Recipe swap (and other food related stuff)

[Rae]

Here's a honey coriander shortbread recipe that looks interesting (would have to ditch the vanilla and citrus zest):

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/01/honey-coriander-shortbread.html

I've grown coriander/cilantro as far north as Montana (near Canada) in the USA, and this blog seems to indicate that you could grow it in Sweden, so I'll go with that.

https://nordicgardens.wordpress.com/tag/sweden/

[tripwires]

First of all, hi! I'm new to this thread.

I found an easy looking lavender shortbread recipe - replace flour and sugar and take out the vanilla, I guess?
http://portandfin.com/lavender-shortbread-cookies/

Also, would sweet potatoes grow in the Nordic countries? I know nothing about agriculture, but I use sweet potato to bake as a gluten-free alternative, and it's a good replacement for flour, sugar, and egg, especially in cakes. (If anyone wants sweet potato-based recipes, or gluten or milk free cookie/cake/etc recipes, I'll be happy to give them!)

[Sunflower]

Here's a recipe for muffins that I've made twice in the past 10 days, with positive reviews.

NOTE: The author, cookbook author Domenica Marchetti, says:

These sweet, tender muffins harbor a generous helping of winter squash. The squash makes them moist and contributes a golden color, plus it adds an appealingly familiar, subtly sweet and nutty squash flavor.

For baking, I am partial to buttercup squash. Note that I did not write butternut squash, which is probably the most popular of the winter squashes because it is among the easier of squashes to peel and it tastes pretty good.

Buttercup squash is round and squat and has a hard, dark green striped rind. The flesh is bright orange, dense and sweet. It lacks the water of other winter squashes, and when baked it yields a beautiful, thick, smooth puree.

I have made these successfully with canned pumpkin (actually butternut squash) and roasted acorn squash (even though it had a less rich, more fibrous texture).  So other winter squashes such as red kuri squash and kabocha would probably work as well.  One half an acorn squash yields plenty of pulp for this recipe.

Further, I once substituted grated pear for apple (no need to peel a pear) and unfiltered apple cider for a couple of tablespoons of the oil, to add flavor.  That worked too.

Buttercup Squash Muffins with Grated Apple


SERVINGS: 12 MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup sunflower oil or other lightly flavored vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup pureed buttercup squash (see NOTE: may substitute canned pure pumpkin)
1 medium sweet-tart apple, peeled, cored and shredded on the large holes of a box grater
________________________________________
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use nonstick cooking oil spray to grease the wells of one 12-cup or two 6-cup muffin pans.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice in a mixing bowl.
Whisk together the oil, eggs, squash and shredded apple in a separate mixing bowl. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, taking care not to overmix. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin wells. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
Transfer the muffin pan(s) to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before dislodging the muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature.


NOTE: To cook buttercup squash, use a large, sturdy chef's knife to split the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds. Rub the flesh with a small amount of vegetable oil and place the halves, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes or until you can easily pierce through the rind with a fork. Cool, then scoop out the flesh and measure out 3/4 cup for this recipe.

[Sunflower]

Like a lot of other SSSS readers, I am sick right now (though not seriously -- just a sore throat). 
However, the persistent cough is keeping me up at night.  I accidentally hit on a home remedy that tastes good, seems to help the cough, and at least is numbing my throat!

It's based on some leftover preserved fruit in spiced, brandied syrup I made in 2013 and forgot about till now.  The fruit is still OK because the syrup is so alcoholic, *no* microbes could live in it... but for the same reason, the fruit was too strong to eat comfortably.

But I discovered that a couple of tablespoons of the strong, spicy syrup in a mug of hot apple cider are just the thing for a cough.  Cloves have an anesthetic effect (oil of cloves is still recommended by dentists) and alcohol, I'm told  , is an expectorant.  So here is my effort to reverse-engineer the drink:

Apple Toddy (serves 1)
Approx. 6 oz. apple juice (ideally unfiltered juice or cider)
2 T. brandy, or to taste (other liquors, such as rum or whisky, could probably be substituted)
2 T. water
2 tsp. brown sugar or honey
1/8 tsp. ground cloves (or 2-3 whole cloves)
Dash of cinnamon
Small piece star anise (optional)

In a large mug, combine the brandy, water, sweetener, and spices.  Stir till the sweetener is dissolved.
Add the apple juice and stir to combine.  Microwave until very hot (probably 1-1.5 minutes).  Or heat in a saucepan until steaming. 
Sip slowly.  Do not operate heavy machinery.

