)
Strawberry Rhubarb Barley Scones

Please give this one a try! It is honestly one of my new favorites and I know you will love it, too.

Rustic Strawberry Rhubarb Rye Galette

An easy free-form tart with rye crust and a delicious strawberry rhubarb filling.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 45 minutes + 2 1/2 hours chilling time
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours (largely unattended)
Yield: 1 9-inch galette 1x
Category: fika, dessert
Method: baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian
Diet: Vegetarian

Scale

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup dark rye flour

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch squares

6 tablespoons ice water

For the Filling:

½ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

Pinch of fine salt

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups quartered fresh strawberries

1 ¼ cups chopped fresh rhubarb

To Assemble:

1 large egg

turbinado sugar for sprinkling

1 tablespoon strawberry jam or jelly, warmed briefly in the microwave or on the stovetop (add a teaspoon of water if your jam or jelly is thick in texture)

Instructions

Make the Crust: Combine flours and salt in the work bowl of a food processor and process to combine. Scatter butter cubes over the top of the flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand with a few pea-sized pieces of butter here and there, about 8-10 pulses. Transfer mixture to a bowl and sprinkle the ice water over the top. Mix with a fork and/or your fingers until no dry spots remain and the dough holds together when squeezed.
Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap. Gather into a ball and press into a disk, about 5 inches in diameter. Chill for at least two hours or up to two days before rolling.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Transfer dough round to a piece of parchment paper. Dust the top of the dough round with flour to prevent sticking. Using a rolling pin, roll into a 12 inch circle. Trim the edges with a pizza wheel if desired. Transfer to an inverted baking sheet leaving parchment paper in place. Place in the refrigerator for 20-30 to firm up slightly.
Meanwhile make the Filling: Whisk sugar, lemon zest, salt and flour together in a medium bowl. Gently toss in strawberries and rhubarb until evenly combined. In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg and 1 tablespoon of water together to create an egg wash.
Remove dough round from the refrigerator and place the dough round and parchment inside the rimmed baking sheet. Top the round with the filling, leaving a 1 ½ to 2 inch border around the outside. Fold the border of the dough inward over the filling so that it covers the filling by about 1 inch, overlapping the dough every couple of inches. Gently press the folds in the dough so they adhere. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Transfer the galette to the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 50-55 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool. Brush the fruit filling with the warm strawberry jelly or jam. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Notes

If you don’t have rye flour, you can use all all-purpose flour.

Keywords: strawberry, rhubarb, galette, tart, rye, dessert, pie, easy, simple, Nordic, Scandinavian

Swedish Rulltårta with Roasted Strawberries and Vanilla Cream

June 19, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

This Swedish Rulltårta is the perfect summer celebration cake. It’s easy to make and assemble, but looks impressive with its lovely layers of golden cake, fruit and cream. And it can be made completely ahead of time, one of the best qualities in a dessert, in my opinion.

What is a Rulltårta?

A rulltårta is basically a Swedish version of the American jelly roll cake. A thin, tender sponge cake is wrapped around a filling, usually some kind of fruit preserve. I’ve taken things up a notch here by including a combination of vanilla pastry cream and homemade roasted strawberries for the filling, the same fillings that I use for my show-stopping Scandinavian Strawberry Cream Cake. These homemade fillings involve a couple of extra steps but quite worth it, I assure you. The classic pairing of strawberries and cream is wonderful in this cake.

Making a Pliable, Delicious Cake

The trick with the rulltårta is that the cake itself must be pliable enough to roll up without cracking or breaking. Most recipes for rulltårta use a sponge cake which is heavy on eggs. The eggs help retain that flexible, rollable quality that makes this cake a success. But most sponge cakes do not contain any fat in the form of butter or oil, which can lead to a dry and, as the name would suggest, spongy texture. After trying a few of these and being a little underwhelmed with the results, I began doing a little research. I found a few recipes for jelly rolls that included a little melted butter in the mix and decided to give that a try. Success! I now had a moist, flexible cake that rolled up beautifully and had a lovely taste and texture.

Successful Rolling Techniques

Once you get the hang of this rulltårta, it really is simple to put together. BUT, as with many baking projects, success comes from using the proper technique. Here are my suggestions for a successful cake roll every time:

Use the right cake recipe. As I said above, this cake is more pliable than most, thanks to the addition of several eggs. This flexibility is important to getting the cake to roll up nicely.
Use baking spray to prepare the pan, and make sure that it is spread evenly. This cake is baked in a half sheet pan (12 x18) and it will release easily if you spray the pan with baking spray, cover it with a layer of parchment and then spray the parchment. I then use my fingers or a brush to make sure that the parchment and the sides of the pan are evenly coated with baking spray. This will help keep the cake from sticking to the pan or the parchment after it is baked.
While it is still warm, roll the cake in a dish towel generously dusted with powdered sugar. This is an absolutely critical step. The cake must be rolled while it is still quite warm from the oven. It will crack and break if you try to roll it once it is cool. Since the cake is too warm to assemble with the fillings at first, it is wrapped in a cotton dish towel (NOT terry cloth) until it is cool enough to fill. This sets the rolled shape that we are ultimately looking for. The powdered sugar acts like flour here and keeps the cake from sticking to the towel.

