Redux: Scandinavian Cucumber Pickle

      I'm having some friends for lunch on Friday and in planning a menu for the get-together I came across this recipe for a cucumber pickle. It was originally featured in 2011 and has proved to be an entry that folks like to re-visit. I know it touched hearts as well as palates and I thought it deserved a "second life." I hope you enjoy the story, hymn and recipe.

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I am, by disposition, easily moved to laughter or tears and I have an unusually expressive face. It takes no special training to sense my mood or humor, but every once in a while I fool everyone. I mention this, because last weekend I was moved to tears by something quite extraordinary. Bob and I make it a point to attend local celebrations and festivals. These events were originally created to celebrate family, community and heritage, and we like to honor that spirit whenever we can. Last weekend, one of the towns close to us held their annual Scandinavian Festival and we happily attended. Usually, the entertainment consists of folk dancing and music from Finland, Norway, Denmark or Sweden. The dancers are members of groups that meet bi-monthly for practice and some of them are very good. They are, however, amateurs. What makes them special is the participation of families who often have three generations on stage for any given performance. Despite the participation of families, the number of dancers dwindles every year. There, obviously, are not enough young people to replace the seniors who can no longer participate. It's sad to see the passing of a tradition, but we enjoy it while we can and applaud the efforts of those who try to preserve memories of the old ways for their children. We sat through a handful of dance performances before heading to the beer garden to sample some typically Scandinavian food and drink. We never made it. A men's chorus, about 50 members strong, had taken the stage and, as they began to sing, it was clear we were in for something special. These were not young men, and I'd guess the youngest of them to be my age. That meant the group had lots of time to practice and perfect their singing, and perfect it they had. As they sang, my throat started to knot, but I kept my act together until the end of their performance when they began to sing the Finlandia hymn. As they sang, an elderly group in the back of audience stood and joined hands. Some of them were moved to tears and as I watched I, too, began to cry. Now it was a sedate cry, mind you, but the tears were very real. I was moved by the haunting beauty of the music and their obvious remembrance of times and places once well known but never more to be. I think you might understand the emotion if you listen to this small portion of the Finnish hymn that many call the Finnish National Song. It is quite beautiful.

Now, because this is a food blog, I can't let you go without sharing a recipe. It's time for us to move from the sublime to the ridiculous. Actually, there will be two new Scandinavian recipes, but only one of them will be featured today. This is a cucumber pickle that is lovely to serve with dishes as diverse as barbecue or Swedish meatballs. It is amazingly easy to make, and, as long as you thinly slice the cucumbers, you can't go wrong. Ideally, the dish should be made with seedless cucumbers, but as you can see I break my own rules. I know you'll enjoy these. Here's the recipe.

Scandinavian-Style Cucumber Pickle...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Gourmet magazine

Ingredients:
1 English cucumber
1/2 cup white-wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Cut cucumber crosswise into very thin slices (preferably using a manual slicer). In a bowl whisk together remaining ingredients until sugar is dissolved and add cucumber, tossing to coat. Marinate cucumbers, covered and chilled, stirring occasionally, 4 hours. Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Countdown to Christmas - Swedish Cardamom Wreaths

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If the aromas coming from fall kitchens give me shivers, I must admit that those drifting from Christmas kitchens make me positively weak-kneed. I think it is the addition of cardamom to the spice mix that does me in. I was raised in a row house that shared a common basement with five other families and during the lead-up to the holidays that basement was the place to be. The baking went on for days at a time, and as the more pedestrian aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg mingled with those of ginger and cloves, the unforgettable fragrance of the spice mix and cardamom actually permeated linens hung to dry. It gave new meaning to the phrase sweet dreams. Our Swedish and German neighbors took Christmas baking to heart and each of them made a version of the cardamom coffee ring I'm featuring today. They differed mainly in the quantity of eggs and butter that was used, but the finished cakes they shared with neighbors were remarkably similar in form and taste. Like many children, I was fascinated with the braiding and twisting that was used to shape the cakes and I loved to see them rise. I suspect my love of bread, the baking and eating of it, had it origins in those kitchens and that basement which captured and held the aromas of Christmas. I, unfortunately, have no vintage recipes to share with today, but this version, which comes from Taste of Home magazine, comes awfully close to the ones I remember. I do hope you'll give it a try. Here is how cardamom wreaths are made.

