Danish Shortbread Sticks

December 3th

This is a take on the traditional Danish Shortbread or Finskbrød as they are called. I really like the addition of the lemon zest, and the more modern look. Normally Danes do not like changes to their traditional food and cookies. 'It has to be exactly like my mom made it' - but some changes are for the better, like this one.

Inspired by a Blomsterberg recipe.

Makes 30.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 200 g butter, salted, room temperature

• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

• 60 confectionary (powdered) sugar

• 1 lemon, the zest of

• 275 g all-purpose flour

Topping:

• 1 egg,

• coarse raw cane sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃)

Mix all the ingredients until it forms a dough, be careful not to overwork the dough. Wrap the dough in plastic film, and let it rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 6 x 12-inch (15 x 30 cm) rectangle. Transfer the cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, set aside. Beat the egg, and brush a thin even layer on the dough. Sprinkle with a good amount of raw cane sugar. Gently press the sugar into the dough with the rolling pin. Put the dough into the refrigerator to chill for about 10 minutes. Cut the dough in half so you now have 2 squares 6x6-inches (15x15 cm) each. Cut each square in 14-15 long thin logs, 

Bake for 7-10 minutes, until light golden brown. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Bourbon Apple Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream

Bourbon Apple Pie

Most people like Apple pie, but adding bourbon, just makes the pie a little better. It's not like you get drunk by having a piece of pie. The pie filling get so hot, that the liquor from the bourbon evaporate in the oven. But off course having the bourbon whipped cream will be classified as an adult dessert. This pie is a serious contender in any Thanksgiving pie-off.

Makes 1 pie (9 inch).

INGREDIENTS:

Pie Crust:

• 260 g butter, salted and cold

• 360 g all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons confectionary sugar (powdered sugar)

• 75 ml water, ice-cold

Filling:

• 6-7 apples*,

• 100 g butter

• 120 g sugar

• 75 g brown sugar

• 50 g water

• 3 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

• 3 tablespoons bourbon

• 30 g all-purpose flour

• 1½ tsk cinnamon

• 1 egg yolk for brushing the crust

Bourbon Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup (2½ dl) heavy whipping cream

• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

• 2-3 tablespoons confectionary sugar (powdered sugar)

• 2 tablespoons bourbon

DIRECTIONS: 

Crust:

Cube the butter and place it in the refrigerator.

Put the flour and sugar in the food processor and pulse just until combined. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse until the mixture looks like small coarse crumbs. Drizzle the water over the flour and pulse again until the dough just comes together.

Divide the dough in two discs and wrap them separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 3 hours.

On a floured work surface roll the dough out to about ⅒ inch thickness. You want the dough yo be larger than your pie pan, so you end up with a ⅓ inch overhang on a 9 inch pan. Place the pan with the dough in the refrigerator, until ready to fill.

Preheat the oven to 430℉ (220℃).

Filling:

Mix flour, cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. Melt butter, sugars in a saucepan. Mix the water with the cornstarch, and pour it in the butter/sugar mixture. Add vanilla and the flour/cinnamon, stir the mixture while the sauce thickens. Take the sauce off the heat and stir in the bourbon.

Peel, core and slice the apples in thin slices. Do not soak the apples in water, this will make the filling to watery. Place the apple slices in the pie pan, and pour the sauce over the apples.

Brush the edges with egg wash. Roll out the rest of the dough for the lid, as thin as the other part. Place the lid on top, and firmly press the edges together to seal them. you can do this by hand or with a fork. Use the excess dough to cut out decorations for the pie. 

Optional: brush the lid with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar on top.

Cut 4-8 slids in the dough lid, to allow the steam to escape during baking. 

Bake the pie in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 360℉ (180℃) and bake it for another 50 minutes until the pie is a deep golden brown. 

Let the pie cool completely, before slicing. This part is the hardest. The smell of this delicious apple pie, makes you want to dive in immediately. But if you let it cool first, and then reheat, it will make the slicing so much easier. 

Bourbon Whipped Cream:

Whip the cold cream to soft peaks. Whisk in vanilla, sugar and bourbon.

Serve the pie with bourbon whipped cream or some vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Chocolate & Walnut Babka

Chocolate & Walnut Babka

Babka is an Eastern European brioche sweet yeast bread. Kinda similar to the Cinnamon Bread I knew from growing up in Denmark. Same but different.
Every slice reveals pockets of molten chocolate with crunchy walnut bites in the soft and sweet brioche bread. The intense chocolate filling makes this loaf a really great cake. As a not that chocolaty girl, all I can say is YUM, YUM, YUM.
 

Makes 2 loafs

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 1½ cup (3 dl) whole milk

• 113 g butter, salted

• 100 g live yeast, or 8 teaspoons dry yeast

• ¼ teaspoon vanilla paste

• ¼ teaspoon cardamom

• 100 g sugar

• 1 large pinch salt

• 750 g all-purpose flour

Filling:

• 185 g dark chocolate

• 125 g butter, salted

• 100 g confectionary sugar (powder sugar)

• 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste

• ½ teaspoon strong coffee

• 125-150 g walnuts
  
  Glaze:

• Honey

• lemon juice

• hot water

Directions:

Dough:

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. 

