Christmas Candy 2010

As usual I have cooked up som Christmas gifts for the lucky ones.
This year I dropped some licorice in everything
- because I just bought some licorice syrup from Johan Bulow (http://lakrids.nu/) the other day and had to try it out.

The fruit bars are almost guilt-free - no fat added!

Fruit bars with a hint of licorice
100 g walnuts (31/2 oz)
100 g almonds (31/2 oz)
100 g dried dates (3 1/2 oz)
100 g dried apricots
75 g prunes (2 1/2 oz)
75 g dried cranberries (2 1/2 oz)
1 dl dark brown sugar (6 TBSP)
1 dl flour (6 TBSP)
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 tsp licorice syrup or Anise extract

Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with baking paper and preheat the oven to 160 C (325 F).
Chop the nuts and fruit (except cranberries) coarsely and toss everything together with flour, baking powder and salt.
Whisk the egg together with the licorice syrup and mix it thoroughly into the fruit and nut mixture.
Press the mixture into the prepared pan and bake it for about 35 minutes.
Let it cool 20 minutes in the pan and then lift it out onto a cutting board.
Cut in desired bar-size and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Sesame candy
(80 candies)

250 g sesame seeds (9 oz/11/2 cup)
400 g cane sugar (2 cups)
150 g honey (1/2 cup)
100 g brown sugar (1/2 cup)
2 tsp licorice syrup or Anise extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger

Brush two large sheets of baking paper with oil or use silicone mats.
Toast the sesame seeds in a pan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until they are golden (5-8 minutes). Pour them into a bowl.
Melt the cane sugar, honey and brown sugar in the pan. Add the licorice syrup, cinnamon and ginger and stir well.
Turn the heat off and stir the seeds into the caramel with a wooden spoon.
Scrape the mixture onto one paper sheet (oil-side up) and place the remaining sheet (oil-side down) on top. Roll the mixture with a roller pin into a square about 1/4 inch thick.
Remove the top sheet of paper and cut the candy into 1-inch squares or diamonds with a sharp knife.
Let the candy cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Blueberry and Coconut cake

We celebrated my husband’s birthday last Sunday and I made this monstrous cake.
It tasted wonderful – but it ruins your appetite.

Blueberry and Coconut cake
Serves 16

Cake:
21/2 cup cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup soft butter
13/4 cup sugar2 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP lime rind (finely grated)
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
11/2 coconut milk
11/2 cup desiccated coconut

Cream:
1 vanilla pod
3 TBSP powder sugar
11/2 cup crème fraiche 38% fat (or double cream)
3/4 cup double cream

Filling:
3 cups preserved blueberries

Frosting:3/4 cup sugar
1 TBSP syrup or molasses
2 TSP water
3 egg whites
2 TBSP sugar

Decoration:
Desiccated coconut, roasted

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl whip butter and sugar creamy and add vanilla and lime rind. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time. Add flour and coconut milk alternately and fold in the coconut. Fill the batter in 3 prepared pans and bake them for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees F (180 C). Turn them out on a wired rack and let them cool.

Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds. Mix them with the powdered sugar and add crème fraiche and cream. Beat until soft peaks form.
Layer the cakes with the vanilla cream and the preserved blueberries.

Place sugar, syrup and water in a saucepan and let it boil 5 minutes.
Beat the egg whites with sugar until soft peaks form. Add the boiling sugar syrup and continue beating until the frosting is fluffy and no longer warm (5-8 minutes). Spread it on the cake and decorate with roasted coconut.

Pork Tandoori

Pork Tandoori and smashed potatoes

Midweek easy meal

Serves 3-4
1 Pork tenderloin
2 TBSP Tandoori dry spice
Salt and pepper
1/2 TBSP olive oil

11/2 pound potatoes
2-3 cloves garlic
2-3 TBSP butter
1 handful fresh parsley (chopped)
Salt and pepper

Trim the tenderloin of excess fat and silver skin. Cut it in 6-8 pieces, roll them around in the Tandoori spice and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Scrub the potatoes and boil them in salted water with the peeled garlic until tender (20 minutes).