Swedish Cardamom Wreaths...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2-1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons salt
7 to 7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk
Toasted sliced almonds
Coarse or granulated sugar or confectioners' sugar glaze

Directions:
1) In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 3 eggs, evaporated milk, yeast mixture, sour cream, orange peel, cardamom, salt and 6 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
2) Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; turn onto a floured surface. Divide into six portions. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape each portion into a 24-in. rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid. Form into a ring; pinch ends tightly together. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
4) Beat milk and remaining egg; brush over wreaths. Sprinkle with almonds and sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 loaves

                    

                                                    Older Posts

             One Year Ago Today:                                                         Two Years Ago Today:

            Cold Oven Coffee Cake                                                             Candied Almonds

                 Three Years Ago Today:                                                Four Years Ago Today: 

                         Bean Burgers                                                                   Pan de Polvo

Countdown to Christmas - Swedish Sugar Plums

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These cookies should join noodles, pancakes and flatbreads, as another example of how some foods are repeatedly "discovered" in different parts of the world. If you scan the recipe, you'll see just how much like Mexican Wedding or Russian Tea Cakes these Swedish Sugar Plums actually are. I, of course, think they have an edge and infinitely superior to their cousins because these were the cookies of my childhood. I first saw them being made towards the end of WWII when they were made with margarine and cardamom that was shipped from a Swedish Covenant Church somewhere in the South. At that time, margarine came in white blocks with color packets that had to be worked into the gooey mass to make it look more like butter and less like lard. Most adults disliked the chore, but kids, including me, loved this Sawyer-esque chore and volunteers were always available. I was a champion squisher and my prowess got me into Mrs. P's kitchen where I got to watch her Christmas baking marathon. The cardamom sets these cookies apart from their Mexican and Russian cousins, and if you enjoy them and like cardamom, you will love this version of the cookies. If you store them in an air-tight container they will keep for a week, but you will need to re-coat them with powdered sugar before you serve them. This is an easy, near effortless cookie to make, and I know that those of you who try this recipe will not be disappointed. Here is how the Swedish Sugar Plums are made.

Swedish Sugar Plums...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar + additional sugar for finishing, divided use
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cold water
2 cups sifted flour
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds, chopped

Directions:
1) Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Blend in lemon zest, cardamom, salt, vanilla extract and water. Gradually add sifted flour, blending well after each addition. Stir in chopped almonds. Chill dough for 30 to 60 minutes.
2) Move one rack to upper third of oven before preheating oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease two baking sheets and set aside.
3) Using a teaspoon measure, roll dough into small balls and place on prepared cookie sheets. Bake in upper third of oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until just lightly browned. Roll at once in sifted powdered sugar. Cool completely before storing in an air-tight container. Roll in sifted powdered sugar again, just before serving. Yield: 4 dozen cookies.

      

                                                    Older Posts

                          One Year Ago Today:                                               Two Years Ago Today:

                      Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot                                        Greek Lemon Yogurt Mousse

                    Three Years Ago Today:                                                Four Years Ago Today: 

                Quick and Crusty Hard Rolls                                             Sauteed Christmas Peppers

