Winter

Swedish Glögg

November 11, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

Scandinavians are good at winter. Whether on skates, skis or snowshoes, they know how to get outside and enjoy what the season has to offer. They are also experts at coming in from the cold and getting cozy with candlelight, a roaring fire and perhaps most importantly, a steaming cup of mulled wine or glögg (pronounced “glue-g”). Spicy, sweet and soul-warming, glögg is served throughout the holiday season in Scandinavia. According to The Nordic Cookbook by Magnus Nilsson, the word glögg comes from the Swedish word glödga, meaning “to heat”. I have also read that in the Old Norse language it means “glowing ember”. Either way, I promise you will be both warm AND glowing after a cup of this delicious spiced wine.

How to Make Delicious Glögg at Home

Glögg is easy to make at home with just a few helpful tips and tricks up your sleeve:

Use a full-bodied, inexpensive red wine. No need to break out the good stuff here, but definitely find something you would enjoy drinking on it’s own. I like using Dark Horse Big Red Blend for my glögg. Described as a “shameless people pleaser”, this wine is toasty with big berry flavor. Perfect for mulled wine and a good price point, too.
Include the right combination of spices. There are many different recipes for glögg, all of which use a different mix of spices. I like to keep it classic with fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, cardamom and cloves. And no need to overdo it, a modest amount of spices goes a long way.
Add orange peel and juice. Adding the zest and juice of an orange really brightens your spiced wine without giving it an overly orange-y flavor.
Use brown sugar as your sweetener. This helps bring out a toasty sweetness in the glögg.
Perhaps the most important tip of all….don’t let the glögg come to a boil! Boiling or even simmering the glögg will cause the alcohol to evaporate. We don’t want that! Bring the glögg up to the point of simmering and then turn off the heat.
Let the wine and the spices steep for several hours. The flavor of your glögg will improve if you give the wine a chance to really take on the flavor of the warm spices.
Add aquavit (or vodka, brandy or rum) just prior to reheating and serving. Again, do not let the glögg come to a boil. We want to preserve the potency of our mulled wine.
Serve with golden raisins and blanched slivered almonds. These will inevitably sink to the bottom of the glögg. Invite your guests to use a spoon to eat up the delicious almonds and raisins at the bottom of the glass once they have finished their beverage.

I know a lot of people who spend winter wishing it were spring. Instead, let’s follow the lead of our Nordic friends and happily sink into winter this year. Stock wood for the fire. Light some candles. Get out your flannel, your coziest blankets and a good book or two. And make a batch (or several) of Swedish Glögg. Maybe even host a glögg party if you are feeling festive! Forget spring for awhile, it will come in good time. It’s time embrace the inner warmth of winter.

Swedish Glögg

An easy and delicious recipe for classic Swedish mulled wine. It will keep you warm and cozy all winter long.

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 10 minutes + 2 hours steeping time
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes (largely unattended)
Yield: 4-6 servings
Category: drinks
Cuisine: Swedish, Scandinavian, Nordic

Ingredients

1 orange

1 bottle dry red wine (nothing expensive but full-bodied)

⅓ cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 inch piece of ginger, sliced into thin rounds

10 whole cloves

10 cardamom pods, crushed (include both pods and seeds)

3 cinnamon sticks

½ cup aquavit, such as the Linie brand (rum, brandy or vodka will also work)

Golden raisins, blanched almonds and thin orange or clementine slices for serving

Instructions

Remove the peel from the orange using a vegetable peeler and transfer peel strips to a medium saucepan. Cut orange in half and squeeze juice into the saucepan with the peel.
Add all remaining ingredients to the saucepan and heat until mixture just comes to a simmer. Cover and remove from heat. Let steep for two to four hours at room temperature. Strain into a clean container. Mixture can be prepared up until this point up to a week ahead and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
When you are ready to serve, return mixture to a saucepan. Add aquavit and a handful of golden raisins. Heat but do not boil (boiling will remove the alcohol). Serve immediately garnished with raisins, blanched almonds and orange or clementine slices.

Keywords: glögg, mulled wine, spiced wine, winter, warm beverages, hygge

Mushroom Gratin

November 6, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mushroom Gratin

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

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

Scale

Ingredients

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

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

2 pounds cremini or white button mushrooms, washed and quartered

2 small shallots, minced

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 tablespoons all-pupose flour

½ cup water

½ cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

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

Notes

Adapted from Scandinavian Cooking by Beatrice Ojakangas

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

Easy Swedish Meatballs

October 31, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

There is perhaps no Swedish dish more well known and beloved worldwide than Swedish meatballs. Tiny spiced meatballs blanketed in a creamy gravy and served with sweetened lingonberries and pickled cucumbers alongside, this unique dish satisfies on so many levels. And the good news is that you don’t need to run down to the local IKEA to get your meatball fix. This recipe is easy enough to whip up for a cozy dinner any night of the week.

What Makes Swedish Meatballs Unique?

Many different food cultures have their own variation of the meatball. What’s so special about Swedish meatballs?