Once the cake is cool, carefully unroll it and spread your fillings on top, leaving a one inch border around the sides. For this recipe, it works well to put down a layer of vanilla cream and the strawberries on top. And don’t overfill! A light layer of pastry cream and about a cup of fruit filling is really all you need. Otherwise it will just squeeze out the sides when you try to roll it back together.
Carefully roll the cake up, leaving the dish towel behind. This should go smoothly assuming that you were generous enough in your sprinkling of powdered sugar on the towel.
Transfer to a serving platter using a two spatulas, one at the top of the roll and one at bottom, on opposite sides of the cake. This is enough support to get it from the work surface to a pretty serving tray.

Other Filling Ideas

While this roasted strawberry filling is out of this world, you can easily vary this cake with the seasons as fruit availability changes. Other homemade fruit fillings for you to consider:

You could be making making different versions of this cake all year long!

I hope you give this cake a try during this strawberry season! It is so simple, delicious and beautiful! Please let me know if you give it a try in the comments below. I love hearing your feedback!

Swedish Rulltårta with Roasted Strawberries and Vanilla Cream

An easy and delicious rolled vanilla cake filled with roasted strawberries and vanilla cream.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 52 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 1 9-inch cake 1x
Category: fika
Method: baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Swedish
Diet: Vegetarian

Scale

Ingredients

For the Cake:

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon fine salt

4 large eggs

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

For the Roasted Strawberry Filling:

1 pound strawberries, quartered

¼ cup granulated sugar

Pinch of fine salt

For the Vanilla Cream Filling:

2 egg yolks

1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup half and half or whole milk

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of fine salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Make the Roasted Strawberry Filling: Preheat the 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 allow it to cool slightly. Mash mixture with the back of a fork or a potato masher 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 Vanilla Cream Filling: Whisk egg yolks, butter, cornstarch, half and half, sugar and salt 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. (Vanilla Cream Filling can be made 1-2 days in advance.)
Make the Cake: Preheat ovent to 350 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet (12×18) with baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Spray parchment with baking spray and use your fingers or a pastry brush to make sure the spray is distributed evenly around the top of the parchment paper and the pan.

Place the eggs, sugar, baking powder and salt in the work bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, mix on low speed until foamy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and whip for 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium high and whip until the mixture is thick and pale yellow in color, an additional 4-5 minutes. Decrease speed to medium low and add melted butter and vanilla.
Remove the work bowl and, using a fine mesh strainer, sift flour over the top of the mixture. Return the bowl to the mixer and mix on low speed until flour is just incorporated. Remove the work bowl and the whisk attachment. Use the attachment to whisk the mixture a couple of times by hand to make sure no pockets of flour remain.
Pour mixture into the prepared pan and even out the top. It will be a thin layer of batter. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cake is firm and springs back when touched, about 12 minutes.
Let the cake cool for 5 or 10 minutes in the pan. Run a knife along the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a clean cotton dish towel (NOT terry cloth) that has been generously dusted with powdered sugar. Peel off the parchment paper that was on the bottom of the cake while it was baking. Starting with the short side of the rectangle, roll the cake in the dishcloth and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
Carefully unroll the cake, and spread with the Vanilla Cream Filling, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges. It will be a thin layer. Gently top with 1 cup of the Roasted Strawberry Filling. Reroll the cake around the filling leaving the towel on the counter). Trim the ends and transfer to a serving plate (two spatulas, one on either side of the cake, works well for this). Allow to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and serving. The cake can be assembled and refrigerated for several hours prior to serving.

Keywords: strawberries, pastry cream, vanilla, cake, Scandinavian, Nordic, Swedish, fika, rulltårta

Norwegian Vanilla Custard Buns (Skoleboller or Skolebrød)

June 4, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

What are Norwegian Vanilla Custard Buns?

These Norwegian Vanilla Custard Buns are known as “School Buns” or “School Bread” in Norway. A favorite with children, they are often tucked into a lunchbox as a treat or even served in the cafeteria as part of school lunch. The sweet simplicity of this vanilla bun most certainly has a child-like quality to it, but make no mistake, they are a delicious treat for people of all ages. Soft cardamom dough surrounds a rich, vanilla cream center, and to top it off…a bit of sweet vanilla icing. These comforting Norwegian Vanilla Custard Buns are sure to become a favorite with your people, young and old alike.