Heat a frying pan with olive oil. Be sure the pan is hot before adding the meat. Sear the pork quickly until browned on all sides. Turn down the heat and continue cooking and turning until done (15 minutes).

Drain the potatoes but reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Smash each potato once (using the back of a large spoon) so the pieces are very large and chunky. Add butter, a little cooking water, salt and pepper. Stir gently to combine and fold in the parsley.

Serve with a salad of your choice.

You can make your own Tandoori spice by mixing 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Soft fruit jellies

Pâté de fruit – Homemade soft fruit jellies

In Denmark we call them FLÆSK meaning bacon – because of the stripes.
It takes some patience - but really they are very easy to make – and there is still lots of time to Christmas.

This recipe contains only natural ingredients – NO artificial flavors and NO artificial gelatin or pectin is added!

The natural pectin in the apples combined with sugar – and the time of boiling (to get rid of the liquid) does the TRICK.

1/2 TBSP vegetable oil
1 pound peeled apple slices
1/3 cup white wine or water
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBSP lemon juice
Citrus:
1 TBSP finely grated rind + 1/3 cup juice of lemon or lime
1/2 cup sugar
Berry:
1/2 pound fresh or frozen berries f.ex. Raspberries
1/2 cup sugar
Decoration:
sugar

Line a pan (4 by 10 inches) with parchment paper (baking paper) brushed with oil.
Place apple slices and wine/water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the apples are very tender (25 min.).

Process fruit and liquid until smooth in a food processor. Press through a strainer and divide into two saucepans. Add citrus rind, juice and sugar to one portion. Process berries in the food processor and add with sugar to the second portion.

Boil the fruit purees over moderately high heat, stirring often, until they thicken and any excess liquid has evaporated, about 30-45 minutes. Let them cool to room temperature.

Layer the two mixtures in the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Let it sit on the kitchen table 12 hours.

Unmold the “pâté” onto a flat dish with parchment paper. Cover with a clean cloth and let it “dry” at room temperature for 5-8 days.

Cut the “pâté” in slices or cubes and roll the pieces in sugar to coat.
Arrange on a platter and serve. Or refrigerate covered; they will keep for several weeks. Dab with paper towels before coating with fresh sugar.

Tip: Also try pure apple jellies spiced with a little cinnamon and/or ginger.

Healthy bread

Now don’t let the kids eat too much cake – they also need some healthy bread!

Healthy bread
(2 loaves or 1 loaf and some rolls)
21/2 dl (1 cup) sour dough (if you have)
3/4 l (3 cups) tepid water
1 tsp (dry) yeast
21/2 dl (1 cup) rye flour
21/2 dl (1 cup) durum flour
ca. 13 dl (5 1/2 cups) whole wheat flour/ wheat flour
1 TBSP sea salt
1 TBSP honey or golden syrup

2 TBSP poppy seeds
2 TBSP sesame seeds
2 TBSP sunflower seeds

Put the sour dough in a mixer with a hook and add the water. Let it run for 1 minute.
Stir in the yeast and add the flours. Turn the mixer on and let it run for about 5 minutes.
Add salt and honey and let it run a couple of minutes more.
Remove the hook and cover the bowl with plastic. Let the dough rise 2-3 hours on the kitchen table or in the fridge for 18-24 hours.
Mix the seeds on a plate.
Let the dough fall out of the bowl onto a floured table and form loaves and/or rolls.
Pres them into the seeds and place them on a couple of baking sheets.
Cover them with a damp cloth and let them rise 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 225 degrees C (450 degrees F). Carefully remove the cover, slit the tops and bake the loaves for 25 to 30 minutes/ rolls 15 minutes - until crust is golden brown and the inner temperature is 96-98 degrees C (205 degrees F).
Let the loaves cool at least 30 minutes on a wire rack.

Banana cake for the potato holidays.

This week all children in Denmark are home from school because of the potato holidays.

