Scandikitchen Christmas E-Book

Bronte Aurell

• Herausgeber: Ryland Peters & Small
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

"A festival of beautiful bakes and stunning photos." Review of ScandiKitchen: Fika & Hygge, Good Housekeeping Magazine. Let Brontë Aurell of The ScandiKitchen Café show you how to celebrate your Christmas Scandi-style by sharing her delicious recipes and family traditions with you. Anyone who has ever been in Scandinavian in December will know that Scandinavians really love Christmas. From huddling up in candlelit snowed-in cottages to consuming glögg at every opportunity, Christmas is peak-hygge season all over Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Everything reverts back to tradition once Advent Sunday has come along. From saffron scented bakes to 'gingerbread spice in everything!', Christmas is the time to break the never-ending darkness with edible treats and joyful feelings. Scandinavians visit friends and families taking along something home baked to share. They have Jul-Smörgåsbord parties where old and young celebrate with a spread of traditional dishes and delicacies. Everything they do for Jul is centred around food, tradition and home comforts. Join Bronte and feel the warmth, even when it's cold outside!

Leseprobe

SCANDIKITCHEN

Christmas

SCANDIKITCHEN

Christmas

recipes and traditions from Scandinavia

BRONTË AURELL

Photography by Peter Cassidy

DedicationTil Mor og Far

Senior Designer Sonya Nathoo

Senior Editor Gillian Haslam

Head of Production Patricia Harrington

Art Director Leslie Harrington

Editorial Director Julia Charles

Publisher Cindy Richards

Food Stylist Kathy Kordalis

Prop Stylist Tony Hutchinson

Indexer Hilary Bird

First published in 2018 by

Ryland Peters & Small

20–21 Jockey’s Fields

London WC1R 4BW

and

Ryland Peters & Small

341 E 116th St

New York NY 10029

www.rylandpeters.com

Text © Brontë Aurell 2018

Design and commissioned photographs

© Ryland Peters & Small 2018

ISBN: 978-1-78879-025-3

eISBN: 978-1-78879-138-0

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

The author’s moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed and bound in China.

CIP data from the Library of Congress has been applied for.

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.

Notes for cooks

* Both British (metric) and American (imperial plus US cups) are included in these recipes; however, it is important to work with one set of measurements and not alternate between the two within a recipe.

* All butter is salted unless specified otherwise.

* All eggs are medium (UK) or large (US), unless specified as large, in which case US extra large should be used. Uncooked or partially cooked eggs should not be served to the very old, frail, young children, pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems.

* Ovens should be preheated to the specified temperatures. We recommend using an oven thermometer. If using a fan-assisted oven, adjust temperatures according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

* When a recipe calls for the grated zest of citrus fruit, buy unwaxed fruit and wash well before using. If you can only find treated fruit, scrub well in warm soapy water before using.

Author’s credits

The author would like to thank neighbours Mac & Wild/Ardgay Game Inverness for supplying the best venison, The Swedish Church in London for the Dala horse, and Jon Anders Fjelsrud for help with aquavit cocktails.

Photography credits

All photography by Peter Cassidy except: p28 left Merethe Svarstad Eeg/EyeEm/Getty Images, p28 right Johner Images/Getty Images, p29 left Jo Tyler/Ryland Peters & Small, p29 centre AnjelikaGretskaia/Getty Images, p29 right Johner Images/Getty Images, p76 left Torbjorn Arvidson/Getty Images, p76 centre Johner Images/Getty Images, p77 right Johner Images/Getty Images, p100 left Cultura RF/Christoffer Askman/Getty Images, p100 right Johner Images/Getty Images.

