7:31 PM | Posted by
kelesney |
PDFFriday, December 18, 2009
EDIBLE TREATS: Brunekager / Danish Spice Cookies
Little Danish Holiday Custom:
If you are in Denmark during the holidays and are offered a traditional Christmas cookie (Pebernød / Brunkage), you have to accept it.
Otherwise, tradition states...you ruin the spirit of Christmas!
Every year...a part of me awaits their addicting smell and taste. With their annual arrival, the sweet smell of these traditional holiday cookie bring back the wonderful memories of my Danish childhood. We would know that the holidays were right around the corner when fresh scented aromas of cinnamon and spices would fill the air from our bedstemor's (grandmother) kitchen. She would fill many a huge tin full of these delicious morsels - and both young and old alike would raid these over the coming days before Christmas!
The recipe I present here is a combination of the one she used to make plus a little from that of our great-grandmother from Skjold in Jylland along with a little from our mother and mine. Thus, what you get here is a modern hybrid of multiple generations of cookie making.
Please Note: Measurements shown in both English and Metric
spsk=large soup spoon / tsp=demitasse spoon
Makes 4 dozen
spsk=large soup spoon / tsp=demitasse spoon
Makes 4 dozen
5 oz / (125g) Dark Molasses (Mørk Sirup)
2/3c / (125g) Baker’s Sugar or Powdered Sugar (Puddersukker)
2/3c / (125g) Butter (Smør)
2-1/4c / (250g) Flour (Mel)
2tbsp / (2spsk) Cinnamon (Kanel) - ground
1tsp / (1tsk) Cloves (Nelliker) - ground
1/4tsp / (1/4tsk) Allspice (Allehånde) - ground
3tbsp / (3spsk) Raisin Water (Rosinvand)*
1tbsp / (1spsk) Baking Soda (Natron)
1c / (75g) Slivered Almonds, crushed (Mandler)...I prefer more!
1 Lemon Zest - medium size (Citronskal)
1 Orange Zest - large size (Appelsinerskal)
FOR DECORATION
Pearl Sugar (Perlsukker) or Almond (Mandler)
*How to make raisin water: Night before add 1/8 cup raisins to 1 cup water. Water should look brownish from the overnight soak...or simply use plain water.
DIRECTIONS
1: PREPARE DOUGH: Melt Molasses, Sugar and Butter together over medium heat until butter melts.
2: Add Baking Soda to raisin water and blend. Then, add this to the warm molasses mixture. (Don't worry the mixture will froth and change increase in quantity as chemical composition changes.) Add finely chopped almonds and zests - and mix thoroughly. Let mixture cool until able to touch without burning yourself.
3: While molasses mixture is cooling, mix the flour and the spices together in a separate bowl. Once molasses mixture is cool enough to handle, add a little flour at a time stirring with a spoon to form a nice smooth ball.
4: SHAPE: Here you have two options: OPTION ONE, you can roll the dough out on a lightly floured board and use a cookie cutter. Or OPTION TWO, you can make them into thick pølser (sausage) and form them between parchment paper/plastic into square logs and let them rest in the refrigerator for minimum 4-6 hours until firm enough to cut. (Note: The rolls can be stored in the fridge for week.) Cut the pølserne (sausages) with a sharp knife about an 1/4" thick.
5: BAKING: Preheat an oven at 325°F at 12-15 or until golden brown. Note: depending on your location and weather conditions, pretest the timing of batch and check time at 8-10 minutes as time may vary.
6: Lay the cookies on a cookie sheet with parchment paper or on a reusable silicon baking sheet. Decorate with pearl sugar or a small almond sliver. Bake according to the above directions. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Taste best when served warm...and with gløgg!
2/3c / (125g) Baker’s Sugar or Powdered Sugar (Puddersukker)
2/3c / (125g) Butter (Smør)
2-1/4c / (250g) Flour (Mel)
2tbsp / (2spsk) Cinnamon (Kanel) - ground
1tsp / (1tsk) Cloves (Nelliker) - ground
1/4tsp / (1/4tsk) Allspice (Allehånde) - ground
3tbsp / (3spsk) Raisin Water (Rosinvand)*
1tbsp / (1spsk) Baking Soda (Natron)
1c / (75g) Slivered Almonds, crushed (Mandler)...I prefer more!
1 Lemon Zest - medium size (Citronskal)
1 Orange Zest - large size (Appelsinerskal)
FOR DECORATION
Pearl Sugar (Perlsukker) or Almond (Mandler)
*How to make raisin water: Night before add 1/8 cup raisins to 1 cup water. Water should look brownish from the overnight soak...or simply use plain water.
DIRECTIONS
1: PREPARE DOUGH: Melt Molasses, Sugar and Butter together over medium heat until butter melts.
2: Add Baking Soda to raisin water and blend. Then, add this to the warm molasses mixture. (Don't worry the mixture will froth and change increase in quantity as chemical composition changes.) Add finely chopped almonds and zests - and mix thoroughly. Let mixture cool until able to touch without burning yourself.