Countdown to Christmas - Sweet Chocolate and Almond Rondels

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you've been cooking for a while, you know that food fads and fashions come and go, and you've probably seen new waves of each replace more of the old than was ever necessary. Much of what is tossed aside will not be missed, but each generation produces some stellar dishes that should be protected by any caring cook who has ever made them. While I try not to bore, and truly embrace much of what is new, I tend to think of myself as a keeper of the keys and really do embrace and try to save the best of the old recipes, especially at this time of year. I've been going through the holiday recipes I've collected over the decades and wanted to share some of the more unusual ones with you this Christmas season. This cookie, which I've never seen elsewhere, is one of them and it comes from the Swedish kitchen of a neighbor who introduced me to cooking when I was a child. When bread was not baking, the aromas in her kitchen were a strange mix of cinnamon, cardamom and Murphy's Oil Soap. The soap blended nicely with the smells of the bread and cookies made in that kitchen, and heaven knows, only the bravest of germs would dare to lurk on a floor so clean that surgery could be performed on it. I think most of you will find this cookie to be unique, and while it is not a beautiful confection, it is delicious and worthy of a place on your holiday cookie tray. I love its simplicity and the ease with which it comes together, and if you are looking for a new cookie to add to your holiday collection, this one might well be it. Here is how these Christmas rondels are made.

Sweet Chocolate and Almond Rondels...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Cookies
3/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Finely grated zest of 1 small orange
4 (1-ounce) squares of sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
Topping
1 egg white
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup ground almonds
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
1) Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Blend in cardamom and orange zest.
2) Add chocolate to cream in a small saucepan. Melt chocolate over low heat, stirring well to blend with cream. Cool slightly. Add to butter mixture with vanilla and salt. Blend well. Slowly stir in flour. Chill for 30 to 60 minutes.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.
4) While dough chills, make almond topping. Beat egg white until foamy. Beat in sugar, blending well. Stir in almonds and almond extract.
5) Remove dough from refrigerator. Using a 1 teaspoon measure, form dough into small balls and place on prepared cookie sheets. Make a depression in center of each ball. Fill depression with almond topping.
6) Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Do not brown. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 2-1/2 to 3 dozen cookies.

      

                                                    Older Posts

                  One Year Ago Today:                                               Two Years Ago Today:

              Double Chocolate Biscotti                                                 White Chicken Chili

                    Three Years Ago Today:                                                Four Years Ago Today: 

                  Hong Kong-Style Broccoli                                        Dutch Baby with Spiced Peaches

Jansen's Temptation

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I knew nothing of April Bloomfield until I began to work my way through the Gourmet Live list of Women Game Changers in Food last year. At that time she was executive chef of the Breslin and the Spotted Pig in New York City, and I decided to make the ricotta pancakes that had helped to make her eclectic style of cooking famous. I loved the pancakes, as did my family, so I began to clip her recipes whenever I came across one that could be made in a home kitchen. I tend to do a lot of Scandinavian cooking at this time of year, and in that stash of recipes I had been collecting was one for Jansen's Temptation, a Swedish potato gratin that is made with heavy cream and anchovies. I made the dish this past weekend and was really pleased with the results. As is my habit, first time through, a recipe is always made to the developer's specification. Theme and variation are saved for later performances. This is a delicious dish, but next time I prepare it, I'll use light cream or half-and-half to make the cream base in which the potatoes cook. While I found the gratin to be overly rich, the Silver Fox loved it, so, despite its creamy excess, it will again appear on my table, though in a somewhat lightened form. The flavor of the infused cream, which contains onions, anchovies and fennel, is a wonderful and the dish is not difficult to make. I hope you will give this remarkable recipe a try. I think you will be delighted with this Swedish classic. Here's how Jansen's Temptation is made.

Jansen's Temptation...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of April Bloomfield

Ingredients:
2 cups cream
3 cloves garlic, quartered
2 tablespoons thyme, plus a little extra for garnish
1-3/4 ounces anchovy fillets, plus 4 extra for garnish
2/3 teaspoon ground fennel
4 tablespoons butter
2 peeled onions, sliced thinly
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 to 6 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into sixths
Bread crumbs, as needed