Melt butter and chocolate, and mix in sugar, cocoa, coffee and vanilla. Let the mixture cool down, set aside.

Pour the dough out onto a flour dusted workspace, and fold the dough 4 times, to deflate it. Divide the dough in 3. Roll out each part so they are twice as long as your loaf pans and about four times as wide.

Spread the filling evenly on the dough, leaving a strip along the short side free of filling. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts. Roll up the dough, like you would cinnamon rolls, ending with the part that is free of filling.

My rolls were a bit soft, so I chilled them in the freezer for no longer than 20 minutes, just to firm them up.

Cut all 3 the rolls in half lengthwise, so you end up with 6 half circles, and braid 3 of the halves, with the filling "lines" facing upwards. Fold the end in under the braid, and place it in a parchment paper lined loaf pan. Repeat with the other 3 of the halves for the second loaf. 

Let the loafs rise for about 30-45 minutes.

Preheat the oven for 375℉ (190℃).

Bake the loafs for 45-60 minutes, covering the loafs with aluminum foil the second half of the bake time, to prevent burning the crust.

Brush a little glaze on the loafs after letting them cool for a while.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls

These cinnamon rolls or snegle are a classic in many countries. And for good reason. They taste fantastic. Sweet, soft with the right amount of  cinnamon, Yum yum yum.

In Denmark this type of cinnamon rolls are called Onsdagssnegle (Wednesday Snails) if they are made in size XXL. Acutely they are often bigger than a DVD. Personally I like the smaller ones, they have a better cinnamon to bread ratio.  The snail part might not sound particularly delicious, but it is referring to the shape of the cake, the swirl of the snails shell. 

Makes 20-24.

Ingredients:

• 50 g live yeast ( 4 teaspoons dry yeast)

• 175 g butter, salted

• 500 ml milk

• 175 g sugar

• 2 teaspoons cardamom

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 200 g whole wheat flour

• 600-650 g all-purpose flour

filling:

• 150 g butter, salted, room temperature

• 100 g brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Frosting:

• confectionary sugar

• water or lemon juice

Directions:

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Warm the milk in a saucepan until finger-warm, remove pan from the heat. Melt the butter in the warm milk. Crumble the yeast into the warm milk and stir to dissolve. 

Add the liquid to the dry ingredients, and knead the dough for 3 minutes, to form an elastic dough. 

Let the dough rise for 30-40 minutes until doubled in size. . 

Mix the filling and set aside.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll it to a large rectangle (16x16 inches/40x40 cm).

Spread the filling in a thin layer onto the dough, leaving a thin edge closest to your self, without filling.

Roll the dough into a large log, pinching edges together to seal. Cut the log into 20-24 slices. Grease sides and bottom of a baking pan.

Place the slices fairly close together. Cover and leave to rise for another 40-50 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 425℉ (220℃). 

Bake the rolls for 10-14 minutes until golden brown. 

Leave them to cool in the pan. 

Frost the cinnamon rolls before serving.

Enjoy!

Pear Tart

Pear Tart

Today is Pi-Day/π-Day. This Pear tart or pie is my contribution to this nerdy π-Day. The lines between a tart and a pie are kinda blurry. The biggest difference is whether it's served directly from the pan its baked in. 

This pear tart have been a go-to dessert growing up, and a family favorite. Its easy to make in advance and bake when needed. You can replace the fresh pears with canned pears or other fruits.

Makes 1 tart.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 pears, peeled and cut in halves
• egg wash 
• sugar for sprinkles

Dough:

• 150 g butter, cold, salted
• 240 g all-purpose flour
• 125 g sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 æg
• 1 tablespoon water

Remounce:

• 50 g butter, room temperature
• 50 g sugar
• 50 g grated marzipan

Directions:

Dough:

Mix the butter in the flour, sugar, and ginger in a stand mixer. Add the egg, vanilla paste and just enough of the water so the dough starts to lump together. Form the dough into 2 discs and wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Remounce:

Mix the sugar and marzipan well. Add butter little by little until it’s just incorporated. Set remounce aside.

Preheat the oven to 400℉/200℃.

Divide the dough in 2. Roll the dough out, to fit the tart-pan you are using. (there should be enough dough for a 9" (22 cm) round pan).

Gently place the rolled out dough, make sure getting into the corners, without making any holes in the dough. Cut of all the excess dough. Put into freezer for about 5 minutes.

Spread the remounce in a thin layer on the dough. Place the pears halves in the pan, and cover with a dough lid. Pinch the lid closed at the edges. Brush with egg wash and spinkle with sugar.

Bake the tart for about 40 minutes.

Serve the tart warm with a good vanilla ice cream on the side.

Enjoy!