Limoncello Tiramisu

Limoncello Tiramisu

Years ago I made a licorice version of a Limoncello Tiramisu, but I knew that licorice is an acquired taste. So today I made a new version, trying to please more people.

INGREDIENTS:

Syrup:

• 120 ml (½ cup) limoncello liqueur

• 120 ml (½ cup) water

• 50 g (¼ cup) sugar

• 120 ml (½ cup) lemon juice

Mascarpone cream:

• 4 egg whites (pasteurized)

• 4 egg yolks (pasteurized)

• 150 g confectionary sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste, or 1 vanilla bean

• 500 g mascarpone

• zest of 2 lemons

Other:

• about 30-40 ladyfingers, Savoiardi

• lemon zest, for topping

DIRECTIONS:

Syrup:

In a small pan heat the limoncello, water, sugar and lemon juice almost until the sugar has completely dissolved. Set the syrup aside to cool down to room temperature.

Mascarpone cream:

Beat the egg whites until stiff, using an electric mixer or stand mixer. Set aside. Beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. 

Whisk the mascarpone cheese until smooth. Mix in the egg yolk mixture and vanilla. Gently fold the stiff egg whites and lemon zest in the mixture with a spatula.

Pour the syrup into a small shallow dish. Dip each ladyfinger into the syrup for about only 5 seconds. Letting the ladyfingers soak too long will cause them to fall apart. Place the soaked ladyfinger on the bottom of a baking dish. Make sure to fill the whole bottom, break the ladyfinger to make them fit.

Spread about half of the mascarpone mixture  evenly over the ladyfingers. Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with remaining mascarpone mixture.

Cover tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours.

Sprinkle some lemon zest on top, before serving.

Enjoy.

Pine Cone Pops

Pine Cone Pops.

These chocolate pine cone treats might be the cutest winter dessert! If you’re looking for a festive, no-fuss holiday treat, these little pine cones are perfect. They’re easy to make, irresistibly cute, wonderfully chocolatey with a nice crunch—and completely no-bake. Honestly, they taste just as good as they look.

The pine cone pops will keep for up to 3 days at room temperature, or up to a week in the fridge.

Yield about 20.

Ingredients:

• 5-600 g chocolate sheet pan cake, homemade or store bought

Frosting:

• 75 g natural cream cheese

• 75 g dark chocolate

• 25 g powdered sugar

Pine Cone Decorations:

• cocopops

• powdered sugar

Directions:

Start to make the frosting. Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler or gently in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir the melted chocolate into the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.

Crumble the chocolate cake into a large bowl. Add the frosting to the cake crumbs and mix until the texture is soft, even, and workable. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour to firm up.

Shape the chilled cake mixture into small egg like balls, about the size of a whole walnut.

Press the chocolate cereal into the pine cone, starting at the top and working your way down in rows to create a pine-cone effect. To serve, lightly dust with powdered sugar for a snowy finish.

Enjoy!

Boozy Mulled Wine Extract

Boozy Mulled Wine Extract.

For years, I’ve been making a classic mulled wine — or Gløgg, as we Danes call it.
This year, I wanted to try a more grown-up, boozier version.

And just to be clear — please don’t drink and drive!

This recipe is strongly inspired by Timm Vladimir’s Gløgg Extract.
I used his base as a starting point but added extra spices that I normally include in my own mulled wine.

The result? A rich, aromatic Gløgg with a little more kick — perfect for cozy winter nights.

Extract:

Ingredients:

• 2 hvidtøl, a dark, sweet malty beer like Malta Goya

• 500 g sugar

• 35 ml port

• 35 ml dark rum

• 1 orange, sliced

• 1 lemon, sliced

• 8 whole allspice

• 3 whole nutmegs, cracked

• 3 cinnamon sticks

• 6 whole cloves

• 6 whole cardemomme, cracked

• 4 Tonga beans, cracked

• 5 whole black pepper

• 5 vanilla beans, splited in half

• 1 star anise

Directions:

Heat the base:
Pour the hvidtøl and sugar into a large pot. Bring it gently to a boil.
Be careful — this mixture foams easily and can boil over quickly.
Remove the pot from the heat and let the mixture cool completely to room temperature.

Add the aromatics:
When the mixture has cooled, add the port, dark rum, and all remaining ingredients.
Transfer everything to a clean container or large jar.
Refrigerate and let the mixture marinate for 2–3 weeks, stirring or gently shaking the container every other day to help the flavors develop evenly.

Strain and bottle:
After steeping, strain the extract through a fine sieve.
Pour the finished Gløgg extract into a sterilized bottle.
Stored in the refrigerator, it will keep for months — even years.

Serving:

To serve the Boozy Mulled Wine, combine 200-300 ml extract with a bottle of red wine, or to taste. Traditionally gløgg is served with raisons (soaked in port wine or a stronger liquor) and almond slivers.
Choose a soft, fruity red — something non-oaky and low in tannins like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or a young Tempranillo
These wines let the warm spices shine without adding bitterness.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato & Lentil Salad

Sweet Potato & Lentil Salad.