In ancient times the kids had to help at home harvesting the potatoes. Nowadays I think most of them use the extra time in front of the computer or TV.

Anyway, Mathilde and I made a comforting banana cake with butterscotch icing – a recipe I have from my mom.

It is easy to make and very good for kids of all ages:)

Banana cake with butterscotch icing

Cake:
150 g butter (2/3 cup)
150 g sugar (3/4 cup)
2 eggs
3-4 ripe bananas
1 dl milk (6 TBSP)
275 g flour (2 cups)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla powder

Icing:
75 g butter (1/3 cup)
50 g brown sugar (4 TBSP)
11/2 TBSP milk
1/2 tsp vanilla powder
100 g powdered sugar (3/4 cup)

Beat butter and sugar creamy and add the eggs one at a time.
Mash the bananas and add the milk.
Sift all dry ingredients and stir them into the batter together with the mashed bananas.
Fill the batter in a prepared cake pan (22 cm/9 inch).
Bake the cake in the middle of the oven at 180 degrees C/375 degrees F for 45-60 minutes.
Insert a skewer into the baked cake and make sure it comes out clean and dry.
Let the cake sit in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing the pan. Let the cake cool on a rack.

For the icing; Bring butter, brown sugar and milk to a boil and remove it from the heat. Stir in sifted vanilla and powdered sugar until it becomes thick and smooth. Spread the icing on the cooled cake.

Fresh Raspberry Pie

I have these wonderful raspberries, which ripen rather late (October) and there are plenty, so I made this luxury pie.

Fresh raspberry pie

(Serves 8)

Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (350 g)

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter (150 g)

1/2 cup cool water (1 1/4 dl)

Filling:

4 cups fresh raspberries (600 g)

1/2 cup sugar (100 g)

1/2 cup flour (75 g)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon or ginger

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 Tablespoon milk or cream for brushing the top

1 Tablespoon sugar for dusting

Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Do NOT knead the dough as in bread making. Divide dough in half, and shape into discs. Cover the dough and refrigerate it for later, or use now.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).

Roll out 1 disc of dough and place it in a pie pan.

Toss raspberries, sugar, flour, nutmeg and lemon juice gently in a large bowl. Fill into prepared pie crust.

Use the other dough disc for a double crust or lattice crust. Brush with milk or cream and dust with sugar. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling. Remove to cool on a rack for 30-60 minutes.

Serve the Raspberry Pie with ice cream, whipped cream or sour cream (crème fraiche).

Friday night comfort food

Lamb rump steak on potatoes and Hamburg parsley
(3-4 persons)


11/2-2 pounds potatoes (thick slices)
1 pound Hamburg parsley (thick slices)
Fresh thyme
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

2 whole lamb rump steaks (1- 11/2 pound)
Fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, mint or what you have/like)
Garlic (I used 3 cloves)
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). Toss the potatoes and Hamburg parsley with thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil (and maybe some sliced garlic) and place them in a baking pan. Put in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Score the fat on the rump steaks with a sharp knife and rub the meat with finely chopped herbs and garlic and some salt and pepper. Place it on top of the potatoes and let it stay in the oven for about 30 minutes more.

Slice the meat thinly and serve with a green salad.

Plum and blueberry cake

Our garden is boosting with plums and berries - so I just had to bake a cake today:









Plum and blueberry cake

2 large eggs
3/4 cup cane sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
5-6 ounces walnuts (chopped)
1/2 cup plum butter or apple butter
3 TBSP melted butter

1 pound plums
1/4 pound blueberries
3 TBSP cane sugar

Beat eggs and sugar until thick. Sift the flour together with the baking powder and add the walnuts. Fold the walnut-flour into the egg cream and add plum butter and melted butter.
Spread the batter into a pan (14x10 inches) lined with baking paper.
Wash the fruit and slice the plums into wedges. Arrange the plums on the batter along with the berries and sprinkle the sugar over the fruit. Bake the cake at 360 degrees F (180 C) for 45-60 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the pan.