CONTENTS

Introduction

The Scandi Christmas Pantry

Advent Gatherings

Feature: Advent in Scandinavia

Biscuits and Edible Gifts

Christmas Eve

Feature: Christmas Eve Traditions

The Yule Smörgåsbord

Feature: The Christmas Table

Christmas Breads

Cakes and Desserts

Index

Acknowledgements

INTRODUCTION

The first Christmas at ScandiKitchen, over a decade ago, was a revelation to my husband Jonas and I. We didn’t quite appreciate what it meant to run a café and shop that could provide all the foods that our fellow Scandinavians in London were missing. The emotional impact it had on our customers was overwhelming. To have people standing in our little shop with tears in their eyes because they couldn’t make it back home and to help them enjoy their foods and traditions was a humbling experience then, and every Christmas since. No matter where you’re from, when the call of home pulls at your heartstrings, only something genuine can help to relieve the ache. Food reconnects us in the form of scents, tastes and deep memories of years gone by. In one bite, you’re back home – even if only for a brief moment.

To help a Norwegian recreate the cookies her grandmother used to make, to give a Dane the right sort of cherry sauce, to present a Swede with a bottle of glögg – Jonas and I feel so privileged to help Scandinavian families far away from home and to teach people how to incorporate new foods into their own Christmas meal, and over the years I’ve written down numerous instructions for cooking our festive dishes.

By the First Sunday of Advent we’re ready not only to provide relief from homesickness, but also to teach anyone who will listen about the joy we Scandinavians find in Christmas. It may be dark and bitterly cold outside, but our hearts are some of the warmest you’ll ever find. Our homes are lit by candles, we offer home-baked goods and spiced wines to everyone, and we let people into our usually reserved personal worlds. Everything in Scandinavia starts to smell of cinnamon and ginger, and we long for any sign of snowflakes to make us huddle up even more in our cocoons of Christmas hygge. Scandinavians embrace this season with such authenticity that I think people from elsewhere find it hard not to be swept along.

Scandinavia is so very big, and our food culture varied, so there are aspects I simply couldn’t include in this book or it would stretch to several volumes. I have tried to balance tradition with a few new things, and hope you find inspiration to create a taste of Scandinavian Christmas.

This book was written by candlelight in my warm kitchen, with a never-ending scent of spice and festive music playing in the background, and the recipes were all tasted by the people I love. This is the book I hope my daughters will one day give to their grandchildren to show them how we did Christmas when they were Scandinavian kids growing up in London.

God jul, Brontë x

THE SCANDI CHRISTMAS PANTRY

‘What can I use instead of…’ is probably the most common question I’m asked when it comes to Scandinavian recipes. ‘What is this spice called in English’ is the second (I’m also asked to translate from English to Scandinavian languages for plenty of homesick Scandis, too). Sometimes the answers are not that simple, so here are some of the most common ingredients we use for Yuletide cooking, along with their names in Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.

BERRIES CloudberryMultebær (D), Hjortron (S), Multe (N) These orange berries, which look a bit like plump raspberries except for the colour, are found in the wild and are almost impossible to cultivate artificially. They can’t be picked by machine, only by hand, and even that is tricky as the berries burst easily. Cloudberry season is around three weeks long, so that only adds to the cost and scarcity of the fruit. Frozen cloudberries are much easier to get hold of than fresh, but they are still expensive. Most Scandinavian shops stock cloudberry jam/preserves, which can be substituted for fresh berries in almost every recipe. In North America, cloudberries are often referred to as ‘bakeapples’.

The cloudberry is very tart and pairs very well with apples, strong cheeses and vanilla (the jam is particularly wonderful heated up and poured over vanilla ice cream). To replace this flavour in recipes is hard, and a tart raspberry is the closest ingredient in taste.

LingonberryTyttebær (D, N), Lingon (S) Northern Scandinavians have lingonberries in their freezers throughout the year, while fresh ones are picked in August. The berry is small, red and tart, and found in abundance in Sweden, Norway and Finland. From the same family as the cranberry, the tartness of a lingonberry lends itself well to being served with meat (it is most famously served with meatballs). Lingonberries can also be used in cookies and cakes – pair them with something quite sweet, as they are really quite sharp in flavour. If you can’t get hold of lingonberries, substitute with raspberries for sweet recipes, or cranberries for savoury dishes.

Sea buckthornHavtorn (D, S), Tindved (N) Sea buckthorn grows wild across Scandinavia, parts of the UK, parts of Canada and as far east as China. It is quite unpleasant to eat raw, and some people find the smell of the fresh juice offensive! However, when sugar is added, the flavour complexities change. It is brilliant in jam and desserts. It’s also good for you, being rich in vitamin C and carotenoids.

