That boat thing - Whipped Lingonberry Porridge

For the last two weeks, the web has been full of all things pink. Cute cupcakes, satin ribbons, chocolate hearts, and gooey goodness. I guess you're expecting the same from me, from this small space I've created. But I'm afraid I have a confession to make. I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. I don't even like it. There's certainly nothing wrong with the message itself. Love and friendship. I'm all yours. However, I can't cope with the commerciality of February 14. It makes me feel anxious.

Somehow the day feels fake to me. Like I would appreciate the people I love only if I do something special on this specific day. I don't like that it's expected from me to do something special. I don't like "should-dos". Maybe I'm a bit of a rebel when it comes to things like this.

Love is less about showing and acting but more about being. Being there for each other, sitting in that same boat. Enduring the mighty storms when the waves crash against the sides of your boat, watching the light rain falling down on you both, and trying to find the right direction when the morning mist makes it hard to see. Enjoying the gorgeous dawn together and sunbathing in the bright sunshine. It also means being there when the time has come to raise the sails and travel to places yet unknown.

I hope you get what I mean.

I didn't plan to post a pink dish this week. It just happened. And well, I guess this would be the perfect Valentine's Day breakfast, right? You could totally serve it next Friday. Cause after all, although it isn't my kind of day it totally could be yours. But don't label this as a Valentine's Day porridge. It's so much more than that.

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Whipped Lingonberry Porridge

serves 4–6

Sooo....you didn't know you can actually whip porridge? Well, here's the good news: yes you can. We people of the North do it all the time. It keeps us warm. Okay, just kidding. The reason we do it is because it gives you a bowl of fluffy goodness. Fluffy, pink porridge! That's what dreams are made of.

For most Scandinavians whipped porridge is a dessert. I however like the not so sweet version that can be enjoyed for breakfast or as a midday snack. So folks, you're welcome to add more sugar if you feel like it and call it a dessert. No one will judge you. You could also substitute regular wheat farina with whole wheat or spelt farina if you want to go an even healthier route. One more note: I made this with lingonberries which is the traditional take on it BUT you can totally use other berries if you want to. Black or red currants, sea buckthorns, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries... And if you can't decide, just mix them! I wonder if cranberries work as well. My guess is, yes. Just adjust the sugar amount according to the sweetness of the berries you use. Lingonberries are quite tart so I would use less sugar for a whipped strawberry porridge.

EDIT: Anita made a batch and served it with coconut milk. According to her, it "is terrific on top". So, by all means, do try it with coconut milk instead of regular milk.

8 dl (3 ¼ cups) water
250 g (8 oz; 4 ½ dl; 2 cups) lingonberries (fresh or frozen, no need to thaw)
pinch of fine sea salt
100 g (3 ½ oz; 1,2 dl; ½ cup) granulated sugar (+ more to taste)
120 g (4 oz; 1 ½ dl; ⅔ cups) farina (Cream-of-Wheat)

whole milk, to serve
 

In a medium-sized pot, combine the water and lingonberries. Bring to a boil and boil for 10–15 minutes.

Add the salt and granulated sugar. Gradually whisk in the farina, making sure there are no lumps. Let simmer for 5–10 minutes (depending on how long your farina needs to be cooked), stirring constantly. Taste and add sugar if you feel like it could be sweeter to your taste. Remove the pot from the heat and let the porridge cool to room temperature.

When the porridge has cooled, beat it with a whisk or a hand mixer, until light and fluffy.

Serve at room temperature or cold with milk.

The porridge can be stored, covered, in the fridge for a couple of days. Just beat it again before serving.

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P.S. Join me and other food bloggers and help to provide a nourishing school lunch for South African children. Read more about it here, here, & here (just to name a few contributing posts). You can donate here. Thank you for The Lunchbox Fund and The Giving Table for making this happen.
 