A combination of beef and pork. Most recipes for Swedish meatballs contain equal amounts of both ground pork and ground beef (usually ground chuck, about 85% lean).
A blend of warm spices, usually allspice and nutmeg (and sometimes ground ginger). This is what gives Swedish meatballs their unmistakeable flavor.
The meatball mixture is whipped in a stand mixer. You can certainly mix these meatballs by hand, but whipping the meatball mixture gives the final product a fine texture that is unique to Swedish meatballs.
Swedish meatballs are quite small, at most about an inch in diameter.
They are usually served in a creamy gravy with Stirred Lingonberries and Fresh Pickled Cucumbers alongside. This trio of savory, sweet and tangy is an unforgettable combination that hits all the right flavor notes.
Swedish meatballs are usually served on top of mashed potatoes or buttered egg noodles. Both are delicious!

Tips For Perfect Swedish Meatballs

Use a combination of high-quality ground pork and ground chuck, preferably 80-85% lean. You don’t want your ground beef to be too lean; that can lead to dry meatballs.
Whip the meatball mixture in a stand mixer if you have one. This step gives the meatballs a fine, refined texture.
Portion out the meatball mixture with the help of a spring-loaded scoop, such as this tablespoon size cookie scoop. It can be difficult to get your meatballs the same size, especially when you’re trying to make them on the smaller side. I know that my inclination is to start small, but then my meatballs get gradually larger as I go. Portioning out the mixture keeps me honest and ensures the meatballs that are the same size every time.
Roll the mixture with damp hands. This meatball mixture is sticky, and it can be difficult to achieve round balls when rolling it between your palms. But if you wet your palms just slightly every 4 or 5 meatballs, the mixture won’t stick to your hands. I leave the faucet at a trickle next to me while I make the meatballs which is an easy way to do it.
Bake the meatballs rather than fry them. I’ve tried MANY different ways of making Swedish meatballs, and I believe that the baking method has many things going for it: no frying, less mess, more even cooking, a rounder final product, and it’s a hands off process leaving you free to attend to other things while they cook in the oven.
Save the browned bits from the baking sheet for your gravy. Do NOT clean off that baking sheet! We are going to use those beautiful browned bits that are stuck to the pan to make our gravy all the more flavorful.
Do not forget the Stirred Lingonberries and Fresh Pickled Cucumbers! It’s the combination of the all three together that make this dish extraordinary. If you don’t have access to frozen lingonberries, preserved lingonberries, such as the Felix brand are a good stand-in.

I think you are going to love my easy take on classic Swedish Meatballs. Please let me know if you give them a try in the comments below!

Easy Swedish Meatballs

A simple and streamlined recipe for classic Swedish Meatballs. Tiny spiced meatballs blanketed in a creamy, savory gravy and served alongside sugared lingonberries and fresh pickled cucumbers. Easy enough for a cozy Nordic supper any night of the week!

Author: Kristi
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings (28 meatballs)
Category: Dinner
Cuisine: Swedish, Nordic, Scandinavian

Ingredients

For the Meatballs:

1 large egg yolk

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup panko bread crumbs (fresh white bread crumbs are also fine)

½ pound ground pork

½ pound ground chuck (80-85% lean)

¼ cup grated onion

1 teaspoon fine salt

½ teaspoon packed brown sugar

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

⅛ teaspoon ground pepper

For the Gravy:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons flour

¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth

¾ cup beef broth

2 teaspoons soy sauce

½ cup cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped parsley or chives for garnish

Stirred Lingonberries and Fresh Pickled Cucumbers for serving

Instructions

Make the Meatballs: Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Combine all ingredients in the work bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium low until just combined. Increase speed to medium and whip until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl from time to time.
Using a tablespoon measure, transfer tablespoonfuls of the mixture to a sheet pan. With damp hands, roll into balls. Chill (up to 24 hours) until ready to bake.
Transfer sheet pan to oven and bake until meatballs are browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer meatballs to a plate. Pour ⅓ cup hot water onto the baking sheet and scrape up the brown bits that are stuck to the bottom using a metal spatula. Poor liquid and any bits into a measuring cup and set aside.
Make the Gravy: Melt butter in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add flour and cook for one minute, whisking constantly. Slowly add reserved drippings from meatballs, chicken broth, beef broth and soy sauce, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking until reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Add cream and return to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add meatballs to gravy and cook briefly to reheat. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives if desired. Serve with Stirred Lingonberries and Fresh Pickled Cucumbers.

Keywords: Swedish, meatballs, easy, classic

Swedish Limpa

October 24, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

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

What is Swedish Limpa?

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

An Easy Rye Bread for Beginners

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

My Limpa Recipe

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

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

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

Swedish Limpa

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

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

Scale

Ingredients

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons molasses

Zest of 1 orange

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

1 teaspoon fine salt

2 teaspoons instant yeast

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

2 cups bread flour

Instructions

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

Keywords: Swedish, Limpa, bread, rye, easy

Roasted Pear Compote with Cardamom, Vanilla and Fresh Ginger

February 26, 2019 by Kristi Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

Roasted Pear Compote with Cardamom, Vanilla and Fresh Ginger

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

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

Scale

Ingredients

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

2 tablespoons honey

Seeds from 2 crushed cardamom pods, pods discarded

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

a pinch course salt

½ vanilla bean

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

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

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