Sweet, Soft Bun Dough

Sweet bun dough forms the base of many Scandinavian baked goods. Fortunately, this means that if you have a good, reliable recipe for sweet bun dough, it can be used interchangeably in a a variety of different treats. The dough recipe I’m using here is one that I created for my Swedish Cinnamon Buns (if you haven’t tried these yet, you must! They are consistently a reader favorite). It’s a little unique in that it uses the tangzhong method….a technique used in making Japanese milk bread. It sounds fancy and intimidating, but I promise it’s not. It involves one teeny, tiny extra step that GREATLY enhances the texture of the final bun.

What is the Tangzhong Method?

This extra step known as the tangzhong method is deceptively simple, but the results are downright magical. 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. This roux-like substance is then cooled to room temperature and added to the rest of the ingredients when mixing the dough. This results in a higher rise and a more tender, moist bun that stays that way for a longer period of time. As I said, this 5-minute extra step is WELL worth it for the soft, billowy buns that are the result! Interested in learning more about the tangzhong method? This post over at the the King Arthur Flour blog does a very nice job of explaining it.

What is the Difference Between Instant and Active Dry Yeast?

The other thing to know about this dough recipe is that it uses instant yeast rather than active dry. What is the difference between the two? Instant yeast has more active cells than active dry. This means it works more quickly, efficiently and reliably. It also doesn’t need to be activated in warm water prior to use as active dry yeast does. You can simply mix it right in with the dry ingredients and go about your business. It is my preferred form of commercial yeast for all of these reasons, and I use it in all of my yeast-based recipes.

If you are planning to use active dry yeast in place of the instant here, know that you will have to activate it in a bit of warm liquid prior to use or your buns will not rise properly.

Luxurious Vanilla Custard

vanilla custard in a bowl with a spatula

I have a go-to custard recipe that is really easy and works well as a filling in these Norwegian Vanilla Custard Buns. All of the ingredients (minus the vanilla) are simply whisked together in a saucepan over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens into a pudding-like texture. The hot custard is then transferred to a fine mesh strainer and pressed through it using a rubber spatula. This helps ensure a smooth, silky filling. Sometimes bits of egg yolk coagulate during the cooking process and can leave your custard a bit lumpy if they are not strained out. The vanilla is then stirred in at the very end.

The vanilla custard can be prepared up to two days in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. Like pudding, custard will develop a skin unless you place something directly on the surface when storing it. I like to put a bit or parchment or wax paper directly on the top of the custard and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.

No Puffing Up in the Center, Please!

Most of the recipes for Norwegian Vanilla Custard Buns that I have found instruct you to roll each bun into a ball and then make an indentation in the center for the pastry cream. Sounds easy enough, but the first two times I made these buns, the center puffed right back up and out, pushing the filling up and out with it. Not exactly what I was going for. I tried several different methods for creating a well in the center that stayed put, but nothing really did the trick. I did a little research and came across a method used in making kolaches, the Eastern European filled sweet buns. Instead of starting with the dough in a bun shape, this recipe suggested rolling the dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cutting it into rounds. Intriguing! After a short rise, an indentation is made and filled with the desired filling. I crossed my fingers and gave it a try.

Success! This method definitely helped keep the custard in the middle of the bun where it belongs. The filling does appear to be puffed up when the buns first come out of the oven, but it will settle back down as the buns cool.

Baking the Buns

Because of the filling, these buns do better at a lower temperature and a little longer time in the oven (350 degrees for about 18 minutes). This helps ensure that they bake all the way through and there is no soggy, doughy spot in between the bun and the filling. Just be sure to switch and rotate your baking sheets halfway through the baking time to ensure an even bake for all of the buns.

Drizzle the Buns with Icing

Once the buns have cooled, it’s time to drizzle them with a simple powdered sugar icing. The traditional way to serve these Norwegian Cream Buns is with a sprinkle of coconut. As I live with several people who are coconut adverse, I skip this step. But you do what makes you happy.

I hope you give these Norwegian Vanilla Custard Buns a try! They are soft, creamy and easy to love.

