Traditional and modern Scandinavian and Nordic recipes.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Knækbrød - Crispbread


We always had Knækbrød or crispbread in the kitchen cabinet. It is a hard bread that does not go bad or stale as quickly as standard bread.  So if you run out of fresh bread, it is nice knowing that the crisp bread is in the kitchen cabinet. Knækbrød is a great alternative to have for either breakfast, lunch snack or dinner. 
This crispbread recipe is a treat for me to make.  It is very easy to make. I love tasting all sorts of seeds every time I take a bite. Plus, I can customize the crisp bread with all sorts of seeds if I want to.
Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup sunflower kernels
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup hemp seeds
  • 1/2 cup flax seeds
  • 1/2 cup oatmeal
  • 9 oz ryeflour
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
See our video to see how Karen Grete make Knækbrød
Instruction:
  1. Mix all the seeds, add rye flour mixed with salt and baking powder. 
  2. Add water and oil and mix for 2-3 min. 
  3. Finish mixing by hand on a floured surface and divide it into 2 portions. 
  4. Roll it out between parchment paper.  
  5. Place it on a buttered and floured baking sheet and cut it with a knife to aprox. 1.5″ x 3″ (4cm  x 7.5cm)
  6. Bake it at 400F for approx. 15 min.
We suggest to butter the crisp bread.  However there are all sorts of toppings to add such as preserves, honey, cheese and cold cuts.

Danish Flag Cake Recipe - Dannebrogskage

The Danish Constitution Day is on June 5th this year.  So we thought it would be fun to make a two layer Danish Flag Cake with custard, raspberries and plenty of whipped cream in celebration.  Dannebrog is the name of the Danish flag and it is the oldest in the world.

Ingredients
  • 1 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 6 oz or 1 1/2 stick butter
  • 4 eggs - seperated, egg whites beaten stiff
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • custard
  • raspberries
  • whipped cream
  • frosting

Beat butter and sugar, add 4 egg yolks. Add milk w/vanilla extract. Add flour mixed with baking powder. Beat 4 egg whites stiff and add it to the mixture. Bake in pan greased with butter and flour at 425F for approx. 15 min.
Cut cake in half, add custard between the two layers. Add frosting to top layer and place raspberries to form flag with whipped cream forming a cross.
  Enjoy a slice of cake with a cup of coffee.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

Swedish Sandwich Cake - Smörgåstårta




The Smörgåstårta isn't exactly a cake because it is not baked. It isn't exactly sandwich because it looks like a cake. Typically the Swedish Sandwich Cake has layers of seafood, fresh veggies, creamy spreads and soft fresh baked bread. However, there are hundreds of combinations to make a Swedish Sandwich Cake.

This type of sandwich cake is great to serve if  you have a large party such as for picnics, family reunions or even birthday parties. The colorful and decorative cake will be the talk of the party for sure. Everyone will wonder what is inside the cake. Once you slice into the cake you will uncover layers of different toppings.  You will need a knife and fork to eat the sandwich cake because it is not the typical sandwich.
 
Ingredients

  • 1 round sourdough 
  • cream cheese
  • cooked shrimp     
  • smoked salmon (or any other filling you prefer)  
  • cucumber  
  • chives (parsley or dill  
  • capers 
  • sliced hard boiled eggs and tomatoes
See our YouTube video to assemble the Swedish Sandwich Cake
Instructions

Cut off top of the bread and slice it horizontally, so you have 3 pieces of the bread. Spread cream cheese on each layer,and place smoked salmon and cucumbers in between the two slices (add shrimp as well if you prefer). Cover the bread with cream cheese on top and the sides and add chives or dill on the side. On the top piece place shrimp, twisted cucumber slices, capers and a slice of the smoked salmon formed as a flower in the center of the cake. Place the finished bread on a plate with sliced eggs and tomatoes around it.

 

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Chocolate Coca Cola Bottle Recipe

A few weeks ago, I made Chocolate Coca Cola bottle as a Piñata.  I decided to make a smaller version which is the size of a 20 ounce coca cola bottle.  This size coca cola bottle is perfect for tiny size candies such as mini M&M's, Skittles or even small jelly beans. 