The real chocolate macarons

This is the real stuff – no nonsense (no artificial flavors or colors added).

French Chocolate Macarons

Cookies:
1 cup almond flour
11/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 TBSP cocoa
3/4 cup egg whites (about 5)
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Filling:
3/4 cup whipping cream
5 ounces dark chocolate

Heat the oven to 360 degrees F (180 C).

The cookies: Sift the almond flour, the confectioners' sugar and the cocoa.
Beat the egg whites with the salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the whites form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the whites form stiff and glossy peaks. Gently fold in the almond mixture with a rubber spatula.

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe out 1-inch-diameter mounds about 2 inches apart on baking sheets with baking paper.

Bake, one sheet at a time: Put the baking sheet in the hot oven (360 degrees F) and turn down the heat to 285 degrees (140 C). Bake 12-15 minutes, until the tops are cracked and appear dry. Repeat with remaining baking sheets/cookies.

Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

The filling: Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate. Whisk until smooth, let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate, covered until the filling is firm enough to hold its shape.

Spread the chocolate filling on the flat side of half of the macarons. Top with the remaining macarons, flat-side down, pressing together gently to form sandwiches.
The macarons can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Sunday dinner on what’s in the fridge

Stuffed bell peppers

4-5 bell peppers

2 shallots (chopped)

1 garlic clove (chopped)

Olive oil

A handful mushrooms (chopped)

1 zucchini (chopped)

2 tomatoes (chopped)

1/2 cup bulgur

1 cup water

1-2 tsp Harissa

fresh basil, mint, parley

Feta cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a small baking dish. Cut the top of the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs. Cook the peppers in salted water 5 minutes. Drain and place the peppers cut-side-up into the prepared baking dish.

Chop the pepper-tops along with the other vegetables. Sauté shallots, garlic and mushrooms in a little olive oil 5 minutes. Add zucchini, pepper and tomatoes and sauté 3 minutes. Add bulgur, water and Harissa and let it simmer 10 minutes. Take the pan of the heat and add the chopped herbs and crumbled feta. Season with (salt) and Harissa and spoon the mixture into the prepared peppers. Bake 20-25 minutes.

French Macarons

Se my beautiful French Macarons

The yellow ones are filled with lemon curd, the blue with white chocolate cream with candied violets, the orange with white chocolate cream with finely grated orange rind, the green ones with white chocolate cream with fresh mint and the rosa ones with white chocolate cream with raspberry puré.

PS. The photo is taken by the master photographer Thomas Hergaard: www.hergaard.dk

Okay okay - here is the recipe:

French Macarons

11/2 cup almond flour
21/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup egg whites (about 5)
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Filling:
1/2 cup whipping cream
8 ounces white chocolate
1/2 cup butter
Flavor (for example fresh raspberry puree or jam, chopped mint leaves, chopped pistachio, chopped candied violets, finely grated orange or lemon rind
Color (for example red, green, blue, orange yellow)

Heat the oven to 360 degrees F (180 C).

The cookies: Sift the almond flour and the confectioners' sugar together.
Beat the egg whites with the salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the whites form soft peaks. Add the granulated sugar and beat until the whites form stiff and glossy peaks. Gently fold in the almond mixture with a rubber spatula.

Now, if you want to make more than one color, you can divide the batter and add colors.

Transfer the batter(s) to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe out 1-inch-diameter mounds about 2 inches apart on baking sheets with baking paper.

Bake, one sheet at a time: Put the baking sheet in the hot oven (360 degrees F) and turn down the heat to 285 degrees (140 C). Bake 12-15 minutes, until the tops appear dry. Repeat with remaining baking sheets/cookies.

Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

The filling: Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Add the butter and whisk until smooth. Add flavor and color (divide if you are making more than one kind) and let the chocolate filling cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered until the filling is firm enough to hold its shape.

