Showing posts with label poundcake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poundcake. Show all posts

Saturday, December 19, 2020

Great Gramma's Finsk Brod: Adapting Old World Recipes

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Butter the size of an EGG?*!*!

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My mother was never a baker, her expertise was no bake cookies, basically syrup, marshmallows and some sort of cereal. But, my extended family relied on the old world baking of my Grandmother with her vague, old, hand-written in Danish, recipes from Frederickshavn, Denmark.

During the holidays, her kitchen always smelled of butter, vanilla  and cinnamon. 


source pinterest
Infinite butter cookies were washed down with dark rich coffee, sweet cherry wine, or rich Droste old fashioned cocoa in milk. Not a marshmallow in sight.

I have many old hand-written baking recipe's in Danish with obscure measurements such as 'butter the size of an Egg', Fars cup of sugar..versus Mors cup of sugar??? (Father's cup and Mother's cup),  scrape a vanilla bean soaked in vodka, and many more oddities, not too mention litres, millilitres, etc.

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I was fortunate to have helped my Gramma bake at Christmas time. I often spent days at her house while my mom worked extra in the family's Fish Market. 
Christmas was always their busiest time of the year. So many cultures use fresh fish and shellfish, imported cheeses. and delicacies in their traditional Old World holiday dinners.

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Today, Gramma would be 122 years old, so now I'm Gramma and I often bake for gifts. What could be better than real Danish Poundcake? It took me quite a few years to get the balance right on this old recipe.
Tip: Don't use extra large eggs or the dough will be too heavy and not rise.

Recipe Here: 
Grandmother's Pound Cake


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Now the kitchen smells like Christmas! 

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Also excellent in the summer with strawberries on it 
and fresh whipped cream! 

I ran across an old family recipe for Finsk Brod, basically meaning Finnish Bread--a short bread cookie from my aunt, who had tried to duplicate the Danish cookies we were all so fond of. 

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I always use a recipe as written first, and then try and tweak it to what I remember it really tasting like.

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Suprisingly without leavening these still puff up.

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The rich dough is rolled into finger size pieces, then dipped in beaten egg. 

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 The recipe said to roll in chopped almonds and a bit of sugar. (The problem with this is the sugar burns on the bottom...so next time, we will sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon on top) after rolling the 'logs' in almonds.

https://oldnewgreenredoblog.blogspot.com/2020/12/great-grammas-finsk-brod-adapting-old.html

The almonds are chopped a bit fine!

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The taste is definitely right...texture is perfect...the toasted almonds divine... the cinnamon just like Morsmor! (Mother's mother)

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And warm, we could hardly resist gobbling them down.

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Oh, my goodness...total deliciousness! 

Danish Recipe for Finsk Brod- makes 75

1 cup of unsalted butter room temp
1/2 cup of sugar
Beat until thoroughly combined with mixer
add 1 tsp. clear pure vanilla extract

 2 cups of sifted(several times) unbleached flour with pinch of salt (or use salted butter)

Add a little at a time, I use a dough hook on my mixer and keep it going until it all the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Lightly knead the dough on a bread board. Take 1/4 of the very soft dough, quickly roll into long 1/2 " rolls cut 1-1/2" long pieces. 
Dip pieces in beaten egg 
and roll in fine chopped blanched almonds.

Place on parchment paper covered cookie sheets, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 min. 
Watch carefully. Remove the cookies on the parchment from the trays to cool immediately.
Store in air tight container in a cool place.

 
Have a Happy Holiday Season.
and 
GLADELIGE JUL

Other Danish posts:





PLEASE -Do not use my photos without my permission and linking back to this post on my blog.


Thank you for your cooperation, 
Sandi 











Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Christmas Farmhouse Kitchen Tour

Our Christmas Kitchen, 
Our Christmas Kitchen

Come grab a cup of coffee and 

Our Christmas Kitchen

Whistle a Carol or two, 

Our Christmas Kitchen

Make your coffee, just the way you want.


Our Christmas Kitchen

Grab a cookie from our last Sunday Cookie Bake before I put them away.

Our Christmas Kitchen

Or a piece of poundcake,

Our Christmas Kitchen

or another cookie, 
I have them hidden in plain sight here, now.



Our Christmas Kitchen

or here, this carousel plays music, turns--and is a hidden cookie tin.

Our Christmas Kitchen

I'll just put away the cookie cutter bins, LOL. Yes, it is that bad here. 

Our Christmas Kitchen

Phew, now grab a chair and let's take a break.

Our Christmas Kitchen

Around the kitchen, I add Christmas to what I have here everyday.
Everything is vintage at this point.

Our Christmas Kitchen

I've added vintage tins, everywhere.

Our Christmas Kitchen

Elves living in my ivy.


Our Christmas Kitchen

Elves everywhere

Our Christmas Kitchen

In the tree

Our Christmas Kitchen

everywhere.

Our Christmas Kitchen

I decorated the windows with round molds and cake pans.

Our Christmas Kitchen


And streamers of cookie cutters.

Our Christmas Kitchen

On the island, Grandma was in charge of baking all those cookies with 10 elves helping on Sunday.
We managed to get them all done and iced and another 6 dozen or so gingerbread baked before the snow hit.

Our Christmas Kitchen

A Sinterklaus, watches from the buffet.



Our Christmas Kitchen

Another elf in the gravy boat.


Our Christmas Kitchen

A couple of adorable furred elves, on the pantry doors.


Our Christmas Kitchen

A vintage Danish Bell hanger is on the new wallpaper. Nisseman or Danish Elves are busy doing their work and play.

Our Christmas Kitchen

I think this is from the early 1970s.



Our Christmas Kitchen

Since I now have a red, white and blue kitchen, even the S&P are decor.


Our Christmas Kitchen

I have an old wool santa next to the tree. 



A nutcracker stands guard at the herb planters which I stuffed with snow and snowflakes

Our Christmas Kitchen

which I stuffed with snow and snowflakes

Our Christmas Kitchen

Gingerbread boxes are safe for little hands to handle. Vintage cookie cutters are here and there
in case Grandma cracks the whip and we have to bake some more.



Our Christmas Kitchenb

Well, how about another cup of coffee. 

Our Christmas Kitchen

Another piece of poundcake?


Our Christmas Kitchen



And a Very Merry Christmas and 
Happy Holidays 
to All!

Thanks always for visiting. 
I will try and respond to every comment and answer every question.

All the opinions and photographs in this blog are my own, I have not been paid or reimbursed in anyway for my opinions or posts. Please do not use photos without linking back to this blog without my permission. Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi Magle

I will be sharing at these fine Parties!