I think it would fun to serve at any party..birthdays, family gathering or even as a prank especially since this is something not a lot of people have not seen it in person.  This will definitely be a topic of discussion at any party! 

Below are the ingredients.  It is pretty easy to do.  You just have to be sure that you make the chocolate thick enough.  Otherwise, the chocolate can break when unmolding it from the plastic.

Ingredients:
  • 20 ounce coca cola bottle
  • 1 cup of chocolate candy melts
  • 1 teaspoon of shortening (add more if need be) 
  • cooking or baking spray 
  • tiny candies such as mini M&M's, Skittles or small jelly beans
Kitchen Utensils
  • a sharp knife
  • double boiler
  • measuring cup
Below see my recipe video.

You will want to melt the candy chocolate, pour it into the plastic bottle and let the chocolate to become hard.  You should try to do this at least 3 or 4 more times because you want to be sure that the chocolate is nice and thick. Otherwise the chocolate might break as you are unmolding the chocolate.  See my video as an example of how fragile the chocolate can be.
Once you make it you can either break it part to get the candy or pour it out of the chocolate bottle.  Have fun! 


♥ We hope you enjoyed our video and recipe!
♥ Give me thumbs up if you like this video & subscribe for more videos. Thanks! Tak!
♥ Please subscribe to our Scandinavian Today Cooking YouTube Channel.  https://goo.gl/LzjnVR
Our Scandinavian Today Cooking Show includes Nordic recipes including Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish
♥ You might be interested in other Nordic cooking videos including
Our Meatball Recipes https://goo.gl/MLlrR9
Our Soup Recipes https://goo.gl/o3iyeQ
Our Meat, Poultry & Fish Recipes https://goo.gl/N0bPFr
These recipes are perfect for family dinners and the holiday season.
♥ STAY CONNECTED ♥
YouTube Scandinavian Today https://goo.gl/LzjnVR
Google+ +ScandinavianToday

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Swedish Princess Cupcakes - Svenska Prinsesstårta Cupcakes



The Swedish cupcakes is full of custard, jam, marzipan and loads of whipped cream!  You will definitely get a mouthful to enjoy!

 Cupcake Ingredients 
  • 1 1/2 cup of flour
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 8 tablespoons of butter
Bake cupcakes at 375 F for about 20 minutes

Cupcake Filling

  • custard can be made the day before (see our video to make it homemade)
  • whipped cream
  • raspberry jam
Marzipan and Marzipan Flower ingredients
  • 1 pound of almond paste
  • red, yellow and greed food coloring
  • 2 tablespoons of powder sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of honey
The marzipan and marzipan flowers can be made the day before
 
See our YouTube video to prepare the Swedish Princess Cupcakes.
The cupcakes needs to be refrigerated until served. Ideally the cupcake should be eaten the same day it is made.
Hope you enjoy the bright green cupcakes with the adorable marzipan roses.  You might want to make these during Prinsesstårta week.

Monday, April 25, 2016

Chocolate Coca Cola Bottle Piñata

Chocolate Coca Cola bottles made out of chocolate seems to be the rage right now.  So I thought to do a fun spin to have a coca cola bottle shape, made out of chocolate and use it as a piñata. A 2 liter coca cola bottle is perfect for any size candy that you want to use from candy bars, to lollipops to Twizzlers!

I think it would fun to serve at any party..birthdays, graduation parties or even a family gathering such as picnics or barbecues.  Since giant chocolate cola bottles is a new idea or at least it is not something a lot of people have not seen in person, a giant coca cola bottle made out of chocolate will definitely be a topic of discussion at any party! 

Plus everyone loves piñatas. Trying to see what kind of candies or goodies are inside! Piñatas is a fun to have a party too!

Below are the ingredients.  It is pretty easy to do.  You just have to be sure that you make the chocolate thick enough.  Otherwise, the chocolate can break when unmolding it from the plastic.

Ingredients:
  • 2 liter coca cola bottle
  • 10 cups of chocolate candy melts
  • 1 teaspoon of shortening.  (add more if need be) 
  • cooking or baking spray 
  • assortment of candy
Kitchen Utensils
  • a sharp knife
  • double boiler
  • measuring cup
Below see my recipe video.



 

♥ We hope you enjoyed our video and recipe!
♥ Give me thumbs up if you like this video & subscribe for more videos. Thanks! Tak!
♥ Please subscribe to our Scandinavian Today Cooking YouTube Channel.  https://goo.gl/LzjnVR
Our Scandinavian Today Cooking Show includes Nordic recipes including Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish
♥ You might be interested in other Nordic cooking videos including
Our Meatball Recipes https://goo.gl/MLlrR9
Our Soup Recipes https://goo.gl/o3iyeQ
Our Meat, Poultry & Fish Recipes https://goo.gl/N0bPFr
These recipes are perfect for family dinners and the holiday season.
♥ STAY CONNECTED ♥
YouTube Scandinavian Today https://goo.gl/LzjnVR
Google+ +ScandinavianToday

Monday, April 18, 2016

Almond Cake - Mandel Kage - Frangipan

This Danish Almond Cake ( also know as Frangipan  or in Danish Mandel Kage) is soooo easy to make and very few ingredients. Every person I serve this cake loves it! 

Serve the cake with fresh fruit, whipped cream or even ice cream. The almond cake will go fast!


Ingredients

  • 7 oz of almond paste, grated
  • 8 tblsp butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup cake flour
  • Optional Toppings:  fruit, powdered sugar, whipped cream, frosting




Directions
  1. Mix almond pase, sugar and butter at low speed in mixer for approx. 2 min.
  2. Add the egges, one at the time, and beat it at high speed for appros. 2-3 min.
  3. Add flour and fold it into the batter without stirring.
  4. Add the batter to the buttered and floured baking pan and bake at 350F for approx. 30 min. 
 Remove from the baking pan and let it cool.

Below is a fun way to decorate the cake with strawberries. 

♥ We hope you enjoyed our video and recipe!
♥ Give me thumbs up if you like this video & subscribe for more videos. Thanks! Tak!

♥ Please subscribe to our Scandinavian Today Cooking YouTube Channel.  https://goo.gl/LzjnVR
Our Scandinavian Today Cooking Show includes Nordic recipes including Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish

♥ You might be interested in other Nordic cooking videos including
Our Meatball Recipes https://goo.gl/MLlrR9
Our Soup Recipes https://goo.gl/o3iyeQ
Our Meat, Poultry & Fish Recipes https://goo.gl/N0bPFr
These recipes are perfect for family dinners and the holiday season. Please let us know what you think!

♥ STAY CONNECTED ♥
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Blog  http://scandinavtoday.blogspot.com/
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Nordic Nut Bread Recipe - Paleo Bread Recipe ( Stone Age Bread Recipe or in Danish Stenalder Brød )

In Denmark, we eat a lot of Rye bread.  I had it everyday growing up in Stege for either breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Just like Rye bread the Nordic Nut Bread (sometimes called Stone Age Bread or Paleo Bread ) is very filling compared to white bread. If you like rye bread then you will enjoy this Nordic Nut Bread for sure.  Plus it healthy!

Making Nordic Nut Bread is very easy to make. What is interesting about the Nordic Nut Bread is that it does not include any flour or yeast.   So you won't have to wait for the dough to rise. If you have extra seeds to set aside for baking then you can prepare some of the ingredients in advance. The preparation time is about 15 minutes. 


 ♥ Ingredients ♥
  • 3 1/2 oz (100 g) walnuts, chopped
  • 3 1/2 oz (100 g) almonds, chopped
  • 3 1/2 oz (100 g) flax seeds
  • 3 1/2 oz (100 g) poppy seeds
  • 3 1/2 oz (100 g) sunflower seeds
  • 3 1/2 oz (100 g) sesame seeds
  • 3 1/2 oz (100 g) pumpkin seeds
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 (1 dl) cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 5 eggs

Directions:
  1. Chop the bigger nuts (almonds and walnuts) before you mix them with the rest of the nuts.
  2. Mix the nuts and seeds with salt, oil and 5 eggs.
  3. Line baking form with baking paper. Spray the form with oil or butter it.
  4. Place the dough into the baking form.
  5. Bake it at 350F for approx. 1 hour.
  6. Let it cool before you slice it.

Serve plain or with butter, cheese or cream cheese.


