Category: Swedish food

Chocolate oat balls

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I liked to bake even as a little girl. I think I was eight or so when I made sponge better than my mum (that’s the only thing I can cook or bake better than her though, but it kept me going) and made it again and again for my dad, who had to eat a lot just to please me. This non-oven recipe I usually ate myself, and I still like it. It’s like a children’s truffle or something. It still helps against any chocolate cravings and it is so easy to make.

Pretty little things!

Chocolate oat balls, about 20

100 g softened butter

300 ml oats

4 tbsp granulated or caster sugar

1 tbsp cocoa

1 tbsp water

sugar strands, hundreds of thousands, desiccated coconut, chopped nuts etc.

Mix the ingredients thoroughly, the last thing you want is a lump of butter in there. I use the dough hooks on my electric whisk, otherwise you can do it by hand with a wooden spoon. Roll the mixture into small balls, and roll them in for example sugar strands or whatever you can think of. It is traditionally made with desiccated coconut, but I prefer it with something sugary. The white sugar pearls are Swedish, and that’s normally what I would use, but they look pretty with sugar strands or hundred and thousands too.

Put on a plate, cover with clingfilm and let them set in the fridge for at least 45 minutes. They keep for about a week in the fridge, but they usually don’t last that long. 🙂

Semolina pudding

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After the autumnal casserole on Sunday I made an old-fashioned semolina pudding for dessert. I vaguely remember mother (or maybe grandmother?) making one with raisins when I was a child. I am no fan of warm raisins so I made mine without and served it with strawberry jam. It was the first time I made it myself, and I liked, it is a very comforting dessert, but Christopher didn’t like it much. He had pictured it as sweeter and more like the semolina porridge his mother just to make for him as a child. It starts off with the porridge, but it sets in the oven.

 

Semolina pudding, serves 2-3

450 ml milk

75 ml semolina

a pinch of salt

1/2 tbsp butter

some lemon peel

75 ml granulated or caster sugar

1 egg

50 ml double cream

Start off by making semolina porridge. Bring the milk to a boil, then add the semolina and salt. Add raisins if you prefer. Cook the porridge slowly while stirring for 3 minutes. Add the butter and lemon peel. Put aside and leave to cool.

Add sugar (I used double the amount), egg and cream (which I whipped lightly before adding, but I don’t think that’s necessary). Pour the mixture into a buttered ovenproof dish and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes in 200C. Serve with strawberry conserve and maybe some whipped cream.

Crumbly vanilla cookies

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These crumbly cookies are called Drömmar (dreams) in Swedish. My grandmother used to bake these a lot (but another recipe) and serve them together with six other kinds of cakes and cookies when it was her or my grandfather’s birthday. It is old-fashioned Swedish tradition to serve 7 types of cakes and cookies in a specific order. It always started off with her cinnamon wreath (like cinnamon buns but shaped like a wreath and cut into pieces), then a type of sponge cake, then four types of smaller cookies, like these, followed by the grande finale – the cake. These parties were held in the afternoon and needed plenty of coffee and liqueur.

Crumbly vanilla cookies (Drömmar), 20

40 g softened butter

75 ml granulated sugar

3 tbsp cooking oil

200 ml plain flour

4 ml baking ammonia (hartshorn)

1/2 tbsp vanilla sugar

Put the oven on 200 C. Beat butter and sugar fluffy, then beat in the oil. Mix the dry ingredients and fold them in, make sure the batter is thoroughly mixed. Divide the batter into pieces and roll them into balls, carefully as the batter is quite crumbly. Put the balls onto parchment paper and turn the oven down to 175 C when putting the cookies in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, leave to cool on a wire rack.

Another crayfish party!

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Yesterday I had my girls (Jenny, Jenny and Laura) around for some Swedish crayfish. It was so much fun and they really seemed to enjoyed it! They were also excellent students in how to peel the little animals, to drink snaps and how to place the shell on the plate afterwards.

This is what we had:

  • Rocket with cherry tomatoes, spring onions and vinegrette
  • Västerbotten cheese quiche, with my dough recipe
  • Omelette rolls with goat’s cheese and bacon
  • Crayfish of course
  • Baguettes and cheese
  • Pear cake for dessert

I also made omelette rolls with goat’s cheese and bacon, served bread and two cheeses and of course crayfish! It is soooo good, I could eat it every week!

Västerbotten quiche – the GOOD one

Dough:

120 g softened butter

300 ml plain flour

1/2 whipped up egg

Filling:

250 g grated Västerbotten cheese

200 ml cream

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

Combine the ingredients for the dough and knead it a little, press out with your thumbs onto a quiche dish, pick wholes with a fork and pre-bake for 10 minutes in 180-200 C oven. Mix the ingredients for the filling together in a bowl, throw in some salt and pepper. When the shell is pre-baked, just fill it up with the cheese mixture and bake for another 20 minutes or so, until the filling has set and the quiche looks nice and golden. Serve hot, lukewarm or cold. If cold it’s great to decorate it with some creme fraiche and caviar, lemon slices, dill, chopped red onions etc.

Omelette rolls

2 eggs

4 tbsp soy cream or cream

salt and white pepper

soft goat’s cheese with herbs (or a normal cream cheese with herbs)

6 slices bacon

Fry the bacon in small pieces, drain from excess fat on kitchen towel and leave to cool. Mix one egg and half the cream together in a bowl, season and fry in some butter in an omelette pan (small frying pan), on low heat until it is done, flip it over for a minute so both sides are cooked. Leave on a plate with the darker side down. Repeat the procedure with another omelette and place on a seperate plate. Once they have cooled, spread some cheese on both omelettes, sprinkle with bacon and roll them up. Cut into 2 cm wide pieces and serve on a buffet or as a light snack.

Dumle chocolate mousse with nut brittle

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This is a lovely chocolate mousse made on the Finnish sweet called Dumle, so next time you see it at an airport make sure you grab a bag. Or if you live in London, pay a visit to Scandinavian Kitchen. They might have some at Ikea as well.

This was the grande finale for the crayfish dinner. Yum!

Dumle chocolate mousse with nut brittle, 4-6 portions

1 bag dumle sweets

300 ml whipping cream

4 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp butter

a large handful of mixed nuts (I had almonds and hazelnuts)

The day before: Cut the sweets into smaller pieces and put in a bowl. Heat up the cream in a pan, when it starts to boil pour it over the sweets and stir until they’ve melted completely. Let the mixture cool and then place in the fridge overnight.

Put the sugar and butter in a frying pan, and let it melt on medium heat. When it’s melted put the nuts in the pan and stir until the mixture is starting to brown. Remove from heat and pour it onto a sheet of parchment paper. Let it cool and solidify, chop roughly with a knife and place it in a bowl or tupperware over night.

Same day: Whip the cream mixture with an electric whisk until wanted thickness, but be aware that it can split if whisking too long. Place in portion bowls and prinkle the nut brittle on top. Enjoy!

Matjes cheesecake

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This is a savoury cheesecake with Matjes herring, perfect for Midsummer or crayfish parties. It is easy to make and needs to be made the day before, or at least a few hours before serving, so it sets properly.

Matjes cheesecake

Base:

6-8 slices dark rye bread

75 g butter

Filling:

1 tin matjes herring

400 ml creme fraiche

100 ml mayonnaise

1 tub Philadelphia

a bit of horseradish

50 ml chopped dill

2 tbsp red caviar

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

2 tsp gelatine powder

2 tbsp water

There are two ways to make the base. Either mix softened butter with the bread in a food processor, or mix the bread with a stick blender, melt the butter, add it to the crumbs and mix it together. Then press it out into a springform.

Chop the herring and mix together with creme fraiche, cream cheese, mayo, horseradish, onion dill and caviar. Season with salt and white pepper. Next mix the gelatine with the water in a bowl and let it swell for a few minutes, then place the bowl in boiling water and stir the gelatine around until it has all melted and completely dissolved into the water. Remove from the boiling water and let it cool down. Then add it to the mixture and make sure it is mixed in completely, then pour the mixture into the springform, make sure to level it with a spatula. Put clingfilm on it and place in the fridge until the next day.

