April 19, 2012

For the love of pumpkin

pumpkin time
Pumpkin and fetta side dish

Best side dish ever for pumpkin lovers. Bake diced pumpkin, serve with cubes of fetta and lots of herbs. Mmmmm.

April 15, 2012

Better Plum Crumble

Plum Crumble

What´s not to love about crumble. It´s the ultimate comfort food and one of those easy recipes I don´t really need any instructions to make. But that was before I came across the ultimate Plum Crumble.

Swedish mother and daughter duo Anna and Fanny Bergenström are amazing cooks. I was looking through one of their cookbooks the other day when this Plum Crumble caught my eye.

Crumble on the top...yes, yes  I´m with you. But how about two layers of crumble with gooey plums in the middle! Yes please! This is an utterly scrumptious crumble and here´s the recipe:

April 14, 2012

Dreams are made of ammonium carbonate

Farfars Kanelkakor

These biscuits are melt in the mouth buttery with a hint of cinammon. Currently a favourite of mine - I find I'm baking them quite a bit.

They're reminiscent of a traditional Swedish biscuit called Drömmar, translated Dreams. The secret ingredient is ammonium carbonate, which is commonly used in Scandinavia. It yields a very light airy product in baked goods and a texture impossible to achieve with bicarbonate soda or baking powder.

If you're able to get your mitts on some ammonium carbonate, or Hjorthornssalt as I know it, be careful to seal it properly as the smell will penetrate everything. But don't worry, the smell of ammonium doesn´t affect the baked goods as it dissipates on cooking.

April 1, 2012

Sunday pork Swedish style

Plommonspäckad fläskkarré 

Pork neck is one of the most flavoursome cuts of meat around. It' the star in this is a classic Swedish dish: Plommonspackad Flaskarre. It roughly translates as plum stuffed pork and is filled with dried plums, better known under the not so sexy name prunes.

It is delicious served with a cream gravy and hasselback potatoes. I couldn't be bothered with fancy potatoes and served mine with parboiled taters. Also, I went a bit heavy on the prunes and used 18 which was way too much - you don't need more than 8-10.

Here's the recipe: