Kransekake

Making a Kransekake was long overdue for me.  You would think that since I have such strong ties to Norway I would have made this "cookie cake" a lot sooner, but chalk it up to laziness I guess.  My introduction to this glorious confection was at my dear friends' wedding in Bergen almost fifteen years ago.   Kransekake is traditionally served at celebrations like weddings, christenings, Constitution Day (17th of May) and Christmas.  After purchasing these kransekake cake forms I really had no more excuses and was determined to make it this holiday season.  

Luckily I had no trouble finding a great recipe.  One of my favorite Scandinavian baking blogs, Passion for Baking, had one that was very straightforward with minimal ingredients: almond flour, confectioner's sugar, egg whites and vanilla.  I used my stand mixer to bring the dough together and a cookie press to pipe long tubes of the dough.  You can forgo these and do both by hand if you want. 

The kransekake's impressive appearance belies its simplicity  I was shocked at how easy it was to make and assemble.  When finished it's a true show stopper.  I'm planning to make a few more of these to give as holiday gifts.  God Jul to All!

Vaffler (Norwegian Waffles)

In honor of today, syttende mai or the "17th of May", I'm making one of my all-time favorite Norwegian treats - vaffler.  These aren't the American style waffles that are eaten at breakfast with maple syrup.    Rather, these are soft and pliable and eaten as a snack.  

You'll find vaffler all over Norway: at the 7-11 convenience store, coffee shops and even the airport, but I like homemade ones the best.  My Norwegian family loves to eat their waffles with brunost, a sweet brown goat cheese, but I prefer mine with a little dollop of Nora raspberry jam. 

The batter comes together super quickly and you MUST use a heart-shaped waffle iron.   The recipe calls for cardamom which is used throughout Nordic baking and gives the waffles a truly authentic taste.  

GRATULERER MED DAGEN!!!

Norwegian Flag Cookies for the 17th of May

The 17th of May is a pretty big deal in Norway.  Back in 1814 it was the day the constitution was signed thus declaring it an independent nation.  For  Americans it would be similar to our 4th of July.  I had the pleasure of witnessing all the celebrations firsthand  a few years ago when I was in Bergen attending the wedding of my dear friends E&L.    

Norway is a pretty sparsely populated country, just shy of five million, but  Norwegians are some of the most patriotic people I have ever met.  And they go all out for  the 17th.   Picture tons of people crowding the streets wearing bunad, the national costume, and waving their red, blue and white flags as parades and bands march by.  "Fantastisk!" as MG would say.

I first made these cookies about five years ago.  I thought it would be a sweet way to celebrate  the holiday.  They were such a hit with my Norwegian friends that it's become a tradition for me to send these treats to them every year.       

To all my Nordic friends:  Gratulerer med dagen!

Susanne's Eplekake (Norwegian Apple Cake)

For the past couple of years I've been fortunate enough to spend New Years with some very very dear friends in Norway.  They're like family, except they don't speak Vietnamese!   Mornings are normally spent hitting the ski slopes of Norefjell, just behind the cabin.  The rest of the day is pretty much devoted to one (or more) of the following: eating, surfing the net, reading, watching tv or just chatting. 

We always eat great meals up in the mountains.  There's nothing like exercise and cold weather to fuel an appetite.   During that time of year way up north there's only a few hours of daylight.  So when you're inside for most of the day you can't help but think , "what's next on the menu?".  It also doesn't hurt that we all love to eat and are foodies in the making.

When it comes to Norwegian baking I always turn to Susanne, the family's expert.  This is her recipe for eplekake, or apple cake, a traditional and popular dessert in Norway.  I've heard that most every household has their own favorite recipe.  The ingredients are simple and the cake is absolutely delicious.  I dusted the finished cake with some icing sugar, which is a bit unconventional, but I don't think Susanne will mind.  Tusen tusen takk Susanne!!