This sweet potato and beluga lentil salad is definitely going to be one of those recipes I make on repeat this winter. It’s hearty, colorful, and full of those cozy flavors I crave when the weather turns cold. The roasted sweet potatoes add sweetness, the lentils bring a lovely earthiness, and the cranberries give just the right pop of chewiness. Everything gets tied together with a creamy tahini dressing that makes the whole bowl feel extra comforting. I might even sprinkle in some nuts next time for a little extra crunch.

It’s also a great make-ahead dish, which is always a lifesaver during busy weeks. You can roast the sweet potatoes and cook the lentils in advance, then toss everything together right before serving. And while I love it for lunch or an easy dinner, it also makes a wonderful side for Thanksgiving or Christmas — festive, vibrant, and guaranteed to disappear fast.

Inspired by Downshiftology.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds (1 kg) sweet potatoes (2 to 3 potatoes)

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 garlic clove crushed

• ½ teaspoon paprika

• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• ½ cup (1 dl) black beluga lentils

• 1 vegetable stock cube

• ½ cup (1 dl) dried unsweetened cranberries

• ¼ cup (½ dl) fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

• ¼ cup (½ dl) italian parsley, finely chopped

• ¼ small red onion, finely chopped

Dressing:

• ¼ cup (½ dl) tahini

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 to 3 tablespoons water

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredients:

Preheat your oven to 425°F (200°C).

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into ½-inch (1-cm) cubes. Place them in a freezer bag.
Add olive oil, cumin, garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper. Shake the bag to coat the cubes evenly.
Spread the sweet potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Roast for 20–25 minutes, stirring halfway, until tender and lightly caramelized.
Set aside to cool.

Cook the beluga lentils in water with a vegetable stock cube for 20–25 minutes, or according to package instructions.
Drain, drizzle with a little olive oil, and let cool.

Mix the dressing: Whisk together tahini, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.
Add water, a little at a time, until the dressing reaches your desired consistency.

In a large bowl, combine the roasted sweet potatoes, cooled lentils, cranberries, red onion, cilantro, and parsley.
Pour about ⅓ of the dressing over the salad and toss gently.
Serve the remaining dressing on the side.

Enjoy!

Kransekage - Danish Almond Wedding Cake

Kransekage - Danish Almond Wedding Cake.

For me this is not a wedding cake, but a New Years Eve cake. Most Danes celebrates New Year by drinking champagne and eating kransekage. This year I decided to make numbers instead of the traditional top.

You get the best cake by using a mazipan/almond paste with more than 63% almonds, otherwise the cake will flatten, and flow out during the baking, masking a cookie.

Kransekage should be crispy outside and a soft inside.

Happy New Year from Copenhagen Denmark.

Makes about 100 cm kransekage (6 rings and the top ball)

Ingredients:

Kransekage:

• 75g almonds blanched or ¾ cup slivered almonds

• 150 g (1 cup) sugar

• 1½ (48 g) egg whites

• 375 g marzipan, use Ren Rå marcipan or this Almond Paste

Icing:

• confectionary sugar (powdered sugar)

• egg white

• water

Directions:

Put almonds and sugar into food processor with the steel blade in place and process until finely pulverized. Add the egg whites and process until smooth. Be careful not to heat the mass to more than 95 - 104°F, else the egg white will cook. 

Shred the marzipan and add it and the almond/egg white mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat it until it's completely smooth and free of lumps. Form the dough into a ball, and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃).

Weigh out 400 g Doug and roll it into a 70 cm log. By during this, you will get the perfect size kransekage, whether. you make pieces, a number cake or a top.
Bake the kransekage for 12 minutes or on til golden brown.

With the palm of your hand gently press each log into a rounded triangle. You can wet you hands a little so the dough won’t stick to your hands.

Form the logs into circles on the parchment paper. Make sure to connect the ends really well.

Cutting the log up making rings.

For the numbers you need 12 cm + 4 cm for the number 2. and 22 cm for the number 0.

If you make a top, you start with 7 cm, and roll it into a ball. For the next ring add 2 cm, so you form a ring out og the 9 cm piece. For each remaing ring add another 2 cm, this will make a perfect top. With this amount of dough, you can make a top with 6 rings and a top ball. (7 cm, 9 cm, 11 cm, 13 cm, 15cm , 17 cm, 19 cm )

A trick to making Danish Kransekage, is to make the rings tall. When you cut the rings or pieces is should be in the shape of a triangle.

Here you see the shape of rings or pieces cut through.

Don’t use the kransekage pans, the rings will become rounded on the bottom, and harder to stack. Shape the kransekage with your hands.

Bake the kransekage on parchment paper, on a double baking sheet, this will prevent the bottom from burning.

Mix the powdered sugar with egg white and water.

When making the icing, it should be thick, not runny at all. Put the icing in a piping bag, cut a tiny tiny hole in the bag. I use half water and half egg whites for the icing.

When piping the icing shouldn't be runny. You almost place the thin line of icing on the kransekage. the piping take time, don't rush it.

If you make a top place the rings on top of each other, lifting the rings with your fingers like hooks inside the rings. Glue the rings together with small dots of icing.

Enjoy!