Norwegian Vanilla Custard Buns (Skoleboller or Skolebrød)

A delicious vanilla custard-filled cardamom bun drizzled with powdered sugar icing. A Norwegian classic!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 30 minutes + 1 1/2 hours rising time
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Yield: 16-18 buns
Category: fika, breads
Method: baking
Cuisine: Norwegian, Scandinavian, Nordic

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

½ teaspoon ground whole cardamom seeds or ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)

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 Vanilla Custard Filling:

2 large egg yolks

1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup half and half

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of fine salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Egg Wash:

1 large egg

1 tablespoon water

For the Icing:

¾ cup powdered sugar

1 ½ tablespoons milk or water

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of fine salt

Shredded coconut for sprinkling (optional)

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, cardamom (if using), 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, 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. Add an extra tablespoon of flour as necessary if your dough seems too sticky. 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 to an hour and a half or until 1 ½ or 2 times its original size. The time will largely depend on the temperature of your kitchen.
Meanwhile, make the Vanilla Custard Filling. Whisk egg yolks, butter, cornstarch, half and half, sugar and salt 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. (The Vanilla Custard Filling can be made 1-2 days in advance.)
Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it onto a clean, unfloured countertop. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it is about half an inch thick. Cut circles out of the dough using a 3 inch biscuit cutter. Place the buns on the prepared baking sheets leaving 2 inches of space between each bun. Cover and let the buns rise for 30 minutes at room temperature. (Feel free to gather the scraps and roll them a second time to cut out more buns).
Using your thumb and fingers, create a defined well in the center of each bun. Fill each well with a heaping teaspoon of Vanilla Custard Filling.
Whisk the egg and water together for the egg wash. Brush the outside of each bun with the egg wash, taking care to avoid the custard center. Transfer buns to the oven and bake until golden brown, rotating the pans halfway through, about 18 minutes. Remove the buns from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, make the Icing. Whisk all ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth. Drizzle the icing on each bun and sprinkle with coconut if desired. Serve.

Keywords: Norwegian, vanilla, custard, cream, buns, cardamom, fika, Scandinavian, Nordic, coconut

Brown Sugar Skyr Tart

May 7, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Whether it’s in design, fashion or food, I have a thing for simplicity and elegance. I like things that are the essence of themselves without much need for embellishment or fuss. This Brown Sugar Skyr Tart falls nicely in that category. With an easy, pat-in-the-pan almond crust filled with a brown sugar skyr mixture, it’s like an ultra-creamy brown sugar cheesecake in a buttery almond crust. And it is absolute perfection with an afternoon cup of coffee.

WHAT IS SKYR?

Skyr (pronounced skeer) has become increasingly popular in recent years here in the United States. Although it might be new to us, skyr is a dairy product that has been an important part of Icelandic food culture for over a thousand years. Here in America, 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. If you can’t find skyr in your grocery store, Greek yogurt makes an excellent substitute.

This simple tart comes together in no time at all. The dough is pulsed in the food processor and simply pressed into a tart pan (no rolling pin necessary). While the crust firms up in the freezer, the filling ingredients are whisked together until smooth.

The filling is then poured into the frozen crust and the whole thing slides in to the oven for 30 minutes. And that’s all there is to it! It is absolutely delicious on its own, but it is also nice with a dusting of powdered sugar and a few sugared blackberries scattered alongside.

I hope you give this Brown Sugar Skyr Tart a try! It is your new “little black dress” of fika treats. Looking for more ways to incorporate skyr into your diet? I’ve got a few ideas for you:

Brown Sugar Skyr Tart

A simply delicious tart made with an almond crust and a creamy, cheesecake-like skyr and brown sugar filling.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour + cooling time
Yield: 1 9-inch tart
Category: fika, dessert
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Ingredients

For the Crust:

½ cup blanched almonds

¾ cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ teaspoon fine salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into a ½ inch dice

3 tablespoons ice water

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Filling:

1 ¼ cups skyr, preferably whole milk (Greek yogurt makes a fine substitute)

2 large eggs

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

⅔ cup dark brown sugar

¼ teaspoon fine salt

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Powdered sugar for serving (optional)

Instructions

Make the Crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds out on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until toasted and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Add toasted nuts to the work bowl of a food processor. Process until finely ground. Add flour, sugar and salt and pulse a few times to combine.
Scatter butter over the top of the flour mixture and pulse 8-10 times or until the mixture is the texture of wet sand.
Sprinkle water and vanilla extract over the top and pulse until dough just begins to clump together.
Transfer dough to a 9-inch round fluted 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 until firm, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the Filling: Whisk all the filling ingredients except the flour together in a medium bowl. Sift flour over the top and whisk thoroughly to combine. Pour filling into the frozen tart shell and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the tart until it is set and golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

Keywords: brown sugar, skyr, tart, fika, creamy, easy, simple

Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)

April 7, 2020 by Kristi 2 Comments

I’m no mind reader, but I’m pretty sure this Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake is what you need right now. It’s simple to make, super-chocolatey and calls for pantry staples that you are likely to already have on hand. See what I mean? It’s just what you need. And did I mention it’s gluten and dairy-free? YES. It’s true. You can feed it to nearly everyone.

Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake is one of Sweden’s most beloved fika treats. It meets all the requirement for an at-home afternoon baking project: Easy, delicious and an excellent pair with coffee. Think of it as a Swedish brownie cake that is lightly crispy on the outside and a bit gooey on the inside. Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake is delicious on it’s own, maybe with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, but it can also be dressed up with a little whipped cream and fresh berries or ice cream and suddenly it’s a company-worthy dessert.

Tips and Tricks for Kladdkaka Success

Use a 9-inch springform pan. Springform pans are really nice for a cake like this because you are able to remove the sides of the pan and leave the base in place. Because this cake is indeed STICKY, it can be difficult to transfer it from the baking pan to a serving plate. Feel free to use a regular 9-inch cake pan or a pie plate, just plan on serving it straight from the pan.
Grease the pan and dust it with cocoa powder. Again, this cake is delightfully STICKY, so measures must be taken to make it easy to release from the sides and from the bottom of the pan.
Use canola oil instead of butter. Not only is canola oil a pantry staple, it makes an exceptionally moist and tender cake. In some cases, you might miss the buttery flavor but in a cake like this with BIG chocolate flavor, you won’t miss it.
Include a hefty dose of cocoa powder. Some recipes for Sticky Chocolate Cake call for as little as 1/4 cup of cocoa powder. I tested several different amounts but kept coming back to half a cup which gives this cake deep, rich chocolate flavor.
Use almond flour. Not only does this make your cake gluten-free, it ups the tenderness factor. You can sub in all-purpose flour, but your cake might be a bit less gooey and more brownie-like. Absolutely delicious either way!
Add just a bit of espresso powder. This is optional, but a little bit of espresso powder really enhances the flavor of the chocolate without making the cake taste like coffee. Read this informative post here from the King Arthur Flour blog if you would like to learn more.
Don’t overbake. This is a bit tricky because of the gooey nature of this cake. The skewer in the middle of the cake trick just doesn’t work here! Follow the times and watch for the visual cues (i.e., the cake will puff up in the center) and you should be fine.
Cool Completely before serving. This allows the cake to set up properly and makes it easier to slice and serve.

Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake on a plate with coffee

I do hope you will give this delicious Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake a try! If you do, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I always enjoy hearing from you!

Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

A Swedish fika favorite! This simple chocolate cake is light and crispy on the outside with a gooey, chocolatey inside. Absolutely perfect with that afternoon cup of coffee!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes + cooling time
Yield: 1 9-inch cake
Category: fika
Method: baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Swedish, Scandinavian

Ingredients

½ cup almond flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted + more for dusting the pan

½ teaspoon espresso powder (optional)

¼ teaspoon fine salt

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

½ cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

Powdered sugar for serving, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a nine-inch round springform pan and dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a separte bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together until mixture is thick and pale yellow in color. Add oil and vanilla and continue whisking until fully combined. Fold in dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until the batter just comes together.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and even out the top with a rubber spatula. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center has puffed up. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Once the cake has cooled completely, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Cut into wedges and serve.

Keywords: chocolate, cake, sticky, Swedish, easy, simple, fika, gluten-free, dairy-free

Brown Butter Swedish Oat Crisps (Havreflarn)

March 21, 2020 by Kristi 4 Comments

Most oatmeal cookies are a hearty affair, craggy and thick, chock full of extras such as dried fruit, chocolate or butterscotch chips. While there is nothing wrong with your standard oatmeal cookie, let me introduce you to something entirely different….the Swedish Oat Crisp. It is like no other oatmeal cookie you’ve had before. Light and crispy and nearly see-through thin, these Brown Butter Swedish Oat Crisps are a very Scandinavian take on the oatmeal cookie. And thankfully, they are also an incredibly easy afternoon baking project that comes together in less than an hour and makes an ideal accompaniment to your afternoon cup of coffee.

Brown Butter for Rich, Nutty Flavor

My recipe for Swedish Oat Crisps is pretty straightforward but with one little extra step: browning the butter. Brown butter is quite simply butter that is melted in a skillet on the stove until it smells nutty and turns golden brown in color. It is easy to make and adds toasty, caramel notes to baked goods. If you’ve never baked with brown butter before you are in for a treat. If you enjoy the rich, nutty flavor it brings to these Swedish Oat Crisps, try it in my recipe for Krumkake or this delicious Simple Brown Butter Carrot Cake).

