Sweet • Sour • Savory

Food blog on scandinavian style food done right.

Apricot Ice Cream

Desserts, Ice CreamTove Balle-Pedersen2 Comments
Apricot Ice Cream

Apricot Ice Cream

Apricot is en season, my tree is booming with fruit. So why not make an apricot ice cream. 

This ice cream is made without eggs, and is very easy to make. 

Ingredients:

  • 350 g fresh apricots, pitted and sliced in half
  • 90 ml water
  • 170 g raw honey (use a mild tasting honey such as clover)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 250 ml fresh heavy cream 
  • 1 tablespoon Disaronno Amaretto, optional

Directions:

Place apricots in a medium saucepan, pour water over and heat to a simmer and cook until apricots begin to soften, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in honey, when  the honey is dissolved remove from heat. Cool apricot mixture to room temperature and blend it until smooth. Stir in cream, lemon juice and Amaretto. Chill the mixture until very cold, and pour it into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Enjoy!

 

The Danish version:

Abrikosis

Ingredienser:

  • 350 g friske abrikoser, vaskede, udstenede og skåret i halve
  • 90 ml vand
  • 170 g honning (brug en mildt smagende honning)
  • 1 tsk friskpresset citronsaft
  • 250 ml piskefløde 
  • 1 spsk Disaronno Amaretto, valgfrit

Fremgangsmåde:

Kom abrikoserne i en gryde sammen med vandet og kog dem til de er møre 6-8 minutter.

Kom honningen i og rør rundt indtil det er smeltet. Blend det hele til en jævn glat masse. Køl massen ned inden man går videre.

Tilsæt fløde, citronsaft og Amaretto, og lad det hele køle i et par timer inden den køres i ismaskinen. Følg vejledningen der følger med ismaskinen.

Velbekomme!

Apricot Jam

Preserve, Jam, Breakfast, BrunchTove Balle-Pedersen2 Comments
Apricot Jam

Apricot Jam

The month of May is apricot season in California. I have so many apricots on my tree that it's impossible to eat them all. My dog is doing all he can to eat all the apricots on the ground, he loves the endless supply,  crazy dog.

I made this great jam trying to savor the delicate taste of apricots. And I think this is the way to go. I need to make more, and the next batch is going in the freezer, to extend the shelf life. I like that I only need 4 ingredients, and the clean delicate taste of apricots is to die for.

Ingredients:

  • 900 g fresh whole apricots, washed pitted and cut in half (use just-ripe, unblemished fruit)
  • 120 ml water
  • 340 g sugar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Boil the apricots in water until soft, 6-8 minutes. Puree in a blender (be careful with hot fluids in a blender, the lid might pop off) or an immersion blender, and blend until smooth. Bring fruit puree to a boil, add the sugar and lemon juice and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the fruit reaches the desired thickness, about 7-8 minutes. 

Scald the jars and lids with boiling water. Be careful not to touch the inside. Use tongs to handle jars and lids. Fill jars while still hot. I rinse the scalded jars and lids in atamon (Sodium benzoate) a food preservative, for better self life.

Remove fruit from heat and skim off any foam that may have formed. Pour the hot jam into hot, scalded jars and seal with scalded lids. See National Center for Home Food Preservation for additional information on safe food preservation.

Serve apricot jam with your favorite bread or on ice cream.

Enjoy!

 

The Danish version:

Abrikosmarmelade

Ingredienser:

  • 900 g friske abrikoser, vaskede, udstenede og delt i halve (Anvend kun netop modne og ikke stødte frugter)
  • 120 ml vand
  • 340 g sukker
  • 1 spsk friskpresset citronsaft

Fremgangsmåde:

Kog abrikoserne sammen med vandet indtil abrikoserne er møre, ca. 6-8 minutter.  Blend abrikoserne med en stavblender, eller i en rigtig blender indtil du har en homogen masse. Pas på med at blende varme væsker i en blender, da låget kan hoppe af.  Kog pureen op og tilsæt sukker og citronsaft. Kog marmeladen til den får den ønskede konsistens, ca. 7-8 minutter.

Skold glas og låg, og skyld dem med atamon. Fyld glassene mens de og marmeladen stadig er meget varme. 

Fjerne evt. skum der er dannet på marmeladen, inden den hældes på glas. Luk glassene tæt, og lad dem køle helt af.

Server abrikosmarmeladen på dit favorit brød  eller som sauce på is.

Velbekomme!

 

Cinnamon Bread - Kanelbrød

Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, CakeTove Balle-Pedersen9 Comments
Cinnamon Bread - Kanelbrød

Cinnamon Bread - Kanelbrød

Cinnamon bread, is a classic for many teenagers in Denmark. Teens, would buy half a bread, and eat it for lunch. The sweet soft bread is really yummy, but to be honest, it's not food, it's a cake. 