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2) To prepare cream base, bring cream, garlic, thyme, anchovies, and fennel to a boil. Remove from heat and let ingredients infuse for 10 minutes. Once cooled, purée in blender until smooth.
3) In a medium sauté pan add 2 tablespoons butter. Add onions and cook over medium heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Add salt and remaining butter and continue cooking until onions are very soft, but not brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve until assembly.
4) Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Heavily season water with salt and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes until very tender (there should be no resistance when pierced with a knife), about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on size of potatoes. Strain and set aside.
5) Assemble dish by placing a layer of cooked potatoes wedges in bottom of a 9-inch gratin dish. Follow with a layer made with half the onions. Top with remaining potato wedges and finally, remaining onions. Pour cream over layers until dish is full, and almost overflowing.
6) Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and fresh thyme. Top with 4 anchovy fillets and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to rest a minute or two, but serve hot. Yield: 4 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Peanut Brittle

Two Years Ago Today: Quick Bread Round-Up

Three Years Ago Today: Moravian Spice Cookies

Swedish Dream Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The Swedish cookie tray, gleaned from my childhood memories, was a testament to logistics so efficient that it put army campaigns to shame. Like many women of Swedish heritage, Mrs. P began her Christmas countdown the day following Thanksgiving. The keepers, speculaas, lebkuchen and florentines, were the first batches to be baked and for days thereafter, additional cookies were added to her holiday assortment.The goal was to have at least 15 varieties to serve to guest throughout the Christmas season. Anything less than that was not acceptable and identified the hostess as a member of an inferior Nordic tribe. I never asked which tribe that might be and that's probably a very good thing given the geographic diversity of my readers. I suspect you've had most of the cookies that appeared on her holiday trays, but there is one that I haven't seen since those early days in Chicago. It's called a Drommar, or Swedish Dream Cookie. There are several versions of Drommar on the internet, but they are gussied up versions of the traditional cookie which should be made with ammonium carbonate or baker's ammonia. It can be purchased here. Ammonium carbonate is a classic leavener that was used years ago to make extra crisp cookies. It gives a "fluffiness" of texture that baking powder can't and its leavening power is activated by heat rather than moisture. It has a strong, almost repellent, smell, but the odor dissipates as the cookies bake, and, while the raw cookie dough is unpleasant, you'll find the finished dream cookies are delicious and will literally melt in your mouth. This is an easy cookie to make and I highly recommend it to those of you who would like to add something new to your holiday cookie tray. Here's how classic Drommar are made.

Swedish Dream Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Very Swedish weblog

Ingredients:
1-1/2 stick butter, softened
1-1/2 cup white suggar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon powdered ammonium carbonate

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2) Combine butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat, using paddle attachment, until light and fluffy. With mixer still running, add canola oil in a slow,steady stream, beating to incorporate.
3) Place flour and ammonium carbonate in a separate bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly add to creamed mixture, mixing just until a smooth dough forms. Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes, or until it can be shaped and rolled.
4) Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place them 2-inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops of cookies crack and crater and are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool cookies on pans for 5 minutes, before transferring to wire racks to complete cooling. Yield: 36 cookies.

Note: Do not open the oven until cookies are done!

One Year Ago Today: Miniature Peppers Stuffed with Sausage

Two Years Ago Today: Holiday Coffee Cake and Muffin Round-Up

Three years Ago Today: Pink Peppermint Patties

Uppåkra - Swedish Potato Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There are certain foods that trigger memory and take from it the sights and sounds and smells of childhood and them drop them in the moment we call now. They are called comfort foods for a reason and one of my favorites is Uppåkra, or Swedish potato cookies. These are shatteringly crisp gems that are made with butter, potato starch and very little else. They have brown edges and, when properly made, will literally melt in your mouth. The potato starch gives them a slightly sandy texture that I find irresistible. I don't make them often because self-disciple eludes me and I can't limit myself to eating just one or two. I learned to make these in the Swedish kitchen of my childhood. While my teacher was patient in the extreme, the truth is this cookie is very simple to make. The challenge comes with shaping them and over the years I've changed the way I do it. While the recipe I am sharing today uses what I call a roll and press technique, I find it much easier to form this butter rich dough into a cylinder that can be cut to the desired thickness once it is chilled. A quarter of an inch is just about right. This is an adult cookie that is perfect with afternoon coffee or tea. It's not particularly pretty to look at, but it is truly delicious. While there are scores of recipes for Uppåkra, I hope you'll give this one a try. It's my favorite and makes cookies that will make your socks go up and down.