The Best Way to Melt and Drizzle Chocolate

I tried several methods for both melting the chocolate and drizzling it over the cookies. I achieved the best results with microwaving semi-sweet chocolate chips at 50% power for one minute at a time, stirring between each interval. In my microwave, it took about three minutes to melt one cup of chocolate.

As far as drizzling goes, I tried using a fork (not very easy to control), but found that it was much easier to place the warm melted chocolate in a quart-sized ziploc freezer bag and snip a tiny hole in the corner. This creates a makeshift pastry bag that produces a nice, even zig zag drizzle every time. Better Homes and Gardens magazine has a great article about melting, dipping and drizzling chocolate here if you are interested in learning more.

I hope you give these Swedish Oat Crisps a try! They are a perfect afternoon fika treat…light, crispy and a little bit chocolate-y. Just right for coffee. Let me know how it goes in the comments below!

Brown Butter Swedish Oat Crisps (Havreflarn)

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

A light and crispy oatmeal cookie drizzled with chocolate. Perfect to go with that afternoon cup of coffee!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Category: fika
Method: baking
Cuisine: Swedish, Nordic

Scale

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 ¼ cups quick rolled oats (or old-fashioned oats pulsed briefly in a food processor)

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon fine salt

1 large egg

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
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, 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. Immediately transfer brown butter to a bowl to cool.
Whisk oats, flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Combine egg, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until sugar is dissoved and mixture is frothy. Add brown butter and whisk until everything has just come together. Add dry mixture and stir to combine.
Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of batter onto prepared cookie sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie (they will spread considerably). Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are set and the edges are golden brown. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter.
Drizzle cookies attractively with warm melted chocolate. Allow to dry before serving.

Keywords: oatmeal, cookie, crisps, havreflarn, chocolate, fika

Scandinavian Almond Tartlets (Sandbakkels in Norwegian or Mandelmusslor in Swedish)

March 6, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Scandinavian Almond Tarts (Sandbakkels in Norwegian or Madelmusslor in Swedish)

If you are of Scandinavian heritage, perhaps someone in your family owns a box of these cute little tart pans.

Many Scandinavian Americans use them to make these sweet almond tartlets known as Mandelmusslor in Swedish or Sandbakkels in Norwegian, usually during the Christmas season. I also have a friend who claims that she made these into Christmas ornaments! To each her own.

Scandinavian Almond Tartlets (Sandbakkels in Norwegian or Madelmusslor in Swedish)

These almond tartlets are one of those cookies that really deserves a more year-round presence. Easy to make with just the right amount of almond flavor, these almond tartlets not only delicious, they are exceptionally versatile. You can serve them plain, perhaps with a cup of coffee. Or fill them with a myriad of sweet things such as jam, fruit compote (strawberry rhubarb is heavenly!), fresh fruit, lemon curd, pastry cream, whipped cream…..you get the idea.

I know they look kind of fussy and complicated, but the process for making these little Scandinavian Almond Tartlets is really simple. Just press the dough evenly into each tart pan and bake. Done! And for your efforts you are rewarded with these intricate, stunning little cookies that double as mini pastry tarts. And did I mention that they freeze nicely? Whether they are served plain on the afternoon fika tray or filled and served for dessert, it’s great to have a batch of these tartlets ready and waiting in the freezer.

I’ve got a few thoughts for ensuring Scandinavian Almond Tartlet success each and every time:

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours prior to working with it. Not only does this make the dough easier to press into the tart pans, it also gives the final product a more uniform surface.
Don’t bother greasing the tart pans. I used to do this and it was a big extra step that I didn’t enjoy. When I was developing this recipe for the blog, I tried buttering the pans, using a baking spray (like Pam for Baking) and leaving them alone. All the tarts came out of the pan with the same relative ease. Don’t waste time on this extra step.
Press the dough into the tart pans thinly and evenly. That said, don’t drive yourself crazy trying to get them REALLY thin. I promise they will be tasty whether they are thin or a little on the thicker side. My kids, in fact, prefer them a little thicker. And another bonus…they don’t break as easily.

Once you are done pressing, Finish off the top edge of the tart with your fingers. Just make sure the edge is even with the top of the tart pan for an attractive final product.
Once the tarts are baked and have cooled slightly, gently release them from the tart pans. This might take a little practice, but they should release pretty easily with a little wiggling and help from your fingers.

