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.

Party with Red currants

This week I used the last red currants in my garden. I couldn't quite decide whether to make a cake or a tarte - so we made both:)



Spiral cake with red currants
The cake is made as a spiral, so the layers become vertical. It´s fun to make – my daughter Mathilde made this one.

For 1 cake for 8-10 persons:
Berries:
1 pound red currants
3/4 cup sugar
2 TBSP potato starch or corn starch

Cake:
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
Cream:
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup Crème fraiche /sour cream 38% (or just use 2 cups whipping cream)
4 TBSP icing sugar
1/2 vanilla pod

Remove the stalks from the red currants, wash and drain. Place them in a pot. Add sugar and 3 TBSP water, bring the mixture to a boil and let it boil for about 3 minutes - stirring with a wooden spoon. Remove the pot from the heat and thicken with the potato flour stirred into 3 TBSP cold water. Let it cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until it increases in volume, stiffens slightly and becomes pale yellow, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Sift the flower, cinnamon and baking powder together.
Very carefully, fold in the sifted flour with a rubber spatula until the flour is no longer visible. Spread the batter onto 2 or 3 pans with baking parchment paper - about 1/4 inch thick.

Bake the cakes 8-10 minutes and turn them over on pans or towels dusted with sugar. Place damp towels on top of them and let them cool.

Beat cream, crème fraiche, icing sugar and vanilla seeds together until it is light and fluffy.

Remove the baking paper from the cakes and cut them in 6-9 stripes about 4 inches wide. Spread the red currants on the stripes and on top of that spread the thick vanilla cream. Roll one strip around itself and place it in the center of a round serving platter. Now, one at a time, wrap the remaining strips around the center strip until all is used. Put the cake in the fridge at least 1 hour.

Decorate with washed red currants dusted with sugar and fresh mint leaves.



Tarte with red currants and raspberries

Crust:
1 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 stick cold butter (1/2 cup)
1 egg yolk
1-2 TBSP cold water

Berries:
10 oz red currants
7 oz raspberries
Cream:
2 eggs
5 tbsp cane sugar
1/2 cup cream

icing sugar for decoration

Crust: Mix the dry ingredients in a food processor. Add the butter and let it run until it forms small crumbs. Add egg yolk and cold water and form the dough to a disc. Cover it with foil and let it rest in the fridge for one hour.

Roll the dough out about 1/4 inch thick (dust board with flour as needed) and press into a pie pan. Poke holes across the bottom, line with parchment paper and add pie weights or dried beans. Prebake the crust in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Take the crusts out, remove the baking weights and let it cool.

Filling: Remove the stalks from the red currants, wash and drain. Arrange red currants and raspberries on the dough. Beat eggs together with sugar and cream and pour over the berries.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool. Dust with icing sugar and enjoy!

Summer berry jam

Summer berry jam

A friend of mine taught me years ago, that the best way to harvest currants, is to cut the branches with the berries on – and then find a nice and shady place to sit and string the currants.

This summer, I have got huge amounts of both red and black currants as well as yellow and red raspberries in my garden.

I have made a lot of RØDGRØD – the favorite Danish summer pudding cooked on red berries, a little water and sugar. It is served cold with cream.

And then I made a lot jam of red currants, black currants and raspberries.

3 pounds berries (1 of each)
3/4 cup water
11/2 pound sugar
1-2 tsp pectin

Prepare 6-7 half-pint canning jars and lids. Place a small plate in your freezer.

Place the red and black currants in a large pot. Add water and bring the mixture to a hard boil and let it boil for about 3 minutes - stirring with a wooden spoon.
Add the sugar and let it boil - stirring with the wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved. Ad the raspberries and let it boil for about 3 minutes.
Add the pectin according to the package.
Test the jam by placing a small amount on the chilled plate. Allow 30 seconds to pass and then run your finger through it to see what the cooled consistency will be.
Ladle the jam into hot, sterilized canning jars. Wipe the rims of the jars clean with a dampened paper towel and seal them with the sterilized lids.
Store a cool and dark place.
Enjoy on bread, scones or in cakes or on your morning yoghurt.

Elderflower syrup

I made elderflower syrup twice this summer.
The flowers were blooming late and long this year.

Elderflower syrup

20-30 heads of elderflower
2 organic lemons in thin slices
11/4 cup sugar11/4 cup cane sugar or brown sugar
1 quart water
2 tsp citric acid

Layer the cleaned flowers with lemon slices in a big jar or bowl.
Boil sugar, cane sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved.
Take it off the heat and add citric acid.
Pour it over the flowers and lemon.
Cover the jar/bowl and put it in the fridge for 4 days.
Pour it through a sieve and into clean bottles.Keep in the fridge and serve in cold water or wine.

Use the mush in the sieve for a tasty jam.

Chop it in a food processor and pour it into a pan. Add same amount sugar and boil it rapidly for 5 minutes. Ladle the jam into clean jam jars and seal them.