The only thing is nuts can be expensive and there are a lot of nuts to gather to make this bread! Because this bread includes a variety of seeds, you can get creative and try various other seeds that are not listed below. This is great if you are allergic to certain seeds.  We were thinking peanuts or pine nuts might be fun to substitute in the future. Enjoy!

♥ We hope you enjoyed our video and recipe!
♥ Give me thumbs up if you like this video & subscribe for more videos. Thanks! Tak!

♥ Please subscribe to our Scandinavian Today Cooking YouTube Channel.  https://goo.gl/LzjnVR
Our Scandinavian Today Cooking Show includes Nordic recipes including Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish
♥ You might be interested in other Nordic cooking videos including
Our Meatball Recipes https://goo.gl/MLlrR9
Our Soup Recipes https://goo.gl/o3iyeQ
Our Meat, Poultry & Fish Recipes https://goo.gl/N0bPFr
These recipes are perfect for family dinners and the holiday season.

♥ STAY CONNECTED ♥
YouTube Scandinavian Today https://goo.gl/LzjnVR
Google+ +ScandinavianToday

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Danish Scalloped Potato Recipe with Bacon

 Directions:
  • 3 large Idaho Potatoes (approx. 1 1/2 lb), sliced
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 pieces garlic, crushed
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 lb bacon, chopped and fried
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • chopped chives
  • dash of nutmeg
  • butter
 
Instructions:
Butter the inside of the baking pan and layer sliced potatoes with chopped onions and cheese in the pan.  Mix garlic in cream with salt, pepper, nutmeg and chives. Pour it over the potato mixture and sprinkle with cheese. 
Cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven at 375F for approx. 45 min. Remove it from the oven and sprinkle with cheese before you return it to the oven for approx. 15 min at 400F. 

♥ We hope you enjoyed our video and recipe!
♥ Give me thumbs up if you like this video & subscribe for more videos. Thanks! Tak!
♥ Please subscribe to our Scandinavian Today Cooking YouTube Channel.  https://goo.gl/LzjnVR
Our Scandinavian Today Cooking Show includes Nordic recipes including Danish, Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish
♥ You might be interested in other Nordic cooking videos including
Our Meatball Recipes https://goo.gl/MLlrR9
Our Soup Recipes https://goo.gl/o3iyeQ
Our Meat, Poultry & Fish Recipes https://goo.gl/N0bPFr
These recipes are perfect for family dinners and the holiday season. Please let us know what you think!

♥ STAY CONNECTED ♥
YouTube Scandinavian Today https://goo.gl/LzjnVR
Blog  http://scandinavtoday.blogspot.com/
Pinterest https://pinterest.com/scandinavtoday
Twitter https://twitter.com/scandinavtoday
Facebook https://goo.gl/YFbszI
Google+ +ScandinavianToday

♥About Us
We are Karen Grete & Heidi (mother/daughter team). We are excited about Scandinavian - Nordic art, travel and of course FOOD! We have over 200 Nordic recipes.
♥ New Episodes (just about) two each week.
♥Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our channel to receive our latest Nordic recipes!
♥To get complete recipe with instructions and measurements, check out our blog

We have a treasure of traditional and modern Scandinavian dishes. Our MUST-TRY recipes are delicious, simple, and many times easy-to-find ingredients. The dishes are perfect if you're a beginner or just a person who wants to eat well. A gastronomic experience for all!  Let's get cooking Nordic foods!
Skål!
xoxo
Karen Grete and Heidi

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

How to make homemade Yogurt - Yoghurt

Why should you bother making yogurt at home?  Well, homemade yogurt is delicious and cheap.  Our recipe makes about 8 cups of yogurt and less than $2. Cheap!
Plus it is easy to make yogurt from scratch and requires very little special equipment.


Ingredients:
  • half gallon of whole milk
  • 1/2 cup of yogurt with active cultures
  • thermometer
  • whisk
  • pot
  • measuring cup
  • wooden spoon
  • towel
See our video for instructions to make the homemade yogurt.


Also you might want add our delicious granola or the old fashion Danish Rye Bread Crumbs into the yogurt.