I hope you give these Scandinavian Almond Tartlets a try, and don’t wait for Christmas! They are a year-round cookie if there ever was one. Let me know how they turn out in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

Scandinavian Almond Tartlets (Sandbakkels in Norwegian or Mandelmusslor in Swedish)

A crisp, buttery, almond flavored tartlet that is delicious plain or filled with something sweet!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12-15 minutes
Total Time: 2 Hours
Yield: 25-30 tartlets
Category: baking, fika
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Swedish, Norwegian

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 cup blanched, slivered almonds, finely ground in a food processor

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

Special Equipment Needed:

Scandinavian tart pans

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

2. Add the egg, followed by the ground almonds, salt and almond extract. Mix until incorporated.

3. Add the flour and mix on low until just combined.

4. Remove the bowl from the mixer and knead the dough gently with your hands inside the bowl for a minute or two until it all comes together into a cohesive whole. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap tightly and chill dough for at least 30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and have 25 or so tart pans at the ready. Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator and tear off a piece that is approximately the size of a walnut. Pat the small piece of dough into the tart pan using your thumbs and fingers. The dough should be uniformly 1/16th inch to an 1/8th inch thick across the surface of the tart pan. Create a nice even edge at the top of the pan.

6. Place 8-10 filled tart pans on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper and slide them in the oven for 12-15 minutes or until they are light golden brown in color.

7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow tart shells to cool before handling. Once they are cool enough to touch, tip them upside down and remove the tart shell from the pan. This may require a little help from your fingers or by tapping and/or wiggling the pan a little to loosen the tart shell from the sides. This may take a little practice. Let the tart shells cool upside down on a wire baking rack. Repeat with remaining tart pans, baking 8-10 on a baking sheet at a time. Fill (or don’t fill) as desired.

Notes

These tart shells freeze beautifully. Put any tart shells that you are not immediately eating or filling in a freezer bag and consume at your leisure.

Keywords: almond, tart, cookies, fika, Christmas, holiday

Nordic Lemon Wafers

February 29, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

This time of year calls for lemon. Not only is citrus in season, lemons have a way of bringing a little sunshine to these late winter days and letting our tastebuds know that spring is just around the corner.

Buttery and bursting with lemon flavor, these cheerful Nordic Lemon Wafers are the perfect fika treat to brighten any afternoon. I love a good lemon treat now and then (especially as February gives way to March) and thought it was time to include one here on the blog. I wasn’t sure if they were particularly Nordic, but I found a recipe for Lemon Wafers in Beatrice Ojakangas’s brilliant The Great Scandinavian Baking Book which was proof enough to me that lemon cookies are indeed a Scandinavian thing.

These Nordic Lemon Wafers are a delight. Not only are they easy to make, they are everything a lemon cookie should be…buttery and tender with just the right amount of lemon flavor and covered in a light cream cheese glaze to finish things off just right.

Lemon Cookie Tips and Tricks

I have just a few thoughts for ensuring lemon cookie success every time:

Use a high-quality, all-natural lemon extract for big lemon flavor. It can be difficult to coax enough lemon flavor from juice and lemon zest alone. Lemon extract packs a serious lemon punch which is just what this cookie calls for.
Chill the dough prior to shaping. The dough will be much easier to work with if it’s been in the refrigerator for an hour or so prior to working with it.
Roll and flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass covered in parchment paper. Several of the recipes I tried called for rolling the dough out and then using a cookie cutter to create circles. This method requires dusting your rolling surface, pin and the dough with a good amount of flour to prevent the dough from sticking. When I tried this, I ended up with many misshapen circles after attempting to pry them off of my kitchen counter with a thin spatula. Rolling the dough between your hands into a ball and then flattening the ball with the bottom of a parchment covered glass is the way to go. Not only does this method require no additional flour (resulting in a more tender cookie), it also creates perfect circles every time.

Don’t overbake. There is something about lemon cookies and browning that that just doesn’t go together. Keep them light in color for the best flavor.

I hope you bake a batch of these sunshine-y Nordic Lemon Wafers sometime soon. They are likely to become a new fika favorite!

Nordic Lemon Wafers

The perfect lemon cookie for afternoon fika…buttery and tender with just the right amount of lemon flavor and covered in a light cream cheese glaze to finish things off just right.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 1 hour + 1 hour chilling time
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Yield: 40 cookies
Category: fika
Method: baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon fine salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder

⅛ teaspoon baking soda

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons freshly sqeezed lemon juice

1 large egg yolk

1 ½ teaspoons lemon extract

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon softened cream cheese

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Instructions

Whisk flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Combine butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add lemon juice, egg yolk and lemon extract and mix until fully combined. Reduce speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients until dough just comes together.
Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and press into a 6 inch disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove dough round from the fridge. Working with about a teaspoon of dough at a time, roll dough into a ball between your hands and transfer to the baking sheet, leaving an inch and a half between each cookie. Flatten each ball with the back of a glass covered in parchment paper (to prevent sticking) until you have a disk that is about ¼ inch thick. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are firm and just beginning to brown on the edges. Cool slightly on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire baking rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
Once cookies have cooled to room temperature, whisk glaze ingredients together. Top each cookie with a small dollop of glaze. Allow glaze to dry before serving, about 15 minutes.