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Finnish Christmas Date Bundt Cake with Whiskey

Do you know Mr. Stress? That little guy who messes around with your head? Makes you forget things and appointments, makes you anxious, and well, drives you crazy. When I walk along the city streets and look around I notice that Mr. Stress has invited himself into many heads. Short tempers, nervous tapping with feets, checking the smartphone every 30 seconds, where's that damn to-do list!?!, and I wonder what my credit limit is?

Relax, everyone. Please. I may not be the best one to tell people to relax as I often am the one finding herself under massive pressure. Need to do this, need to remember that. Oh, I don't have my planner with me so basically I'm screwed.

But hey, isn't Christmas supposed to be a time to relax and find your inner peace? I don't think Mr. Stress should be a part of it.

So let's calm down. Breathe. Take a cup of tea (or coffee). Eat that cookie. Listen to good music. And if you feel like it make this bundt cake.

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Date Bundt Cake with Whiskey

makes one regular bundt cake or two small ones
slightly adapted from Juhana Paturi, AL 05.12.2013

This is a slightly more modern version of the traditional Finnish Christmas treat. A date bunt cake can be found in almost any Finnish family during the Christmas holidays. It's served with mulled wine or a cup of strong coffee. It has to be made in advance so its flavors develop properly. Therefore, it's the ideal no-stress cake. The cake is at its best after one week but can easily be stored for longer.

200 g (7 oz) fresh dates, pitted & quartered
50 g (2 oz) raisins
whiskey

150 g (5.3 oz) salted butter, at room temperature
2 dl (175 g; 0.8 cups; 6.2 oz) granulated sugar 
1 dl (90 g; 0.4 cups; 3.2 oz) packed brown sugar (farinsocker)
3 eggs (M)
2,5 dl (170 g; 1 cup; 6 oz) almonds, finely chopped
4,5 dl (270 g; 1.9 cups; 9.5 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla sugar (I always use homemade)
2 tsp baking powder
2 dl (0.8 cups) heavy cream

powdered sugar, for decorating


In a small bowl, soak the dates and raisins in whiskey for at least 6 hours or overnight. Make sure that they are fully covered by the whiskey.

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour the bundt cake pan(s).

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Set aside. Drain the soaked dates and raisins, reserving the soaking whiskey for later. Set both aside.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Stir in about half of the dry ingredients. Then stir in the remaining dry ingredients alternating with the cream. Add the soaked dates and raisins.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan(s). Bake on the middle oven rack for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes before releasing.

Measure your soaking whiskey. You should end up with 1 dl (0.4 cups) of it. Add hot honey water if needed. I added 0,25 dl hot water with 1 tsp honey.

Pour the whiskey over the still warm cake(s).

Let the cake(s) cool down before wrapping them in aluminium foil. Store in a cool place ideally for at least one week.

Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

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Saint Lucia's Day – Swedish Saffron Buns

I should be writing my Master's thesis but instead I want to talk about Saint Lucia's Day and saffron buns. They are just too luscious not to blog about.

Saint Lucia's Day is celebrated in Scandinavia on December 13. In Finland, it's mostly celebrated among the Swedish-speaking Finns. Although we have never really celebrated Saint Lucia's at home, I've always loved this church feast day.

Every year on Saint Lucia's Day pupils from my city's Swedish school came to our school. A girl, Lucia, led the beautiful procession of young girls dressed in white gowns holding a single candle each. She wore a white cotton gown and a red sash was tied around her waist. On her head, she wore a crown of candles and in her hands she held a single candle. And all along they sang this beautiful song, luciasången.

"Natten går tunga fjät,
runt gård och stuva,
Kring jord som sol'n förlät,
skuggorna ruva.
Då i vårt mörka hus,
stiger med tända ljus,
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia"

"The night treads heavily
around yards and dwellings
In places unreached by sun,
the shadows brood
Into our dark house she comes,
bearing lighted candles,
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia."