HERBS & SPICES CarawayKommen (D), Kummin (S), Karve (N) In Denmark and Sweden, the word for caraway sounds similar to cumin, so it is often translated incorrectly in recipes (cumin itself is spidskommen or spiskummin). We use caraway seeds a lot in breads, as well as cheeses.

CardamomKardemomme (D, N), Kardemumma (S) It’s said that the Vikings first brought this spice back from Constantinople (now known as Istanbul), but there is little to support this idea. However, around 1300, a Danish monk used cardamom in a cookbook influenced by Moorish recipes (Libellus de arte coquinaria), which is the earliest evidence we have for the spice’s appearance in Scandinavian cooking. Today, we use cardamom a lot, including in the dough for our renowned cinnamon buns. I always buy the little seeds and crush them in a spice grinder for maximum flavour – it beats the pre-ground variety hands down, and really lifts the flavour of the buns.

CinnamonKanel (D, S, N) Some cheaper varieties of cinnamon are made from cassia bark, which contains high levels of coumarin (not good for you in high doses). If you can, go for high-grade Ceylon cinnamon instead, which has lower levels of coumarin and a better flavour.

ClovesNellike (D), Nejlika (S), Nellik (N) Cloves are used whole in aquavit and mulled wine, and sometimes on Swedish Christmas ham. Crushed cloves are common in biscuits and cookies. In Denmark at Christmas-time, windows are often decorated with fresh oranges studded with whole cloves – a great way to bring a wonderfully festive scent into your house! The word krydd (spice) sometimes prefixes the word for clove in all three languages.

DillDild (D), Dill (S, N) We use dill a lot to give a lift to salads, fish or chicken. Crown dill (where the herb has been allowed to flower) is used for its strong flavour at crayfish parties. That variety is quite hard to get hold of outside Sweden, but you can always grow your own or use fresh dill instead.

Fennel seedFennikelfrø (D, N), Fänkålsfrö (S) We use fennel seed mainly in bread, both for loaves and as a flavouring for crispbread.

GingerIngefær (D, N), Ingefära (S) Ground ginger is commonly used in biscuits, cookies and cakes. Whole dried ginger is essential in mulled wine, but fresh ginger is actually not that common in Scandinavia.

SaffronSafran (D, N), Saffran (S) Like cardamom, the origins of saffron’s arrival into Scandinavia are unclear. Some say it came via ancient Asian trading routes, while others think it was brought northwards from France and Italy. Regardless, saffron in Scandinavia has always been used for special occasions only, most likely because of its high value (if you’re shopping for it in Scandinavia, it’s probably kept behind the shop counter or till). However, it is an essential ingredient at Christmas time for Lucia buns. We commonly use ground saffron, but if you are using strands, grind them well first. To intensify the colour, soak the strands in warm water before using.

SaltSalt (D, S, N) Scandinavians have been preserving food in salt for centuries, so it’s not surprising that we have a love for using it in anything from well-seasoned savoury dishes to sprinkling it on biscuits or cakes. Not all salt is equal, but if you ever spot a brand called North Sea Salt Works, buy it.

Seville orange peelPomeransskal (D, S), Pomeransskall (N) We use this in mulled wine and also in some Christmas breads and biscuits. You can substitute with normal dried bitter orange peel, but the flavour will not be as subtle.

VanillaVanille (D), Vanilj (S), Vanilje (N) Most Scandinavian cookbooks use vanilla sugar in recipes, which is a quick and easy substitute for whole vanilla pods/beans. You can buy this in Scandinavian food shops, or make your own by grinding 275 g/2 cups icing/confectioners’ sugar with 2 dried vanilla pods/beans in a food processor or spice grinder until pulverized. Sift to remove the woody bits and use as needed. You can normally just substitute with vanilla extract or vanilla pods/beans too. If you are buying, Tørsleffs is a great brand.