[Solovei]

I don't know if I've shared this here before, but it's food-related so! My apologies if some of you already have seen it.

Anyway, there's a youtube channel where a bunch of crazy swedes cook normal food using rather extreme methods. It's pretty hilarious if you are into

a) people yelling in Swenglish
b) people making a giant mess
c) the magic of movie-making somehow producing delicious-looking homecooked food anyway in spite of the above

[Sunflower]

Anyway, there's a youtube channel where a bunch of crazy swedes cook normal food using rather extreme methods. It's pretty hilarious if you are into

a) people yelling in Swenglish
b) people making a giant mess
c) the magic of movie-making somehow producing delicious-looking homecooked food anyway in spite of the above

Haha, I love these guys!
Regular!!!  Ordinary!!!  Swedish!!! Mealtime!!!  Cooking wonderful Swedish food in the most epic, metal way possible!  (I love how, once they've broken everything [and everyone] in sight cooking, all the Vikings sit down to eat very quietly and politely.)

[Solovei]

Haha, I love these guys!
Regular!!!  Ordinary!!!  Swedish!!! Mealtime!!!  Cooking wonderful Swedish food in the most epic, metal way possible!  (I love how, once they've broken everything [and everyone] in sight cooking, all the Vikings sit down to eat very quietly and politely.)

And always with a tall glass of milk.

[Fimbulvarg]

And always with a tall glass of milk.

I think the mayonaise is a more recurring accompaniment to, well, everything they do.

[Nimphy]

Since I've been asked, a recipe I found for bakllava. Note that this is Albanian bakllava, not Turkish baklava. They should be similar, but not identical. The recipe is for 12 people, as I'm too lazy to translate AND calculate smaller portions, plus bakllava can last a couple of days so you can have it more than once if you can stomach it.

Ingredients:
For the dough:
- 1kg flour
- 4 yolks (is that the correct plural term, yolks?)
- 2 glasses of (lukewarm) water
- 1 cup of oil
- Half a teaspoonful of salt
- A bit of cornstarch

For the bakllava:
- 1kg nuts
- 500gr melted butter

For the syrup:
- 1.7 kg sugar
- 1.2 l water
- Half a lemon

Put the flour in a bowl, and open up some space in the center for the yolks, the oil and the water. Start kneading, first in the bowl then on the table when the dough is more solid. Wrap the sough in plastic and let it rest for about an hour. Unwrap and make small balls out of the dough. Start playing dodgeball. Have fun. With a rolling pin flatten the balls of dough until it reaches the dimensions of your cake pan and is very thin. Be very careful not to break or tear the dough apart. It has to be perfectly intact.

Put the sheets of dough on the cakepan, after sprinkling some melted butter on each one. After putting seven-eight sheets on top of each other, cover with chopped nuts, put another couple of dough sheets, nuts, repeat for a while. Cover the last layer of nuts with seven-eight more sheets. Remember to put a bit of melted butter on each one. Completely cover the last one with the melted butter. Cut the bakllava in several rombs.

Put in the oven at 100C for about two hours. The last 15mins raise the temperature to 150C.

MEANWHILE: Syrup.

Put the water in a deep pot and make it boil. When it boils, put in the sugar. Mix, put a spoonful of lemon juice. Put the syrup to boil until it becomes thick and all the sugar has melted.

Back to the bakllava:

Take the bakllava out of the oven and let it cool. Put the syrup on it (at about 80-85C). Let it rest for a few hours. Serve. Enjoy.

PS: I'll make sure to ask grandma whether she thinks that the recipe is good. She knows more than any website on this

ALSO: Have a video to a) look at the procedure and b) hear some Albanian!

[Gwenno]

For christmas I was given a book of cake recipes from around the world and have steadily been working my way though them ^_^ . One of the cakes I've already tried is from Norway, and this thread seemed like the ideal place to share the recipe. I don't know how traditional the cake was, but it was definitely very different from anything I'd cooked before  . The cake itself is very light, both in texture and in taste, while the custard glaze is very rich, especially when fresh. I thought they complimented each other very well, but if you'd prefer a less heavy custard you can add slightly less butter or fewer egg yolks (use the remaining yolks to make truffles or something  ). Blueberries served on the side are also a good addition ^_^

Anyway, if anyone decides to give the recipe a go I hope they like it as much as I did 

Almond Cake with Custard Glaze

Cake
5 egg whites
1.5 cups/200g icing sugar
2 cups/200g ground almonds
1tsp baking powder

Glaze
5 egg yolks
2/3 cup / 130g caster sugar
1/2 cup / 120ml heavy/double cream
1/2 cup / 115g butter

Heat the over to 390*F/200*C/Gas Mark 6
Grease a 9 inch/23cm spring-form pan

1. In a bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until firm peaks are formed. Set aside
2. In a separate bowl, combine the ground almonds, baking powder and icing sugar
3. Fold the egg whites into the almond mixture in three additions
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when pressed lightly
5. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove onto a cooling rack
6. In a heatproof or metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy
7. Stir in the double cream. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture thickens into a custard
8. Remove from the heat, and stir in the butter until it is completely melted and mixed in.
9. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and refrigerate, preferably overnight but for at least 4 hours
10. Spread the topping over the cake and decorate as required

[Sunflower]

Ooh, that cake sounds yummy -- and gluten-free, for those concerned about that.  I'll have to try that.

I'm a little surprised there isn't any vanilla or other flavoring in the custard.  But does the almond flavor of the cake compensate for that?  Or fruit on the topping?

[Gwenno]

Ooh, that cake sounds yummy -- and gluten-free, for those concerned about that.  I'll have to try that.

I'm a little surprised there isn't any vanilla or other flavoring in the custard.  But does the almond flavor of the cake compensate for that?  Or fruit on the topping?

The almond flavour isn't really as strong as you'd expect considering that half of the cake is almond flour , and as for the custard, I really didn't think it needed any other flavouring as it was very rich by itself (However, if you'd like to experiment and try something new out let me know how it works. Recipes are made to be modified after all!). The fruit topping just adds a nice sharpness (and also some flavour) which is absent from the cake itself ^_^

[Laowai]

I'd like to share a recipe I learned many years ago at Chinese camp and still whip out regularly to impress guests:

Scallion Pancakes

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tsp "activated" yeast dissolved in warm water (about 1/2 cup)
salt
oil (I use canola, I don't know how well other oils would turn out)
chopped scallions

Split flour into two halves. In one half, mix in yeast water. In other half, add some salt, then slowly pour in boiling water and mix. Add oil (a tablespoon or so).

Gently knead the two doughs together. Allow the dough to rise for about 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll out small chunks of dough into circles, about 5 inches big.

Brush dough circle with oil. Add salt to taste (the more the better). Sprinkle on chopped scallions to taste.

Carefully roll dough circle into a roll, making sure scallions don't get pushed out. Take your long tubular roll and starting at one end roll it up again so it makes a fat swirl. Place the swirl back on the floured surface face up and roll back out into pancake.

Heat enough oil to cover the pan on medium high heat. Carefully place pancake into the pan and fry until golden brown on both sides. Eat quickly before they all disappear.

That's it! Everyone I've made these pancakes for have absolutely loved them. The trickiest part is frying them at the right temp. Too high and they burn on the outside and stay doughy on the inside, too low and they soak up oil too quickly and become too dense.