Spread the chocolate filling on the flat side of half of the macarons. Top with the remaining macarons, flat-side down, pressing together gently to form sandwiches.
The macarons can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Maxi Blueberry scone

Maxi Blueberry scone

There was a good price on fresh blueberries the other day, so I could not resist.
We all love them on our breakfast yoghurt with homemade muesli (granola) –
But of course they are also wonderful in pies, muffins and scones.

I made this quick monster scone:

Dough:
11/3 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 stick cold butter
1 egg
3 TBSP milk

Filling:
11/4 pound fresh blueberries
4 TBSP sugar
1 tsp lemon rind
1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon

Topping:
1 egg or a little cream or milk
2 TPSP pearl sugar

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs.

In a small measuring cup combine the beaten egg and milk. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough comes together. Do not over mix the dough or the scone will be tough.

Roll the dough out on a piece of baking paper – to at rectangular about 10 by 12 inches.
Spread the berries on the dough. Mix the lemon rind, sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it over the berries. Roll the whole thing together like a jelly roll, close the ends by pressing the dough together and place the roll on a baking pan.

Brush the top with a little beaten egg, cream or milk. Sprinkle with pearl sugar and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Enjoy!

Baked brills

Baked brills

My fishmonger had these wonderful fresh brills in the window the other day.
I bought 2 (they were smallish) and hurried home.

Removed head and fins, rinsed out the blood and scraped of the scales.
Made a couple of slits on each side and pressed thin garlic and lemon slices in. Sprinkled with salt and pepper and splashed some good olive oil over. Put the whole thing in the oven for about 16 minutes at 200 degrees C (390 degrees F).

In the meantime a pot of small new potatoes in salted water was cooking on the stove. And 1/4 pound fresh chanterelles were enjoying themselves on a pan with a little butter, finely chopped onion and garlic, salt and pepper.

A royal meal – or so we felt that evening…

Grape leaves

It is almost common to have a little vineyard in Denmark now - due to climate changes...

At least we have one at our summerhouse. We haven’t made wine yet - but maybe we will give it a shot this year. However we have eaten both the grapes and the leaves:)

Grape leaves

Rinse the leaves well in cold water and remove stems. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 TBSP salt. Plunge the leaves in the pot and bring the water back to a boil. Remove leaves with a skimmer and plunge them immediately into cold water. Drain and shake dry.

Use immediately or freeze the leaves: stack in rolls of six and place in freezer bags. Use as soon as thawed- they don't keep well after freezing.

Or preserve: stack 6 to 12 blanched leaves of the same size. Roll them up and place them in sterilized canning jars. Make brine: 1/4 pound kosher salt or pickling salt per quart of water. Boil at least five minutes and add 1 TBSP powdered citric acid. Fill the jars to cover the leaves with at least 1/2 inch of brine (about 1 cup brine per jar). Place clean, washed and boiled stones on top to hold the leaves down in the brine and seal the jars. Store the jars in a cool and dark place. To use the leaves, remove as many as you need and rinse under cold running water to remove brine.

Dolmades
24 grape leaves
1 pound ground lamb
1/2 cup uncooked basmati rice
1 onion, finely chopped
1-2 gloves garlic, crushed or chopped
1 little handful fresh mint, chopped
1/2 lemon (grated rind and juice)
1/4 tsp ground allspice
Salt and pepper 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1-2 TBSP olive oil

Soak the rice for 10 minutes in cold water and drain. In a bowl, combine the ground lamb, onion, garlic, rice, mint, lemon rind and juice, allspice, salt and pepper. Mix well by hand.

Stuff the leaves with the shiny side down. Place a small spoonful of prepared stuffing at the stem end of the leaf, roll about one half turn. Fold in the two sides. Continue rolling to the tip of the leaf. The package should be firm, but not tight, as the stuffing will expand while cooking.

Place seam side down in a cooking pan, just touching. Add stock and olive oil and bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and let steam covered for about 45 minutes - it can take longer if the rolls are large or leaves tough.

Serve warm or cold – we enjoyed them warm with tzatziki and a tomato salad. Note: you can also make them vegetarian with rice, onion, pine nuts and currants or raisins.