Looking for the perfect centerpiece to spruce up your picnic or coffee table at an upcoming summer soiree? Local food consultant and cookbook author Pat Sinclair has the solution—in the form of over forty delectable Northern European treats such as Norwegian toscakake and Finnish browned butter teaspoon cookies—in her most recent cookbook, Scandinavian Classic Baking. While Pat is widely known for her baking expertise, she emphasizes that this project is particularly close to home.
“Once I began working on this cookbook I realized I’ve been baking all these classic recipes for the thirty-plus years I’ve lived in Minnesota.” Case in point: since her husband’s family has Danish roots, she was adopted into a ritual that his great-grandma started. “We’ve always had an aebleskiver tradition (recipe below) at our house. I’m carrying on the practice of turning aebleskivers with knitting needles.”
Pat notes that the ingredients and methods of preparation for Scandinavian specialties are typically a result of climate and location, but the one element that unites them all is the notion of hospitality. As an example, she references the customary Swedish “fika,” or “a gathering with coffee”: “During fika, guests are always warmly welcomed around the coffee table, which is piled-high with sweet pastries, hearty breads, muffins, and cookies—to be accompanied with coffee and conversation, of course.” When asked what housewarming gift Pat would bring to welcome a newcomer into her Edina neighborhood, she promptly responded, “In the summertime, desert sand cookies. The recipe is one of my favorites—easy to make with a delicate brown butter flavor.”
Chock-full of lushly photographed treats and confections, this book covers the gamut from simple warm breakfast breads to more elaborate recipes (try your hand at some miniature tri-layered princess cakes) all written with detailed instructions for novice bakers and pastry chefs alike. “What makes this special,” Pat notes, “is the layout of the book. In the sidebars, there’s information that both highlights a Northern European country and gives the recipe a cultural context. So it’s really more than just a cookbook.” What better way to commemorate Swedish Midsummer (June 25), for example, than by enjoying a ruby-ripe strawberry cream cake?
Regardless of cultural affiliation or special event, few would argue with a singular fact: a pastry or dessert is the great centerpiece for any festive affair, marking the occasion and making it celebratory. Pay homage to Minnesota’s Scandinavian-American heritage this summer by baking up some time-honored morsels. They’re sure to bring a bit of delicious levity with a dash of hospitality to any occasion.
RECIPES
Danish Aebleskiver (makes 35 pancake balls)
Recommended pan: aebleskiver pan made of cast iron or heavy cast aluminum (available at Williams-Sonoma in the Galleria).
Also recommended: knitting needle to turn the balls as they cook (substitute with a wooden skewer if necessary). The secret to round balls is to turn several times before the batter is completely cooked.
4 large eggs, separated
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup butter, softened
Confectioners’ sugar
Applesauce, if desired
Whisk the egg yokes and sugar until foamy. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the flour and milk to the egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with the electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. When you lift the beaters, the whites will make peaks that fold back slightly.
Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until smooth. When folding, place the lighter mixture on top and use a rubber spatula. Draw the spatula vertically down through the middle and under the mixture, across the bottom of the bowl and pull up on the side. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until the two mixtures are combined.
Heat an aebleskiver pan over medium heat until drops of water sizzle. Place about ¼ teaspoon butter in cup. Add about ¼ cup batter to each cup. Each cup should be about ¾ full. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until bottom half is browned. Use the knitting needle to slowly turn the balls to cook the other sides. Balls are done when a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Turn out pancake balls onto plate and keep warm in a slow oven. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with applesauce.
Desert Sand Cookies (makes 3 dozen cookies)
1 cup butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
Brown the butter by melting in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally. When the butter begins to foam, stir constantly until it turns a deep golden brown. Watch carefully because at this point the color changes quickly. It takes about 7 minutes to brown the butter. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 350◦ F. Mix the flour and baking powder together. Add the cooled butter and vanilla to the sugar in a medium bowl and stir until evenly mixed. Add the flour and mix to form a dough.
Shape the dough into balls using rounded teaspoons of dough. Place on baking sheets and press a crisscross pattern with a fork. Dip the tines of the fork in a little flour if the dough sticks.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes. These cookies do not brown much, so touch them lightly to see if they are set. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a wire cooling rack. The cookies are fragile until they are cool.
Strawberry Cream Cake (makes 10 to 12 servings)
Bakers in all of the Scandinavian countries create an airy sponge cake like this to showcase the first strawberries of the season. Custard filling is sometimes spread between the layers. Save a few perfect berries for a garnish.
Cake
¾ cup cake flour
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
1 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla
Topping
3 cups chopped strawberries, ½-inch pieces
1 Tbsp. sugar
½ pkg. (4 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1½ confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla
1½ heavy whipping cream
Heat the oven to 350◦ F. Line the bottom of two 9” round cake pans with parchment paper or waxed paper. Spray the paper lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Sift the cake flour with 1 tablespoon sugar.
Place the eggs, ¾ cup sugar, salt, cream of tartar, water and vanilla in a large mixer bowl. Beat on high with a whisk attachment until thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes. When the whisk is lifted, the eggs will form a thick ribbon that dissolves.
Fold in the cake flour and mix until blended. When folding, place the lighter mixture on top and use a rubber spatula. Draw the spatula vertically down through the middle and under the mixture, across the bottom of the bowl and pull up on the side. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until the two mixtures are combined. Pour into the prepared pans and spread evenly. Bake 13 to 16 minutes or until the center springs back when touched lightly with a finger.
Cool pans 10 minutes on a wire cooling rack. Run a thin metal spatula around the edges of the pans loosening the cake. Carefully remove the cakes from pans and peel off the parchment paper. Cool completely on the wire cooling rack.
Make the topping. Mix the strawberries with the sugar in a medium bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Beat the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla in a large mixer bowl on high with a whisk attachment until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gradually add the whipping cream while beating on low. Increase speed to high and continue beating until soft peaks form. Beat in strawberries and beat about 30 seconds.
Place one layer of the cake on a serving dish. Spread with 2 cups strawberry whipped cream, spreading to the edges. Add the second layer and cover with the remaining strawberry whipped cream. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. Garnish with additional strawberries, if desired. Cake must be refrigerated.