OILS, VINEGARS & MUSTARDS 24% spirit vinegarEddike (D), Ättika/Ättiksprit (S), Eddik (N) This is very strong pickling vinegar and needs to be diluted to the strength specified in your recipe – usually 5–6% for vegetables, 12% for herring or other cured fish. You can buy this vinegar in Scandinavian and Chinese supermarkets.

MustardSennep (D, N), Senap (S) Scandinavians favour sweet, strong mustards. You can substitute a grainy Dijon, but in some recipes you may need to add a pinch of sugar as our mustards – even strong ones – also tend to be quite sweet. For Swedish Christmas recipes, quite often a regional mustard from the southern region of Skåne is used (skånsk senap). If you cannot get it, add a little sugar to Dijon mustard.

Rapeseed/canola oilRapsolie (D), Rapsolja (S), Rapsolje (N) Healthy rapeseed/canola oil is popular all over Scandinavia. However, not all rapeseed oils are the same, and an inferior one won’t do your dish any favours, so always use the best quality.

YEAST AND LEAVENERS Baker’s ammonia/hartshornHjortetaksalt (D), Hjorthornssalt (S), Hornsalt (N) Used in old recipes to ensure cookies rise and get crispy at low temperatures, baker’s ammonia gives off a strong smell during baking, but this disappears as the biscuits cool. I have not used it in this book, but you can buy it online or at some pharmacies, as well as in many Scandi food shops. Traditionally made from the ground antlers of young stags, these days it’s all chemical. When using baker’s ammonia, don’t eat the raw dough. Substitute with baking powder, but the result will not be as crispy.

Fresh yeastGær (D), Jäst (S), Gjær (N) I always use fresh yeast, but 25 g/⅞ oz. fresh, compressed yeast is equivalent to 13 g/½ oz. active dry yeast granules (activate them for 15 minutes before adding the other ingredients). Instant dried yeast sachets are also an option – follow the guidelines for the dosage, and always add to the dry ingredients, not the wet ones. Liquid hotter than 36–37°C/96–98°F will kill fresh yeast, as will salt added directly to it. Fresh yeast can be frozen, but it will turn to liquid when defrosted, so pack it in little bags.

Potassium carbonate/potashPotaske (D), Kaliumkarbonat (S, N) Many old Danish and German recipes call for the use of potash, which is quite a strong chemical used to obtain a very crispy finish on biscuits and cookies. While I agree that it makes for super crispy results, I do think bicarbonate of/baking soda can be used instead, as long as there is some liquid in the recipe (if not, use baking powder). If you do use potash, make sure it is of food grade and diluted to liquid before added. I don’t use it in this book.

FLOURS & GRAINS Light rye flour, type 997 This is a sifted rye from Germany – not as white as white rye, which has been sifted twice. I love baking with this flour, but it is usually only available online (in the UK, try Shipton Mills).

MaltMalt (D, S, N) You can buy barley malt protein powder or syrup online. We also sometimes use a low-alcohol malt beer in rye bread dough. If you cannot get malt, use normal dark syrup for rye bread instead.

OatsHavre (D, S, N) Used in porridge, granola, muesli and baking. We also eat raw oats with milk for breakfast. Oat flakes (jumbo oats) or cut oats are favoured, and we don’t really use oatmeal.

Potato flourKartoffelmel (D), Potatismjöl (S), Potetmel (N) Some recipes call for potato flour to thicken a sauce or a dish. You can buy it in speciality food stores, especially Scandinavian, Italian and Polish. Once potato starch is added, the dish should not be allowed to boil (especially in fruit-based sauces, as these will go cloudy after boiling). You can substitute with cornflour/cornstarch, but if you need a less cloudy result, arrowroot is the best thing to use.

Rye flakesRugflager (D), Rågflingor (S), Rugflak (N) I love using rye flakes in granola, flapjacks and porridge (mixed with normal oats) for their nutty flavour and a good bite. Available in health-food stores, they take longer to cook and are quite chewy. If you are using oats in a recipe, consider mixing 80% oats and 20% rye.