According to the Julian calendar this was the longest night of the year. Lucia was believed to bring the light into the winter darkness.

The other reason why I loved this day was, and still is, food. Saffron buns to be exact. Luscious with a gorgeous yellow color coming in many different traditional shapes. They are rich and sweet, spiced with saffron. Let me warn you – if you don't like saffron then these buns aren't for you. They are best enjoyed with a cup of coffee, mulled wine, or a big glass of cold milk. So good.

So next Friday, it's Saint Lucia's Day. Will you bake saffron buns with me?

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Swedish Saffron Buns – 'Lussekatter'

makes about 20 lussekatter
adapted from Monikas Jul by Monika Ahlgren, p. 155

I made lussekatter, buns formed into a S-shape, but as I already mentioned there are many different shapes for these traditional buns. This is the first time I made buns using this two-dough-method. I read about it in Monika Ahlgren's cookbook and was eager to try it. Don't be afraid to make two doughs! It's neither more work nor does it take more time to make. Thanks to this method the buns rose especially well!

Dough 1
50 g (~ 3.5 tbsp) unsalted butter
5 dl (~ 2 cups; 17 fl oz) whole milk
50 g (1.7 oz) fresh yeast
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt
12–13 dl (~ 760–825 g; 5–5 ½ cups; 27–29 oz) bread flour (for us Scandinavians vetemjöl special)

Dough 2
1 g saffron
1 tsp granulated sugar
125 g (4 ½ oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 dl (170 g; 0.8 cups; 6 oz) granulated sugar
1 egg (M) 
~ 5 dl (320 g; 2 cups; 11 oz) bread flour (for us Scandinavians vetemjöl special) 

1 egg, lightly beaten, to brush
small handful of raisins, for decorating

Dough 1
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt, and flour. Set aside. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the milk. Wait until the milk mixture is lukewarm and add the crumbled yeast. With a spoon, stir until the yeast is completely dissolved.

Transfer the milk mixture into a large mixing bowl (you can make the dough by hand, like me, or in a stand mixer). Gradually add the dry ingredients and knead the dough until it comes clean off the sides of the bowl. Don't overwork the dough! Shape into a ball and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Dough 2
In a mortar, grind the saffron threads to a fine powder with one teaspoon of sugar. This will make the grinding easier. However, if you use grinded saffron, which I don't recommend, you can skip this step. In a bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and grinded saffron.

Combine the two doughs. Gradually add the flour while kneading. First it will look like a big mess but will come together eventually. Knead until well combined and the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
 

Shaping the buns
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll the dough into 40 x 1,5 cm ropes. To shape the lussekatter: roll both ends of each rope tight in opposite directions into a S-shape. Place the buns on the baking sheets. Remember to leave enough space between the buns to allow for them to expand. Cover the shaped buns with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 225°C (435°F).

Brush the buns with a lightly beaten egg and place one raisin in each circle. Bake the buns for 7 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown in color. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

The buns are best enjoyed the same day!

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I think this short video from the official sites of Sweden is quite informative and fun to watch.

HAPPY LUCIA'S DAY!

Let the Christmas Baking Begin – German Hazelnut Macaroons

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Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth,
for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire:
it is the time for home.

– Edith Sitwell

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The first of December. The land was covered in snow and the sun shone in all its glory. It shone so bright that I had a hard time to see the road as I drove to work (read: hazard driving). "What a perfect start for this exciting month!", I thought to myself.

December will be filled with all sorts of cookies – some will be traditional, like these ones, while others will be more on the experimental side. Baking will be inevitable – fresh yeast will be sitting in my fridge on a regular basis. There is also a big chance you will be served a pot of meat stew if you happen to stop by. As you see, it's all about flour in your hair, the smell of cinnamon & cardamom in the air, and joyous moments of creating and recreating memories.