Uppåkra (Swedish Butter Cookies)...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Mrs. P

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup potato starch
1 cup flour

Directions:
1) Cream together butter and sugar in a mixer or with a pastry blender. Beat in salt, egg and vanilla and almond extract. Sift together flour and potato starch, then add slowly to butter mixture and beat until combined. Chill dough for about an hour.
2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3) Roll into small balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Press each ball gently with bottom of a glass to flatten to a thickness of 1/4-inch . Place 1 inch apart on prepared pans. Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are brown. Yield: 36 cookies.









One Year Ago Today: Green Tomato Mincemeat

















Two Years Ago Today: Balsamic Onion Marmalade









You might also enjoy these recipes:
Sables with Apricot Jam - Taste Buds
Lemon Poppy Butter Cookies - The Dusty Baker
Vanilla Bean Sables - Stylish Cuisine
Almond Butter Cookies - Christine's Cuisine
Sandwich Butter Cookies - A Little Bit of Everything

Chocolate Rosettes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's sometimes a mistake to try and improve on an old favorite recipe. Last year, I shared my recipe and memories of Christmas Rosettes with you. I know that these cookies have lost cache, but they will forever remain one of my favorite treats. My love for them is enhanced, of course, by the sweetness of memory. I think that's OK. We all are creations of time and place and those memories are what make us unique and set our place at the table. Several years ago, Bob and I were in Hawaii for several weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday. The people of the islands know how to celebrate the holiday in an unabashed fashion and it is impossible not to get into the spirit of the season if you are there. Let's say Hawaii, unconcerned with political correctness, bolstered my somewhat flagging Christmas spirit with its exuberant sense of season. We arrived home on Christmas Eve and, despite the hour, I decided we couldn't have Christmas without rosettes on the table. One of the beauties of these cookies is that they require no special ingredients. Another is the ease with which they come together. Ease and simplicity made the cookies possible that Christmas, so I'm not quite sure what possessed me to try this gussied up version of the recipe. It was a mistake. Truth be told, this chocolate version is lacking in flavor and, save for color, has nothing to commend it. It is neither sweet nor chocolatey. Please view me as your early warning system. If you are tempted to try this recipe, pinch yourself and move on. You deserve better.

Chocolate Rosettes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cocoa powder (any type)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
Vegetable shortening
Powdered sugar

Directions:
1) Combine cornstarch, flour, cocoa, sugar and salt in a bowl. Beat egg lightly, combine
with milk, and add to dry ingredients. Stir until smooth.
2) Heat rosette iron in deep, hot oil (350 to 375 F) for two minutes. Drain excess oil from iron; dip in batter about 1/2 way. Fry rosette while counting to 10. Wiggle iron so rosette falls off into oil and continue to fry until golden brown. Lift out with tongs. Drain on paper towels. Reheat iron 1 minute before making next rosette. Yield: 18 rosettes.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Stained Glass Cookies - Baking and Boys
Pecan Strips - Louanne's Kitchen
Lemon Glazed Christmas Wreath Cookies - Barbara Bakes
Chocolate Chip Biscotti - Mom's Cooking Club
Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies - The Recipe Girl
Peppermint Meringue Cookies - Sugarcrafter