I don't know how authentic these pancakes are, I never saw anything like them when I was living in China. However, the city I lived in was famous for "Re gen mian" (hot dry sesame noodles). Down the street from where my coworkers and I lived was a noodle shop we affectionately called Mama Mian (Mama Noodle). We seriously ate there at least twice a day; usually in the morning for breakfast and late night after hitting the bars. We could buy a whole bowl of re gen mian for just 3 yuan (about 50 cents). I've searched high and low for a good recipe, but I'm afraid nothing can compare to Mama Mian

[Sunflower]

On p. 280, readers speculated that our hungry crew might find pre-Rash Lemon Moon cakes in ruined supermarkets -- since those are apparently the Twinkies of Denmark.

Two helpful readers chimed in with recipes for a much better version.  It looks so good that I'm serving it at our next Citizenship/Promotion ceremony!  (And will try it IRL.)
http://www.kvalifood.com/recipes/lemon-moon-citrus-moon-danish-citronmaane

Ingredients
Cake - the wet stuff

200 g (7 oz) sugar
100 g (3.5 oz) melted butter
250 g (9 oz) grated marzipan
4 eggs
1 lemon, grated zest and juice of

Cake - the dry bits
200 g (7 oz) flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

Frosting
200 g (7 oz) (4 dl) icing [powdered] sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice (about the juice of 1 small lemon)

Directions
Mix all the wet ingredients together.

Mix the dry ingredients together.
Mix the wet and the dry ingredients.

Bake in springform pan at 200°C (390°F) for about 40 minutes, or until dough no longer sticks to a trussing needle, knitting needle or the like. that you insert into the center of the cake.

Let the cake cool for at least 20 minutes.

Loosen the cake from the spring form by gently running a knife along the edge. Do not take it out yet.

Mix the frosting in a small bowl. When you mix the frosting, then hold back a little of the lemon juice. It must be as viscous as possible.
Put on the frosting.

When the frosting has solidified, take the cake out of the mold.

Notes
Lemon Moon is a variation of pound cake.
If you want a lemon crescent, then cut the cake into halves :-S This is the classical danish look.

More tart and juicy variation that is also good:

30 g poppy seeds are mixed into the dough.
1 dl (½ cup) sugar is melted in 1 dl (½ cup) lemon juice and poured over the cake after it is baked but while it is still warm. Afterwards  you put on the icing as usual.

[Sunflower]

Ole the Inventor kindly translated for us an authentic Scandinavian recipe:

Dough A:
1 Polynesian vanilla pod
125 g of cane sugar
250 g room temperature butter
125g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
150 g of room temperature whole egg
100 g of room temperature egg yolks
190 g wheat flour
65 g of corn starch
Grated peel of one washed lemon.

Dough B:
125 g of pure raw marzipan
85 g sugar
50 g room temperature butter
75 g of room temperature whole egg
A bit neutral oil to lubricate the springform with

Lemon icing:
Grated peel of 1 lemon washed
Juice of ½ lemon
150g icing sugar
Maybe a little water

10 coarsely chopped unsalted Pistachio kernels


In addition, 1 springform pan, 24 cm

Dough A: Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds with a small knife. Crash the seems with a bit of cane sugar with the knife, so the seems are split.
Stir the room temperate butter, cane sugar, icing sugar and vanilla sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and egg yolks and quietly a little at a time with stirring. Stop when the mass is uniform. Mix the flour and cornstarch and sift it into the dough. Turn it over gently to mic, adding lemon peel and juice.

Dough B: Kneaded the marzipan and sugar together with your hands. Knead the butter in, a little at the time. When all the butter is kneaded in, add the eggs also a little at the time

Turn dough A and B together and fill in the lubricated spring form. Bake the the came in the oven at 190 C for 35-40 mins. until nice and golden and yields a little when you press it.
Let it cool all down, before releasing the form.
In case you are using a silicone form, the cake should be frozen before taking it out.

Lemon icing
Grate the lemon peel, and let it dry, before icing the cake.
Stir the lemon juice, icing sugar an maybe a couple of drops of water in a small casserole. Heat slightly and spread it over the cooled lemon moon. Immediately sprinkle the dried lemon peel and the pistachio nuts.