Sunday, March 27, 2016

Norwegian Fish Soup Recipe

 Norwegian Fish Soup Recipe
This Norwegian Fish Soup is a velvety mix of cream, fish, and vegetables. The ultimate quality of the soup is using fresh fish and homemade fish stock.  When making this creamy fish stew, feel free to use a mix of cod, salmon, halibut. You can substitute cod with mahimahi, salmon, scallops, or shrimp
♥ Ingredients ♥
    3-4 tablespoons butter
    1/3 cup flour
    4 cups fish stock
    1 bay leaf
    1 medium carrot, finely chopped
    1 leek, finely sliced
    1 stalk of celery, sliced
    12 peeled shrimp, approx.
    1 lb mussels
    4 -6 ounces cod (or your choice of fish - salmon)
    1 pieces of tilapia
    1/2-3/4 cup heavy cream
    salt and pepper
    parsley, chives
    Optional, lumpfish caviar


Directions
    Cook the fish and shrimp in water.
    Remove the fish and shrimp from the fish stock and cook the vegetable and (frozen) mussels in the fish stock.
    Remove the mussels from  the fish stock.
    Melt butter and add flour and cream and let it cook for approx. 5 min. and add the fish stock with the vegetables.
    Add the cooked fish and shrimp.
    Simmer for a couple of minutes and add the cooked mussels.
    Sprinkle with the parsley and chives, and add salt and pepper to taste.
♥ We hope you enjoyed our video and recipe!

Sunday, March 20, 2016

How to make St Lucia Buns ❆ A Swedish Saint Lucia Saffron Bun Recipe ❅ Lussekatter

St Lucia Day is the "beginning" of Christmas (Jul) in Sweden.  St Lucia celebrations includes the Swedish saffron scented buns called Lussekater or Lussebullar.


Ingredients:   
  • 1 teaspoon of saffron
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • 1 1/3 cup of milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 pkg. of dry active yeast
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1 cup of raisins
  • extra  raisins to decorate
We hope you enjoyed the St. Lucia recipe! Which is your favorite way to eat saffron buns....milk, coffee, tea or something else? Let us know in the comments!
xoxo,
Karen Grete and Heidi

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Parmesan Bacon Potato Stacks for Easter Brunch

We are getting ready for Easter Brunch. These individual potato stacks make an impressive presentation but are quite simple to prepare.  So these potato stacks are going to be front and center. This goes great with a roast, a ham or a steak.
So let's put the mandolin to good use!
  • Makes about 9 potato stacks
  • Ingredients.
  • 4 potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon parmesan (or any cheese you like)
  • 1/2 tablespoon of melted butter
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 fresh garlic, smashed or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
  • chopped chives (or any herbs you enjoy)
  • crumbled bacon


  1. Buy potatoes that are in equal size and dimension to the muffin pan.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190C).
  3. Butter muffin pan or muffin cups and set aside.
  4. Cut the 4 potatoes into thin slices with either a knife or madoline slicer.
  5. Place thinly sliced potatoes into a medium-large bowl. Add melted butter, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. We enjoy fresh garlic but you can use garlic powder too. Toss potato slices in the bowl to coat evenly.
  6. Layer the potato slices into stacks and place into the prepared muffin pan.
  7. Bake until the edges and tops are golden brown and the centers are tender. It took us about 55 minutes to bake the potato stacks. 
  8. While the potato stacks are baking in the oven, prepare the crumbled bacon
  9. When ready, remove the muffin pan from the oven and let the potato stacks rest for 5 minutes
  10. Carefully remove the potato stacks with a small offset spatula and onto a plate
  11. Garnish with additional parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon, chives.  Add freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.
  12. Serve immediately

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Fruit Tray Recipe Inspired by Disney's The Jungle Book

What classic film combines adventure, fun, and a jungle? My children grew up reading the book and the movie.  Now I have grandchildren and I am excited to watch the upcoming release of the Jungle Book with them.  So, I decided to put together a fun, healthy recipe that is themed to the Jungle Book movie.

Ingredients
  • 3 bananas
  • Kiwi Fruit
  • Pineapple
  • Mandarin Oranges
  • Blueberry
Kitchen Utensils
  • Tray or a flat plate
  • Knife
Other recipes that you might want to include in a Jungle Book Party are the Giraffe Bread Recipe, Cucumber Lemon Water and Sunflower Twisted Bread Recipe