Swedish Strawberry Cream Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely sponge cake is popular throughout Scandinavia. I learned to make the Swedish version of the cake , called Jordgubbbstårta, the summer of my twelfth birthday. Traditionally, this cake was made for special occasions such as birthdays or national holidays. In summer months the cake was filled with heavy cream and fresh berries. Winter versions were, of course, filled with fruit preserves. While it is simple to make, the cake requires a lot of beating and I suspect that's why it was so seldom made. Although electric mixers became available to homemakers in the early 1930's, they were expensive and few families could afford them. All that changed in 1952 when Sunbeam began to market an affordable hand held electric mixer. That, coincidentally, is the year I first made this cake. Independence Day was a communal holiday in our neighborhood and Mrs. P was responsible for the desserts. She decided to substitute the usual shortcake with her lovely Swedish sponge. She had already made one cake when she asked if I would like to make the second. I was thrilled to pieces and under her watchful eye began to make the second. Now, there is a Tom Sawyer aspect to this tale. I suspect I was given the task because it took so long, even with the electric mixer, to beat the eggs. With her hands free, Mrs. P went on to mix a batch of brownies and the dough for oatmeal cookies, while I carefully held the mixer and watched and waited for the eggs to thicken. They eventually did and the tale ends well. My cake was a triumph. To prevent unnecessary worry, you should know that the cake layers will not dome as they bake. I've also found that the cake is vastly improved if the layers are lightly brushed with orange liqueur or dark rum. The berries I used were super-ripe and packed with flavor, but they tinted the cream pink. If you want a cake with a pure white visage use less ripe berries. The cake will hold nicely for a day or two, but it really wilts as day three approaches. This is a lovely dessert, and if you're looking for a strawberry dessert to replace shortcake, you might want to give this a try. Here's the recipe.

Swedish Strawberry and Cream Cake - Jordgubbstårta...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup (4 to 5 large) eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Orange liqueur or rum for brushing cake layers
Filling
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 quart hulled strawberries, sliced

Directions:
1) Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottom of pans with wax or parchment paper. Grease paper and flour pans. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Place eggs in bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat until frothy. With mixer at high speed, slowly add granulated sugar and beat until mixture is very, very thick and pale. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.
3) Sift flour and baking powder into another bowl or onto wax paper. With mixer set to low speed, slowly add flour to egg mixture, beating just until blended.
4) Spread batter into pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake bounces back when touched. Do not over bake. Remove cake layers from oven and cool.
5) To prepare filling, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until cream is stiff. Refrigerate. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:

Toscatarta - One Perfect Bite
Linzer Cookies - One Perfect Bite
Swedish Visiting Cake - Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy
Swedish Princess Cake -Foodaholics
Swedish Meringue Cake - Epicurious

Linzer Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love Linzertorte when it's made by someone other than myself. It's a lot of work to assemble and I have trouble with the lattice that typically covers it. I make up for it's absence on our dessert table by making Linzer cookies for the holiday. The cookies are very easy to do and the ingredients used to make them are the same as those used in the torte. While the cookies are far simpler to assemble than the torte, they need to be chilled before being rolled. That means you'll need to build wait time into your plans should you decide to make these luscious morsels. These are basically a butter rich sandwich cookie. It can be a trick to get the top and bottom layers to line up with so soft a dough. I recently read the problem can be overcome by rolling the cookies on parchment paper and transferring the paper to a cookie sheet, rather than attempting to move the cookies. Makes sense. I still haven't tried it, but I've put it on my must try list for the coming year. Linzer cookies are traditionally filled with black currant jam. That can be hard to come by, so feel free to use whatever jam you have available. Raspberry and apricot are always safe alternatives. If the dough becomes too soft as you are working with it, return it to the refrigerator to chill again. All scraps can be saved and reused if they are chilled before an attempt is made to roll them. If you keep the dough cold and use a cookie cutter no more than 2 inches in diameter, you'll have no problem making this classic cookie. Here's the recipe.