I should have opted for a slightly larger pan, but the result was absolutely scrumptious. 

Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

Dough:

  • ¾ cup (1½ dl) whole milk

  • 60 g butter, salted

  • 50 g live yeast, or 4 teaspoons dry yeast

  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla paste

  • 50 g sugar

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 375 g all-purpose flour

  • 2 eggs + 1 for egg wash

Remounce:

  • 100 g brown sugar

  • 100 g sugar

  • 100 g butter

  • 1 tablespoon syrup

  • 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Frosting:

  • confectionary sugar

  • water

Directions:

Heat the milk until warm and melt the butter in it. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Make sure the milk is only finger warm before adding the yeast.

Add yeast, sugar, salt and vanilla paste and stir until the yeast is dissolved. Add all the flour, and finally the eggs. The dough is very wet, but keep stirring, it will form a dough.

 Let the dough rise until it's doubled in size, for about 1 hour. 

Mix the butter, sugars, syrup and cinnamon for the remounce.

Pour the dough out onto a flour dusted workspace, and fold the dough 4 times, to deflate it. Roll it out so it’s as long as your loaf pan and about four times as wide.

Spread the remounce evenly on the dough, leaving a strip along the short side free. Roll up the dough, like you would cinnamon rolls, ending with the part that is free of the remounce. Half way in fold up the sides to keep the remounce inside the bread, while baking.

Put the bread in a parchment lined loaf pan. The parchment paper, makes it easier to lift out of the baked loaf.

Cut small slits in the sides of the loaf, this makes the loaf look braided. Let the loaf rise for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven for 400℉ (200℃).

Brush the loaf with egg wash, and bake the loaf for 15 minutes, then cover the loaf with aluminum foil, and bake for another 30-45 minutes.

Mix confectionary sugar with a little water to form a thick paste. Let loaf cool completely before frosting. 

Enjoy!

This post has been submitted to the Yeast Spotting Site.  

 

The Danish version:

Kanelbrød

Ingredienser:

Dej:

  • 1½ dl sødmælk

  • 60 g smør, saltet

  • 50 g gær, eller 4 tsk tørgær

  • ¼ tsk vanilla pasta, eller korn fra ½ vanillestang

  • 50 g sukker

  • 1 knsp salt

  • 375 g hvedemel

  • 2 æg + 1 æg til at pensle med

Remounce:

  • 100 g burn farin

  • 100 g sukker

  • 100 g smør

  • 1 spsk sirup

  • 2 spsk kanel

Glasur:

  • flormelis

  • vand

 

Fremgangsmåde:

Varm mælken op og smelt smørret i den varme mælk. Hæld smør/mælk i en røreskål. Vær sikker på at mælken kun er fingervarm før du tilsætter gæren. 

Tilsæt gæren, salt, sukker og vanillen og rør indtil gæren er opløst. Tilsæt melen og æggene. Dejen vil være våd og usammenhængende, men bliv ved med at røre  indtil det er en sammenhængende dej.

Lad dejen hæve til den er doblet i størrelse, det tager ca. 1 time. 

Bland alle ingredienserne til remouncen og sæt den til side.

Kom dejen ud på et meldrysset bord, fold dejen 4 gang for at slå dejen ned. Rul dejen ud, så den er lidt længere end brødformen, og 4 gang så bred.

Spred remouncen ud over dejen, på nær et lille stykke i den ene ende af den korte side. Rul dejen, som du gør når du laver kanelsnegle. Halvvejs fold siderne ind, så remouncen bliver inden i brødet ved bagningen.

Kom brødet i et form foret med bagepapir. Dette gør det lettere at få brødet ud, når det er bagt.

Klip små hakker i brødet, så det ligner at det er flettet. Lad brødet hæve i ca 30 minutter. 

Forvarm oven til 200℃.

Pensl brødet med sammenpisket æg, og bag det i 15 minter. Herefter lægger du et stykke staniol hen over toppen, så brødet ikke bliver for mørkt. Bag brødet videre i ca 30-45 minutter.

Bland glasuren til en tyk pasta, og kom lidt på toppen af det kolde brød.

Velbekomme!

Porchetta on the BBQ

BBQ, Dinner, MeatsTove Balle-Pedersen1 Comment
Porchetta - just of the BBQ

Porchetta - just of the BBQ

I made porchetta before I started with this blog, but I knew I had to make again and again and again. Like a Danish pork roast aka flæskesteg, the porchetta has the crackling pork skin aka flæskesvær, that makes this dish so perfect. The crispy and salty skin goes perfect with the soft juicy pork seasoned with all kinds of goodness. 

If you can get hold of a meaty pork belly and make the porchetta it might be the best BBQ meal you've ever had. But if the pork belly is mostly fat, it won't be that great. Well, you still have excellent  cracklings.

This time I was lucky to find a nice piece of pork belly in my local Whole Foods Market. It was so meaty, with only thin lines of fat between the meat. This called for a porchetta, even though it would mean a late dinner for us.

Ingredients:

  • 5-6 pounds (2½-3 kg) Pork belly with skin on

  • ½ cup (1 dl) breadcrumbs, fresh and finely chopped

  • 1 cup chopped parsley

  • 1 large onion, chopped

Spice rub:

  • 2 lemons, zest of

  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tablespoon whole black pepper, cracked

  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, toasted and cracked

  • 4 bay leaves

  • 2 sprigs rosemary

  • salt - quite a lot

Equipment:

Directions:

Let the pork belly sit at room temperature for 2 hours.

Make a spice blend from lemon zest, garlic, rosemary, toasted fennel seeds, bay leaves, salt and pepper.

Try to roll up the pork belly, and remove the part of the skin, that will be rolled up inside the porchetta. If you don’t do that, you’ll have a chewy rubbery piece of skin inside your porchetta. 

Place the pork belle skin-side down on your kitchen counter. Spread the spice rub, onions, parsley and breadcrumbs. 

Roll up the pork belly tight, and tie the roast crosswise at 1-inch (2½ cm) intervals with butcher's string. 

Porchetta

Porchetta

Insert the grill rotisserie, spear into the center of the roast. Rub the porchetta with olive oil and a good amount of salt. Let the porchette roast for 2-4 hours until the skin is chrisp and dark golden brown, and the center temperature is about 140℉ (60℃). Use indirect heat.

Let the Porchetta rest for about 20 minutes before serving.

Slice the porchetta and serve in a hamburger bun and/or with a good salad.

Enjoy!

 

The Danish version:

Porchetta on the BBQ

Ingredienser:

  • 2½-3 kg svineslag

  • 1 dl hakket daggammelt lyst brød uden skorpe

  • 2 dl hakket persille

  • 1 stor løg, hakket

Krydderiblanding:

  • 2 citroner, skallen fra

  • 3-4 fed hvidløg, pressede

  • 1 spsk hel sort peber, meget groft kværnet

  • 1 tsk fennikel frø, tørristede og groft kværnede

  • 4 laurbærblade

  • 2 kviste rosemarin

  • salt - Ret meget

Udstyr:

  • Roterende grillspyd

Fremgangsmåde:

Lad svineslaget ligge et par timer på køkkenbordet, så det opnår stuetemperatur.

Bland ingredienserne til krydderiblandingen.

Rul svineslaget og fjern den del af  sværen som vil være rullet ind i porchettaen. Denne del af sværen vil blive sej og gummiagtig, hvis den steger med. 

Læg svineslaget med sværen nedad og spred krydderiblandingen, løg, persille og brød på kødet. 

Rul svineslaget stramt op som en stor rullepølse og snør den stramt, med ca. 2½ cm imellem snorene.

Spid stegen med det store grilspyd, og sæt den på grillen og motoren. Smør porchettaen ind med olie og en del salt. Steg porchettaen i ca. 2 timer indtil sværen er brun og sprød, og kødet har en center temperatur på ca 60℃. Brug indirekte varme.

Lad Porchettaen hvile i ca. 20 minutter inden serveringen.

Skær porchettaen og server den i en burgerbolle og/eller med en god salat.

Velbekomme!

 

Remoulade

condimentsTove Balle-PedersenComment
Remoulade

Remoulade

Remoulade is a danish condiment used on hotdogs, open-faced sandwiches, for fried fish and as a dipping sauce for french fries. They also have remoulade in France, but it's not the same semi-sweet sauce.

It is near impossible to find a substitute for remoulade, so most danes import remoulade whenever they visit Denmark.

Here is my take on a homemade Remoulade:

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup creme fraiche or sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons piccalilly
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon chives, finly chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1-2 teaspoon sugar
  • white pepper
  • a pinch turmeric (optional)

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients, and put the remoulade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Season the remoulade with salt, sugar and white pepper.

Enjoy!

 

The Danish version:

Remoulade

Ingredienser:

  • 1 dl creme fraiche 18%
  • 3 spsk piccalilly
  • 1 spsk mayonnaise
  • 1 spsk fintklippet purløg
  • ¼ tsk groft salt
  • 1-2 tsk sukker
  • friskkværnet hvidpeber
  • evt. lidt gurkemeje, for farven, 

Fremgangsmåde:

Rør alle ingredienserne sammen. Stil remouladen tildækket i køleskabet i mindst 30 minutter. Smag remuladen til med salt, sukker og peber.

Velbekomme!