Notes

These cookies freeze nicely, especially if you hold off on glazing until right before you eat them.

Adapted from The Perfect Cookie by America’s Test Kitchen

Keywords: lemon, cookie, Nordic, Scandinavian, fika

Raspberry Hazelnut Hearts

February 6, 2020 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Will you be making sweets for the sweeties in your life this Valentine’s Day? If so, I invite you to consider baking a batch of these easy and festive Raspberry Hazelnut Hearts. Crispy, hazelnut-y and filled with raspberry jam, this tasty little butter cookie has the potential to become a year round fika favorite.

To give credit where credit is due, a variation of heart-shaped thumbprint cookies grace the cover of the January/February 2020 issue of Martha Stewart Living magazine. I’ve been meaning to add a jam thumbprint cookie to the blog for awhile (they are a traditional Scandinavian fika treat after all) and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to develop my own recipe but with sweet heart-shaped vibes that would be perfect for a February fika treat.

I began by doing my research on Swedish jam thumbprint cookies. According to the charming book Fika by Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall, jam thumbprints in Sweden are known as syltgrottor which literally translates to “jam caves”. They are softer and lighter than their American counterparts and are baked in a small paper liner. In her book, Scandinavian Classic Baking, Pat Sinclair has a recipe for hazelnut thumbprints baked in a more traditional American style. I decided to use that as my model but with those sweet little heart shapes in the middle rather than the traditional thumbprint.

The recipe itself is largely adapted from The Perfect Cookie by America’s Test Kitchen and is incredibly simple and straightforward. Toasted hazelnuts are ground together with flour and salt and added to creamed butter and sugar and an egg yolk. This creates an exceptionally fragrant, crispy hazelnut butter cookie that is the perfect home for a dollop of raspberry jam.

As fancy as those heart shapes in the center of the cookie look, they are deceptively simple to create. Simply use an eating utensil with a flat end or the inside end of a rubber spatula (see photo below) to create a deep “V” in the center of each cookie. The V will open up during baking to create a heart shape. It’s as easy as can be!

This recipe is so fun and easy to make and hits all the right Valentine’s Day notes. Of course you could choose to make a round divot in the center of each cookie for a traditional thumbprint if you would rather. If you decide to go that route, you can use your thumb to make a spot for the jam (obviously) or the back of a rounded teaspoon works well, too. But if it’s February, why not make hearts, right?

I really hope you give these easy Raspberry Hazelnut Hearts a try. They come together in a snap and are a sweet and creative way to let those cookie-loving people in your life know how much you care about them. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Raspberry Hazelnut Hearts

Crispy, hazelnut-y and filled wit raspberry jam, this easy and festive take on the thumbprint cookie is sure to become a year round fika favorite.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 24-26 cookies
Category: fika, dessert
Method: baking
Cuisine: Nordic, Scandinavian, Swedish

Ingredients

¾ cup hazelnuts

1 cup all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon fine salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

⅓ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

¾ cup raspberry jam or preserves

Powdered sugar for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast in the oven until golden and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Transfer nuts to a clean kitchen towel and wrap them inside allowing the nuts to steam for a minute or so. Rub the nuts between the kitchen towel to remove the skins (don’t worry if all the skins don’t come off).
Transfer toasted hazelnuts to a food processor along with flour and salt. Process until mixture is finely ground.
Place butter and sugar in the work bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and extracts and mix until fully combined. Slowly add flour and hazelnut mixture and mix on low until just combined.
Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop 12 tablespoons of dough onto each baking sheet and roll each tablespoon of dough into a ball leaving at least an inch and a half of space between each cookie. Using the flat edge of an eating utensil or rubber spatula, create a deep V shape in the center of each cookie (for heart-shaped thumbprints) or press the back of a rounded teaspoon in the center of each cookie (for traditional thumbprints).
Bake cookies for 16-18 minutes or until golden brown, rotating baking sheets halfway through. Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the raspberry filling. Heat jam in a saucepan over medium low heat until bubbling. Pour through a fine mesh strainer and discard seeds. Spoon jam into the center of cooled cookies (or use a squeeze bottle or piping bag for more precision). Allow jam to set slightly before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

Inspired and adapted from Scandinavian Classic Baking by Pat Sinclair, The Perfect Cookie by America’s Test Kitchen and the January/February 2020 issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine.

Keywords: raspberry, hazelnut, cookies, thumbprint, fika, Valentine’s Day, heart

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.