Linzer Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup ( 2 sticks) sliced butter at room temperature
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg, separated
2/3 cup finely chopped almonds, divided use
1/3 to 1/2 cup good jam or jelly

Directions:
1) Combine flour, butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg yolk and 1/3 cup almonds in bowl of a food processor. Blend until a smooth dough is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. I chill my dough for 3 to 4 hours before rolling.
2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
3) Roll dough on a well-floured board until it is 1/8-inch thick. Use a cookie cutter or thimble to cut centers from half of cookies. Brush cookies with centers removed with egg white. Sprinkle with reserved 1/3 cup almonds and 3 tablespoons sugar. Plain rounds should be left without topping. Transfer cookies to prepared cookie sheets.
4) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges just begin to brown and center of cookie is set. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
5) Top each plain cookie with 1/2 teaspoon jam. Cover with a cut out cookie making sure to keep almond-sugar side up. Yield: about 50 sandwich cookies.

Creamy Winter Squash Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Butternut squash and pumpkin have started to appear in our farmer's markets. I'm delighted. I've been waiting for their arrival so that I could try a recipe I found earlier this summer. I'd been looking for a soup to replace the corn chowder I normally serve with our Thanksgiving meal and I had the good fortune to stumble on this recipe develop by Ed Chamberlain. The use of cardamom and allspice leads me to believe the soup has Scandinavian origins. It's delicious, simple to make and freezes well. The next time I make it I plan to use acorn squash. The butternut squash is delicious but I want more depth of color than it provides. You'll need about 3 pounds of squash to make this soup. I simmer it in stock, but it could also be baked and pureed before adding it to the soup pot. While I used fresh pumpkin, it was overkill and unnecessary work. Canned pumpkin can be substituted. As a matter of fact, frozen squash could also be used. I finished the soup with heavy cream but whole milk or light cream would also work for those who prefer their soup on the lighter side. There is, however, no substitute for the cardamom.

Creamy Winter Squash Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 medium (1-1/2 pounds each) butternut squash
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin puree
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups heavy cream, light cream or whole milk
Optional Garnish:
Croutons
Creme fraiche

Directions:
1) Peel the squash; cut into chunks. Place in a soup pot. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer squash and some chicken broth to bowl of a food processor; puree until smooth.
2) Return squash puree to soup pot. Add pumpkin puree, honey, ginger, cardamom, allspice, salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until smooth and heated through. Add heavy cream and stir until blended. If desired, garnish soup with creme fraiche and croutons. Yield: 8 servings.

This post is being liked to Mellow Yellow Monday.

Swedish Meatballs - A Scandinavian Festival for Foodie Friday

Every year the folks in Junction City, Oregon, gather to celebrate their Scandinavian heritage. They throw quite a party. It's a four day celebration and visitors to the Scandinavian Festival never go home hungry. There's a day for Sweden, a day for Norway, a day for Finland and one for Denmark. Before we tour the fair and its food, I'd like to share a recipe for the best Swedish meatballs I've ever had. They are simple to make, but I guarantee they'll enhance your reputation as a cook. Additional pictures of the fair follow the recipe. Have fun and try not to eat too much.



Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients:
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups milk
1 cup packaged bread crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, divided use
1 cup very finely chopped onion
3 teaspoons salt + salt to taste
2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1-1/2 teaspoons dried dill weed, divided use
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
2 (10.5-oz.) can condensed beef broth, undiluted
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 cup light cream or half-and-half
Garnish: fresh dill or parsley

Directions:
1) Combine eggs, milk and bread crumbs in a medium bowl.
2) Place 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet and saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
3) Remove onions from skillet and add to crumb mixture with 3 teaspoons salt, beef, pork, 1/2 teaspoons dill weed, allspice, nutmeg and cardamom. Mix to combine (don't overdo this). Refrigerate, covered, until mixture can be shaped, about 1 hours.
4) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Shape meat mixture into 45 meatballs.
5) Heat reserved 2 tablespoons butter. Saute meatballs in batches until browned on all sides. Transfer to a large baking pan or roaster with 2-inch sides.
6) Pour off all but 1/4 cup pan drippings. Stir in flour and pepper. Slowly add beef broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add cream and reserved 1 teaspoon dill weed. Pour gravy over meatballs.
7) Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh dill. Yield: 6 servings.

Recipe adapted from The New McCall's Cook Book



















This recipe is being linked to Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday