Fastelavnsboller= Rolls for Lent

These are a danish tradition to make every Fastelavn. I am a bit early for these this year, because this year Fastelavn is on March 6th. Oh well...I just love this and have been craving them. They are sweet rolls with a baked vanilla cream filling inside.  A simple Chocolate frosting is usually drizzled on top, but I made a chocolate ganache instead for these, because I LOVE chocolate:-)

For the dough I used my bread machine that my hubby bought me. A Zujirushi...holy cow it makes the BEST bread EVER! This bread recipe is super close to my Farmors and it is especially for dough machines so just used this and lo and behold it tasts the same as hers:-) Her recipe I believe has more butter in it.

The Cream filling though is Farmors original recipe, because she makes the Best!

Here it is;

Dough;
1- 1/8 cups Milk
1 Large Egg
4-1/4 cups Bread Flour
4 Tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Butter
2 tsp Active Dry Yeast

Place all in dough machine according to manufacturers instructions, and set it to "Dough".  Once it is done, roll out on a lightly floured surface and using a large round cookie cutter cut 12 circles. Roll each one out and place cold cream filling in each (abt. 1 tbs.) than close and pinch up edges. Flip upside down and place on greased baking pan. Let rise covered at room temp for about 30 min or until doubled in size. Bake for 15-20 min until golden brown in 400F oven. Frost the rolls while warm with Ganache

Farmors Cream Filling:


1/2 cup sugar
 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2cup milk, scalded
 1 egg, beaten
1 and 1/2 tablespoons of butter
 3/4 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
 
 Here is how you do it.

 Mix, sugar, flour and salt in a double boiler.Gradually stir in 3/4 cup of the hot milk, stir until smooth , ad the remaining milk and cook over direct heat intil thickened, stir constantly.
 Stir a little of the hot mixture into the beaten egg: return this to rest of the mixture and place over boiling water, stir constantly for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in butter and flavoring. COOL completely. (The fridge is best for this).


Ganache:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces good semisweet chocolate chips
•  Cook the heavy cream and chocolate chips, in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. 

Danish Rhubarb Custard Recipe from Petersgaard Manor

This recipe I had to tweak a little to get the right temperatures for cooking. The original recipe called to bake it for 30 min at 395F, but I found that baking it as I state below works better. I made this for the first time the other night and my whole family loved it. Even my sweet all American hubby thought it was yummy:-) I will be making this more! 

On the very south of Denmark, on the Island of Sjaelland, amidst yellow fields, green forests and pastures lies Petersgaard Manor.  Built in the early 1700, as part of Frederick IV's national riding districts. Now the manor is run by the Iuel family. Here is a delicious dessert recipe that they make at the Manor. It is actually called a Rhubarb Cake, but is more like a custard in consistency with a "creme broulee" type of crust. YUM!!

Rhubarb Custard 

2 1/2 lbs fresh Rhubarb

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 vanilla bean pod

1 quart whipping cream

6 eggs + 2 egg yolks

2 tsp vanilla sugar or seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean pod

1 Tbs Cornstarch

1/2 cup granulated sugar

The strained rhubarb juice

1. Rinse Rhubarb stalks and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.  Place in greased baking dish with the 1 cup sugar and open sliced down the middle 1/2 Vanilla bean. Cover with aluminum foil and let bake in 395F preheated oven for 1hr or until the Rhubarb becomes cooked all the way thru.
2. Remove the compote to a strainer over a pan and let all rhubarb juices drip for about 1 hr. Set aside.
3. In large bowl, whip the cream until it become fluffy. Than place whipped cream, 8 egg yolks, vanilla, cornstarch and sugar in a large thick based pot over low heat. With a whisk blend it all together, and do NOT LET IT COOK. It needs to become thick and airy. Remove from heat and let it cool. 
4. Once it is cool, add the 6 beaten (till stiff) egg whites to the cream mixture. 
5. In a 9x11 greased dish, place the rhubarb compote to cover the whole bottom. Than the whip cream mixture on top, making sure not to fill all the way to the top (as it can tend to poor over during cooking).
6. Place it on a covered baking sheet on middle rack in a preheated 395F oven for  about 15 min. This will give it a "creme brulee" type of crust. (Make sure not to burn). Than once it gets the darkness of crust that you prefer turn oven down to 350F for 30-45 min, until custard is stiff around edges and still a little jiggly in the middle. 
7. Remove from oven and let sit until cool. (It will stiffen the colder it gets).
8. To serve drizzle a tiny bit of the strained rhubarb juice on top. (Optional)

"Velbekommen!"

Hazelnut cake Recipe from Holsteinborg Castle Denmark

I have an old danish recipe book that my mother gave me many years ago. It features classic Danish recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. But guess from where? DANISH CASTLES AND MANORS! Cool huh! So, I will be making these and blogging the english translation to them. Reason being that 1~they are in Danish AND 2~they run on the metric system e.g. measurements are in grams and liters. So, my first featured recipe comes from the Castle of Holsteinborg located on the island of Sjaelland.

Here is a little background about the Castle. 