3: While molasses mixture is cooling, mix the flour and the spices together in a separate bowl. Once molasses mixture is cool enough to handle, add a little flour at a time stirring with a spoon to form a nice smooth ball.
4: SHAPE: Here you have two options: OPTION ONE, you can roll the dough out on a lightly floured board and use a cookie cutter. Or OPTION TWO, you can make them into thick pølser (sausage) and form them between parchment paper/plastic into square logs and let them rest in the refrigerator for minimum 4-6 hours until firm enough to cut. (Note: The rolls can be stored in the fridge for week.) Cut the pølserne (sausages) with a sharp knife about an 1/4" thick.
5: BAKING: Preheat an oven at 325°F at 12-15 or until golden brown. Note: depending on your location and weather conditions, pretest the timing of batch and check time at 8-10 minutes as time may vary.
6: Lay the cookies on a cookie sheet with parchment paper or on a reusable silicon baking sheet. Decorate with pearl sugar or a small almond sliver. Bake according to the above directions. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Taste best when served warm...and with gløgg!
Monday, October 12, 2009
Uncap / Sniff / Release
Today we had a minor 'intruder alert'. Friends were over to discuss architecture and saw my bottles infusing away and grabbed one. Within seconds...the first bottle was uncapped, raised to inhale it's intoxicating fumes and found virgin release of its wonderful flavors to someone other than me. I was initially taken aback from the intrusion; but, was pleasantly surprised to discover that this one batch was doing well after finding myself breathing its ether.
With the rest of the bottle shaken and turned to diffuse their flavors even more...I await the time for their final filtration and rebottling for the Juletide festivities.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tips from Aalborg Akvavit: Spiced Aquavit
Collecting the fragrant berries and herbs is part of the adventure, when making homemade aquavit. Herbs can be found everywhere in the Danish countryside, but mostly in the area around the Liim Fiord. Here, in the beautiful, undisturbed countryside between fiord and sea runs “Snapseruten” (the Aquavit Trail). Take a book with good images and descriptions of the plants along with you – or go to www.snapseruten.dk (available in Danish, Swedish and German) and read up on some good tips on precisely where to find the various herbs.
1. Herbs and berries
Go out and pick herbs and berries when the morning mist has lifted. The more ripe they are, the more flavoursome. Use a basket for your harvest, clean it and lay the herbs and berries in a lidded jar.
2. The essence
To make spiced aquavit, concentrate on the essences. You release essences by filling a jar or empty aquavit bottle with one type of herb or berry, then filling it with BRØNDUMS Snaps or BRØNDUMS Snaps Klar. Put the lid on the jar so it is airtight and allow the essence to extract. The infusion time will vary. As a rule of thumb, fresh and dried herbs should be filtered out after a week at most, while berries, fruits and roots should soak for a week to six months.
3. Filtering and aging
When the essence has been extracted, it must be filtered using a coffee filter or cloth. Then pour the purified essence into a decorative bottle and set it aside for aging. As a rule of thumb, the less sweet berries and nuts – juniper and walnuts, for example – improve the longer they are aged. The flavour components will develop, impurities fall to the bottom and certain essences will also take on a beautiful golden hue. On the other hand, nothing is gained by allowing juicy berries like strawberries to age for long.
4. Taste testing
Should the essence be allowed to age for longer, or is it ready to drink? In this case there is only one thing to do: Close your eyes, taste it and rely on the sensations in your stomach.
5. Serving
Invite family and friends around for homemade aquavit and something tasty from the kitchen. Put the essence on the table and dilute to taste with BRØNDUMS Snaps or BRØNDUMS Snaps Klar. Every essence tastes fantastic on it own, but blending is also allowed. However, flavours can become muddled if you blend too many essences, which makes the aquavit taste of everything and nothing. One or two – and rarely more – herbs and berries that go together well will give the best “little taste”to your good company. Honey can be used to strengthen the flavour.
PERSONAL NOTE: Since Brøndums Snaps is unavailable, use potato vodka as the base.
Monday, October 5, 2009
RECIPE Hour: MELISSA LEO (Aquavit/Akvavit + OJ)
THE MELISSA LEO
MAKES4 DRINKSACTIVE TIME:5 MIN
START TO FINISH:25 MIN
GOURMET: FEBRUARY 2009
Inspired by the tough, no-nonsense characters Leo has played in her career, this cocktail includes equal parts orange juice and aquavit—a union of sweet citrus and herbaceous spirit—rounded out by orange liqueur, lime juice, and a bit of vanilla extract. Crushed ice nods to the landscape of the film for which she was nominated, Frozen River, while a curly strip of orange zest pays whimsical tribute to the actor’s reddish-brown locks.