This is a traditional German Christmas cookie recipe. I make several batches every year. They are absolutely delicious and quick to make. How flat or fluffy your cookies will come out, depends on how long you whip your meringue. I usually whip the egg whites and sugar for 4 to 5 minutes. This way the cookies will be fluffy but the top will even out as it bakes.
 

I would love to hear what you are baking for the holiday season. So please, leave a comment!

(I made these for a special someone. But SHHHH, he/she doesn't have a clue yet. It's supposed to be a surprise.)

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German Hazelnut Macaroons

slightly adapted from Ruokaposti 8/1985
makes about 20 cookies

160 g (5.6 oz) hazelnut flour (I grind mine from whole, unblanched hazelnuts)
2 egg whites (M)
130 g (4.6 oz; 1 ½ dl; 0.6 cups) granulated sugar
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

whole hazelnuts, for decorating

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°C). Line two baking trays with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix together both flours and baking powder. Set aside.

Place the egg whites and sugar in a clean & dry medium-sized bowl. Whip on full speed or until stiff. With a stand mixer this takes 4 to 5 minutes. With a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients.

With the help of two spoons, portion the macaroons on the lined baking tray. Top each one with a whole hazelnut. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. The macaroons should now still be light in color and the center slightly soft to the touch (they will get firm as they cool down). Take them out and let cool completely. The macaroons can be stored in an airtight container for 2 to 3 weeks.

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 I wish you all HAPPY COOKIE BAKING!

Canada in my Heart - Homemade Apple Butter

Ever since my trip to the Maritimes, fall brings back sweet memories of Canada. Its kind and hospitable people, the breathtaking nature, and the food we enjoyed - scallops on Prince Edward Island, blueberry beer in Saint John, clam chowder on Cape Breton Island, and lobsters in Halifax. We were lucky enough to visit during fall when the trees were on fire. All those colors! What a beautiful region it is. I left a piece of my heart right there at the shores. One day, I'll come back to look how it's doing.

It was in Nova Scotia, in the small town of Baddeck, that I tasted apple butter for the first time in my life. Here in Scandinavia we aren't aware of its existence. Such a shame! I still remember the lovely young shop owner (?) couple. He was totally into hockey and beyond excited when he heard we were from Finland - "the Koivu brothers!". She couldn't stand maple syrup which I though was totally weird. Living in the promised land of maple syrup and not liking it? What a crazy world we're living in.

This is for you, New Brunswick, P.E.I., and Nova Scotia. 

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Homemade Apple Butter

yields about 1 liter of apple butter
 
2,5 kg (5.5 lbs) slightly tangy apples, peeled, cored, & coarsely chopped
250 ml (1 cup) hard cider
1 dl 1 tbsp (½ cup) packed light muscovado {or light brown} sugar 
4 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
⅛ tsp ground cloves

Put all the ingredients into a large ovenproof pot. Mix well and cover with a lid. Bring the liquid at the bottom of the pot to a boil and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until the apples are soft and falling apart. Remember to stir occasionally. 

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.

Remove the pot from the heat and discard the cinnamon sticks. Pour the applesauce into a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until lump free. {At this stage you have a delicious applesauce. Feel free to stop here and enjoy!} If you used a blender, pour the applesauce and the discarded cinnamon sticks back into the pot.

Place the pot in the preheated oven. Cook, uncovered, for 1 hour. Remember to stir occasionally to prevent any scorching. Discard the cinnamon sticks. Continue cooking the applesauce, stirring every half an hour, for 3-4 more hours, or until it has the desired consistency. As it cooks, the applesauce will slowly thicken and turn into a gorgeous deep red-brown color.

Remove from the oven and store in jars. The apple butter will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks or longer if you decide to can it. {For canning instructions, look at my Queen Jam post.}
 

Note: The recipe can easily be halved. The cooking time in the oven will reduce to 2-3 hours. 

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The first snow was sighted yesterday. Wait, what!?! I'm sure the poor cloud just lost its way. I'm definitely not expecting more snow until November.