The famous Childrens fairy tale author H.C. Andersen (Little Mermaid, Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina and many more ) even lived there for a time....

HOLSTEINBORG CASTLE
Holsteinborg Castle was built by the Trolle family between 1598 and 1651 but has been owned by the Holstein family for 12 generations, since 1707. The impressive main building consists of four two storey interconnected wings surrounded by a moat. The castle is surrounded by an extensive, undulationg park, which falls gently away to the south towards Holsteinborg Cove. Because of its outstanding beautiful setting, the castle is one of the best known in Denmark. From the main building you can enjoy the view of the Småland Sea and the great Belt, including the idyllic small islands, Glænø and Ormø.

HOLSTEINBORG CASTLE AND H. C. ANDERSEN
Hans Christian Andersen visited Holsteinborg Castle for the first time in may 1856 following innumerable invitations from Count Ludvig Holstein and Countess Joachimine (Mimi) Holstein. Until his death (1875), he returned to the castle almost every year, 35 times in all. Here he truly felt at home. On a photograph taken on the veranda in 1870 he wrote:" At Holsteinborg my sun-picture was created. For here fairytales in my heart was laid."

HAZELNUT CAKE

1 cup Hazelnuts

1 cup dark chocolate ( I used morsels)

4 large egg whites

8 TBS granulated Sugar

Whip cream for garnish

Coarsely chop nuts and chocolate. Beat egg whites and sugar together in large mixing bowl. Add nuts and chocolate with spatula (set aside a little for garnish). Bake cake in a greased spring form pan for 1 hr at 255 F. When it has cooled, remove from pan and place on a round serving plate. Garnish with fresh whipped cream and sprinkled with the leftover nuts and chocolate.

Jordbaer Grod....YUMMMMMMMMMM!

So this morning I wanted to make a yummy summer dessert that is traditional in Denmark. We usually make it with all kinds of berries, or even Rhubarb. This one I made with fresh Strawberries. It is one of my favorite things to eat in the summer! I cant wait to someday sit in my backyard on a beautiful summer evening, at a beautiful table decorated with fresh flowers, a tablecloth and lit by candles. Hearing my children play, and feel the fresh Morgan air in my hair as I taste my homemade Jordbaer Grod.......ahhhh....this is one of my "fairytale" envisions of my someday house life:-)

But for now, I will enjoy it in my cute little apartment..that has AC! :-) (we were out of it for 2 weeks so I am ever so grateful, especially on a day like today...100F!)

Jordbaer Grod (Danish Strawberry Pudding)

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins min
• Serves: 6

"This is a traditional, Danish summer dessert, slightly adapted. Very cooling and refreshing."

Ingredients

• 2 lbs strawberries
• 1 cup sugar (or to taste)
• 1 quart water (reserve 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh only, please)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup water

To serve

• 1 to taste cold heavy cream

Directions

1. Hull and rinse berries. Add to water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add sugar and simmer until berries are tender, 10-15 minutes (depending on size of berries). Lower heat to medium-low.
2. Dissolve cornstarch, lemon juice and vanilla and almond extracts in reserved 1/2 cup water, and add to berries and sugar. Bring to rolling boil, stirring constantly. Continue stirring and allow pudding to boil a few minutes until thickened. Ladle into individual serving bowls. Cool.
3. To Serve: Sprinkle with sugar and serve with cold, heavy cream......Note: I "dump" the sugar on it! I like mine Sweeeeeeeet! :-)This is better the next day! Let it sit in the fridge....so yum!
   

Æbleskiver= Happy Tummies

Ever wonder what in the world these pans are for?

Well, here you have it a very traditional danish dish....

Æbleskiver

I made some last saturday for breakfast and YUM they are sooo good! We all love them. I grew up eating these all the time, either as a dessert treat or for breakfast. Americans eat doughnuts, Danes eat Aebleskiver.:-)

Here is the recipe (there are many different variations of it, using buttermilk and lemon zest, but this is the one I used, this recipe is from the cookbook Cooking Danish by Stig Hansen) they take some practice to get right, but are totally worth it:-) We eat them sprinkled in powdered sugar and dipped in Raspberry or strawberry jam:-)

Makes 24 to 26
1 3/4 cups bread flour (I used all purpose)
2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup 2% milk (I used fat free)
2 eggs
Shortening ( I used vegetable oil)
Confectioners' sugar

(You will need an Æbleskiver pan to prepare these doughnuts. They can be found in many kitchen equipment stores and in Scandinavian import stores.)

1 - Combine the flour with the yeast, sugar and cardamom in a mixing bowl. Combine the butter and milk in a saucepan and heat to 70 to 80 degrees. Add to the flour mixture and mix well. Mix in the eggs. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.

2 - Heat an Æbleskiver pan over low to medium (300-degree) heat. Add a small amount of shortening on the tip of a knife to each cup. Spoon the dough into the cups filling four-fifths full.Cook until the bottoms begin to brown and push one-fourth of the doughnut up to begin to brown the top. Repeat the process, then turn the doughnut completely over to form a ball and cook until golden brown all over.

3 - Remove to a serving plate and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Serve with Raspberry Jam, applesauce and sugar to dip in.