1 (4- by 1/2-inch) strip orange zest (remove with a vegetable peeler)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp water
8 oz (1 cup) chilled aquavit such as Linie or O.P. Anderson
4 oz (1/2 cup) Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or triple sec
8 oz (1 cup) chilled fresh orange juice
1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Crushed ice
• Cut orange-zest strip lengthwise into 4 equal pieces.
• Bring sugar and water to a simmer in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Transfer syrup to a very small bowl and add zest strips. Soak 5 minutes.
• Remove strips from syrup, reserving syrup, and coil around a chopstick or a pencil. Let strips dry until set, about 15 minutes. Remove from chopstick.
• Stir together aquavit, Cointreau, juices, vanilla, and 1 tsp reserved sugar syrup.
• Fill 4 cocktail glasses with crushed ice and divide aquavit mixture among them. Garnish with orange curls.
Skaal!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
CHASING THE COLORS OF FALL
It's a few days later now...and the three infused vodkas are beginning to resemble the varied caramelized colors of fall. One, in fact, turned the hue of Aalborg Jubilaeum Akvavit by the end of the first day - just the snaps I was out to recreate. Today is the third day and they now appear to be variations of the same. So, this morning they received a gentle upside down shake of their contents to distribute their rich flavors and then, were returned to rest and repeat in another 3-5 days.
This quest may have you wondering...but, there is some reason in this madness of mine that I am sharing with you. Having attended many a Danish celebration has given me a true awareness of the many varieties of akvavit that now exists. It may be just simple economics that has given way to my favorite akvavit being no longed exported to the US. But, it has given me impetus to understand and appreciate this part of my heritage even more. Whatever the true cause of what I will call the 'great embargo of 2009', I will do my best to find a comparable homemade substitute of my favorite water from the vine. Thus, this little experiment will give me great delight in discovering the care and patience in producing a homemade version for someone stateside to enjoy.
So, let me share how this bottled batch was born. First, all my Danish cookbooks (both in English and Danish) hit the kitchen counter. There I went through each seeing what was available in background and recipes. These I will list for your reference. Then, I went online and searched in both English and Danish databases/blogs/websites for additional recipes. I have to tell you there were more recipes it seems than possible to try. But, at least...they have become part of my own database and will then become part of this adventure that I am sharing with you.
With the first hurdle of finding recipes completed, I had to concentrate on the second most important part of this experiment, the ingredients. These all referred to choosing a liquid base ingredient with ingredients to flavor it. In most Danish recipes the base ingredient that was used was unflavored 'Brændevin', which is general term for beverage distilled from potatoes, grain or in the past wood cellulose. Akvavit and vodka are derived from this same process. Given this knowledge, I went online again and searched out potato vodkas and found it mainly a Polish product with some interesting commentary. It seems in the world of vodka, the potato distilled version is viewed with little respect; except, Chopin Vodka. Otherwise, the impression was one of basement brew. Well, I did not need to enjoy a well-priced polished vodka for it's flavor alone. So, I decided on this first endeavor to purchase some basic everyday polish potato vodka, 'Monopolowa' 750ml for a mere $12/bottle. I bought two bottles with the intent of dividing them into a third bottle to make the three 500ml concoctions.
Below I have included the three recipes that I chose to test this past Saturday. I hope as the weeks move forward to have more results and news about how well they are responding to being infused with their varied flavors.
DIRECTIONS for all Three Recipes
Below I have included the three recipes that I chose to test this past Saturday. I hope as the weeks move forward to have more results and news about how well they are responding to being infused with their varied flavors.
Open the vodka bottle, add all the remaining ingredients, and cover tightly.
Let stand in a cool, dark place for 2 to 3 weeks, shaking every 3 or 4 days – how long you let it sit depends on how strong you want it, so taste it after 2 weeks to see if you want to let it go longer.
When it’s as strong as you’d like, strain the solids through a sieve and discard them, then transfer the aquavit back into the bottle or unless otherwise, directed.
To serve: place your aquavit in the freezer until chilled and serve in 1 ounce tall glasses.
Herbal Snaps / 'Kryddersnaps'
(1/2 recipe)
Ingredients
1-2 large spring of thyme
10-12 dry whole cloves
1 tbsp tsp anise seed
1 liter potato vodka
FLASK TWO
Basic Citrus Snaps
(1/2 recipe)
Ingredients
2 tsp. caraway seeds
2 tsp. anise seeds (or 2 star anise)
1 whole clove
peel from 1/2 orange
1 liter potato vodka
Andreas Viestad's Mock Aquavit Recipe
(use 1/2 recipe)
Recipe adapted from "Kitchen of Light: New Scandinavian Cooking with Andreas Viestad" by Andres Viestad. Prep time includes infusion.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons dill seeds
2 star anise or 2 tsp anise seed
1 tablespoon coriander seed
1 whole clove
1 cinnamon stick, 1-inch long (optional)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds (optional)
1 liter potato vodka
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Round One.
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