Satay Sauce

Satay sauce is so scrumptious, the peanut buttery sweet slightly curried sauce is perfect with chicken and spring rolls. Because I didn't grow on peanut butter, this sauce is the best thing you can make with peanut butter, for me it's properly the only thing.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of full-fat coconut milk
• 4 teaspoons red curry paste
• 150 g unsweetened peanut butter (I used an old fashioned style crunchy peanut butter only containing peanuts)
• ¼ tablespoon Thai fish sauce (or use salt to taste)
• ¼ cup (50 g) palm sugar
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar 
• ½ cup water

Directions:

Put everything into a medium heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a very gentle boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Let the mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to let the sauce scorch. Take the pot off the heat, let the sauce cool down to room temperature, and serve the sauce with satay or spring rolls 

This peanut sauce will keep in a container in the refrigerator for weeks. The refrigerated sauce will thicken up considerably, but just add some water, reheat it and it is ready to serve.  

Enjoy!

Teboller - Buttermilk Buns

Teboller - Buttermilk Buns

These buttermilk bun is my take on the traditional teboller/buns you can buy a baker's shops in Denmark. They are sweet and soft, and pairs perfect with a cup of hot chocolate on a cold and windy fall afternoon. Normally you can buy them with or without raisins or chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

• 200 ml water, finger-warm

• 40 g live yeast (or 3 teaspoons dry yeast)

• 4 tablespoons sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 100 ml buttermilk

• 525 g all-purpose flour

• 50 g butter, room-temperature 

• 1 handful raisins or chocolate chips (optional)

 Topping:

• egg-wash, here a beaten egg

• nuts & raw sugar (optional)

Directions:

In the bowl of the stand mixer, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the water. Add milk, flour, salt, egg and knead the dough for 5-8 minutes on medium, (8-10 minutes if kneaded by hand), until smooth and elastic. Add the butter a little at a time (and raisins or chocolate chips), and mix until fully incorporated. 

Let the dough rise for about 30 minutes until doubled in size.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using dough scraper, divide dough into 12-15 equal parts. Gently roll each into a ball and arrange 2 to 3 inches apart on baking sheet. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let buns rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400℉ (200℃).

Brush the on top of buns, sprinkle with toppings. Bake the buns for 8-12 minutes until deep golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Napoleonshatte - Napoleon Hats

Napoleonshatte - Napoleon Hats

Napoleon hats are a stable in the Danish Baker's Shops. The cake is made from shortcrust pastry with a filling of kransekage dough, then dipped in a good dark chocolate. Napoleon hats are one of the cakes I have to have when I'm visiting Denmark. They are really delicious, and to be honest, this homemade version with real marzipan is so much better than the ones you can buy at most baker's shops. 

The cake is named after the (funny) hat of the French General and Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.  

Makes 16.

Ingredients:

Pastry:

• 300 g all-purpose flour

• 150 g butter, salted and room temperature

• 100 g confectionary sugar

• 1 egg

Filling:

• 250 g almond paste (I used ren rå marzipan from Odense)

• 100 g sugar

• 1 egg white

Dipped in:

250 g dark chocolate, tempered

Directions:

Pastry:

Mix the butter in the flour and sugar in a stand mixer. Add the egg and mix just until the dough starts to lump together. Form the dough into a disc and wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

On a floured surface roll the dough to about 1/10-inch (3mm) thickness. Cut out rounds about 3⅕-inch (8 cm) in diameter.

Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃).

Filling:

In the making

Beat the egg white with the sugar until combined, mix in the marzipan a little at a time. Divide the mixture into 16 balls. 

Place a ball unto the center of each pastry round. Fold three flaps of the circle up, pressing it into the marzipan ball, so it sticks. Use three finger to make it even. 

Bake the cakes for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Let the cakes cool completely. Place the cooled cakes in the refrigerator until you are ready with the tempered chocolate.

Dip the bottom of the cake in tempered dark chocolate, scrape excess chocolate off the cake. Set the cake on its side with the chocolate pointing up, until the chocolate has set.

Serve the napoleon hats with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

Enjoy!

Just dipped in chocolate

Green Goddess Chicken

Green Goddess Chicken

It is well known that if you marinate chicken in buttermilk, you will get the most juicy chicken. I have done that with the chicken nuggets earlier on.  So why not marinate chicken in the green Goddess dressing. 

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 200 ml green Goddess dressing

• 4-6 chicken thighs

• olive oil, for roasting

• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Pour the dressing into a ziplock bag with the chicken thighs. Let the chicken marinate in the dressing for at least 6 hours or over night in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 450℉ (235℃).

Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off the excess dressing, and place the chicken skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet. Discard the marinade. Pad the liquid off the chicken skin with paper towel. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. 

Roast the chicken for 30-45 minutes golden brown and cooked through.

Serve the chicken with a salad and use the dressing as a cold sauce.

Enjoy!

Green Goddess Dressing

Green Goddess Dressing

The delicious green dressing is believed to originate back to 1923 at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Where the executive chef Philip Roemer wanted to pay tribute to an actor and his play The Green Goddess.

This dressing is new to me, it must be my Danish hesitance that have made me miss out on this delicious dressing. But from now on I am going use it with my salads from time to time.  

I know this dressing is old school, but the tanginess from the buttermilk and the taste of herbs really pairs well with a green salad.

Ingredients:

• 180 ml (¾ cup) mayonnaise
• 180 ml (¾ cup) buttermilk
• 20 g (4 tablespoons) chopped fresh chives
• 15 g (¼ cup) fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons (about 5 g) fresh tarragon leaves, chopped
• 1 glove garlic
• 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 1 lemon, the juice from
• salt & pepper

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a blender, and blend the dressing until smooth. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Serve the dressing with a pasta salad or a green salad.

Enjoy!