Rye flourRugmel (D, N), Rågmjöl (S) You can’t work your way through Scandinavian food without encountering rye flour. Wholegrain rye is common in supermarkets – it’s very strong and hearty, and is great for baking dark rye breads. Wheat flour cannot just be replaced with wholegrain rye, though – it has less gluten than wheat, and it does not stretch the same way. You can experiment with replacing 10% of the white flour with rye, then increase the amount a little more the next time.

Rye flour mixRugsigtemel (D), Rågsikt (S), Siktet rugmel (N) In Sweden and Denmark, rye flour mixes are very common. They’re usually 60% white wheat flour and 40% light rye (type 997), sifted together. Make this at home by mixing the same quantities.

Rye kernelsRugkerner (D), Rågkärnor (S), Rugkjerner (N) There are two kinds on the market – the whole rye kernel and the kibbled or cut one. You need the whole one if boiling to include in salads or other dishes, while the kibbled variety is essential when making good rye bread, where the whole one would be too hard to use. If you can only get the whole variety, you can chop the rye kernels in a food processor with a few quick pulses (not too much – you only just want to cut them in half).

Spelt flourSpeltmel (D, N), Dinkelmjöl/Speltvetemjöl (S) This is an older type of wheat grain, and less refined. You can get both white and wholegrain spelt flour, which contain less gluten than other wheat flours.

White rye flourHvid rugmel (D), Vitt rågmjöl (S), Hvit rugmel (N) In this book I have used a lot of white rye. It is now widely available and I find it nice to bake with. While wholegrain rye can sometimes be a bit harsh, white rye is a great way to still use rye instead of wheat. It still needs some wheat for the gluten to stretch when baking bread, though. In essence, the rye has been sifted and the husk has been removed. This also means fewer health benefits, but I do think the taste of rye remains.

OTHER AquavitAquavit (D), Akvavit (S), Akevitt (N) A grain-based spirit flavoured with herbs and strong spices (such as fennel, aniseed and caraway), aquavit can have many different flavours and types, so there’s so much scope for development and experimentation (such as in cocktails). Most people often enjoy it as part of a smörgåsbord or with pickled herring.

You can get young aquavits (almost always clear) or aged ones (which look similar to whisky). Despite what trendy bars might say, not all aquavits can be enjoyed at their best when served ice-cold, so check to see what the brand advises. There are many types of aquavit which, like whisky, are made in different ways to affect the taste. Aged aquavits, such as Aalborg Nordguld, OP Anderson, or Linie, have more rounded flavours and colours.

Making a flavoured aquavit-style drink at home is not difficult, but I do recommend you get a base aquavit such as Brøndums Snaps Klar or Aalborg Basis, developed specifically for adding your own flavours. Vodka can also be used. The main thing to remember when making an aquavit is that fresh flavourings such as dill or other herbs only need a few days in the alcohol, while hard spices such as cinnamon or liquorice root may require a few weeks.

ButtermilkKærnemælk (D), Kärnmjölk (S), Kjernemelk (N) Buttermilk often makes an appearance in Danish cuisine. I like using it in batters for pancakes and in cakes, and it also works well in other types of baking. If you can’t get buttermilk, use whole milk with a few drops of lemon juice added and left for 15 minutes before using. It’s not quite the same, but it is a fair substitute if needs must.

MarzipanMarcipan (D), Marsipan (S, N) Not all marzipans are the same. High-quality marzipan with a minimum of 60% almonds is usually only available in speciality stores, and can be quite pricy owing to the sheer amount of almonds used. If you can only get a marzipan with around 50% almonds, that will usually be OK, but will be a little harder to work with due to the extra sugar content.

Viennese nougatWiener nougat (D), Wienernougat (S, N) A hazelnut praline paste mixed with tempered chocolate. Sometimes it is sold as a spread, but you need to get the block version for recipes in this book. You can make it at home, but it’s hard to get the same smooth texture as shop-bought. Danish brand Odense does a really good 250-g/9-oz. block, if you can get it.