Just before serving it decorate it with lemon slices and dill or something more elaborate. Perfect for a buffet.

Västerbotten cheese quiche

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A cheese quiche made with the Swedish Västerbotten cheese is a given with crayfish. This recipe is from a Swedish blog called Kryddburken and it was nice, but next time I think I will stick to my own quiche dough recipe so will add it to the recipe.

 

Västerbotten cheese quiche, 6 portions

My quiche dough recipe:

120 g softened butter

300 ml plain flour

1 eggyolk

Filling:

250 g grated Västerbotten cheese (or a sharp cheddar will do)

2 egg yolks

2 eggs

200 ml cream

salt

Mix the ingredients together for the dough and press it out in a quiche dish. Use a fork to pierce the dough all over. Pre-bake the dough for 10 mins at 175 C.

Mix the grated cheese with the cream, eggs and yolks, pour into the quiche shell and bake for another 20 mins.

If you serve it lukewarm or cold decorate it with caviar, lemon, chopped red onions and creme fraiche. Enjoy!

Pickled cucumber

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In Sweden we call pickled cucumber pressgurka and it is very easy to make. I love it with paté on a sandwich, but it is great with meatballs, boiled potatoes and creamy gravy as well.

Pickled cucumber – pressgurka

1/2 cucumber

1 tsp salt

75 ml granulated sugar

acetic acid solution (in Swedish ättika, mix 1 part acetic acid with 6-7 parts water)

1 tbsp water

chopped parsley

Thinly slice the cucumber. This is easily done with a cheese slicer or potato peeler. Put the cucumber in a jar and pour in the salt and sugar, next add the acetic acid solution and water. Stir and make sure the salt and sugar dissolves. Throw in the parsley and stir again. Put on the lid and leave in fridge until the next day. Use within a week.

Meringue suisse

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This is the Swedish substitute to Eton Mess, I like them both. Meringue suisse (Maräng suisse) is a common dessert for children’s birthday parties, but it is nice for grown ups too!

If you have time to make your own meringues and your own icecream, do, it will of course be even yummier, but it works fine with a nice vanilla ice cream from the shop and bought meringues too. Luckily for me, I could use the meringues we were given last time we went to Trinity, so I got homemade meringues without having to make them. 🙂

Meringue suisse

Lightly whipped cream

Vanilla icecream

Sliced banana(s)

Meringues

Chocolate sauce: equal parts cocoa, granulated sugar and water (for two people 3 tbsp of each is enough)

Pour the ingredients for the sauce into a pan and stir until it has boiled for a few minutes. Place the icecream, cream, banana and meringues in individual bowls, without mixing it. Pour the warm chocolate sauce on top. Yum….

Toast Skagen

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As mentioned in this recipe, this type of prawn cocktail is a common Swedish starter. This is how I make mine.

The reason why I prefer this version compared to the Marie Rose sauce is that this one feels fresher, and doesn’t have that sour vinegary taste to it. See which one you prefer.

Toast Skagen, 4 portions

200 grams peeled icelandic prawns (preferrably big ones)

1/2  bunch of dill

1/2 lemon

150 ml creme fraiche

3-4 tbsp mayonnaise (preferrably Hellman’s)

4 medium slices of white bread

butter

4-8 little gem lettuce leaves (depending on size)

Mix the mayonnaise with the creme fraiche, squeeze in the lemon juice, add the dill, chopped, and the prawns whole. Season with salt and white pepper. Cut the edges off the bread and fry gently until golden in the butter. Let cool a little. Place the bread slices on a plate each, put one or two lettuce leaves on top and divide the mayonnaise on top and if you want, decorate it with a slice of lemon and some dill.

If you don’t want to fry the bread, you can toast it and spread a little butter on it instead, but I think the bread is crispier this way.

Simple but delicious!