ADVENT GATHERINGS

Weekends in December are for visiting friends, family and neighbours. It’s the time to catch up and reconnect – and for drinking lots of warming glögg. It’s for celebrating St Lucia and the hope of lighter days ahead, and making sure you light a candle every Sunday. When that First Sunday of Advent comes along, we allow ourselves to really start preparing for the big day.

scones med västerbottensost

MINI SCONES WITH VÄSTERBOTTEN CHEESE

I often serve these mini scones as filling canapés. You can also make these as regularsized cheese scones by simply choosing a larger cutter and amending the baking time accordingly. Serve as they are, or split them open and fill with crème fraîche or sour cream mixed with chopped chives, or even top with a dollop of thick crème fraîche and red lumpfish roe. They also work well with a sliver of salmon.

250g/2 cups plain/all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

a pinch of paprika

½ teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

75 g/⅓ cup cold butter, cut into cubes

150 g/5½ oz. Västerbotten cheese (or other hard cheese, such as pecorino), finely grated (divide into one pile of 100 g/3½ oz., and another of 50 g/2 oz.)

125 ml/½ cup cold milk

50 g/½ cup finely chopped, toasted walnuts (optional)

beaten egg or milk, for brushing

MAKES ABOUT 40 MINI SCONES

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6.

Put the flour, baking power, paprika, salt and pepper into a bowl, then add the cold, cubed butter. Rub until the mixture resembles a crumble. Add the larger quantity of cheese and mix, then gradually add the milk to form a dough. Try not to overwork it – less is more, it simply needs to be evenly together. The more you work the dough, the denser your scones will be. Mix in the chopped walnuts, if using.

Very gently roll out the dough to a thickness of around 1.5 cm/⅝ in. Gently brush with a little beaten egg or milk, then scatter over the remaining cheese and press down slightly. Using a 3-cm/1¼ -in. cookie cutter, punch out your scones (don’t twist them out). You can gently re-roll the remaining dough to use it all up.

Place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for around 8–9 minutes until browned, risen and baked through.

ädelost och pepparkakor

BLUE CHEESE & GINGER STICKS

When I was first offered pepparkakor on a cheese board in Sweden, I did find it a little peculiar. However, it’s a truly wonderful combination. You can use shop-bought ginger thins for this, but I like to make mine using the pepparkaka dough in this book (see page 56) and shaping them into long breadsticks. I serve the sticks in a jar with the bowl of dip next to it.

This dip is also a great side to serve at an Advent party or for Christmas nibbles. The pepparkakor really work with a lot of different cheeses, so make them a regular accompaniment to your cheeseboard.

200 g/7 oz. blue cheese, crumbled (I like to use Blå Kornblomst, but St Agur or Stilton also work well)

200 g/1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

100 g/½ cup natural yogurt

a few drops of white wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

SERVES 5–6, AS PART OF A LARGER SNACK TABLE

Mix the blue cheese, crème fraîche or sour cream, yogurt and white wine vinegar together, and add seasoning to taste. If it is too hard to dip, add more crème fraîche, or even a dash of milk (depending on the cheese you decide to use, the texture can be different) – you need a mixture that’s easy to dip.

Chill in the fridge before serving.

Ginger sticks

Roll out the gingerbread dough (see page 56) and slice into sticks. Place on a baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6 for 7–8 minutes, until slightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

æbleskiver

DANISH PANCAKE BALLS

In Denmark, Christmas will never be Christmas without these little pancake balls. The word æbleskiver literally means ‘apple slices’, because in the 1700s these were actually slices of apple, dipped in batter and fried. Nowadays, people rarely use apple – the balls are usually cooked, dusted with sugar, dipped in raspberry jam and eaten. That said, I think that apples give these a bit of a lift. If you prefer them plain, simply leave out the filling. These are also found in southern Norway, where they are known as munker. You will need to use an æbleskiver pan – a round pan with indentations in the surface. They are quite easy to buy online.

3 eggs, separated

300 ml/1¼ cups buttermilk

100 ml/⅓ cup double/heavy cream

1 tablespoon caster/superfine sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of/baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

200 g/1½ cups plain/all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

50 g/3½ tablespoons melted butter, for cooking

icing/confectioners' sugar and raspberry jam/preserves, to serve

FILLING (OPTIONAL)