Tosca Cake - A Nordic Cake Recipe with Almond Topping and Fresh Fruit...Oh My!

Tosca cake is a Nordic favorite, apparently named for Puccini's opera. It's a delicate sponge cake with a caramelized almond, praline-like topping. Enjoy having a slice of Tosca cake before or after you see Puccini!

 Cake Batter Ingredients: 

• 3/4 cup sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 4 tbs unsalted butter 
• 1 cup flour 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• lemon peel or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Caramelized Almond, Praline-like Topping Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped 
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar 
• 2  tbsp. flour
• 2 tbsp. milk or light cream

  
 Kitchen Utensils

• measuring cup
• measuring spoon
• large mixing bowl
• electric mixer
• spatula
• grater 
• springform (approx. 24 cm. in diameter)
• medium pot

Instruction:

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.

Beat eggs and sugar well. Stir in the melted cooled butter, lemon zest, the flour and baking powder.  Do not over mix.

Pour the cake batter into the greased and floured springform (approx. 24 cm. in diameter). Place the tin in the oven and bake the cake for approx. 25 to 30 minutes. 

While the cake is baking prepare the topping. Mix sugar, butter, milk and flour in a saucepan on low heat until the butter has melted. Meanwhile it is a good time to continue chopping the almonds.  Once ready add the almonds into the pot and get the mixture to a boiling point. Keep an eye on it. Then turn off the stove once it reaches the boiling point.

When the cake is baked so much that it maintains its shape (after approx. 25 minutes), pour the almond mixture over the cake.  Spread the almond mixture across the cake.  Then place the baking pan under the grill (at approx. 400F) in the oven for approx. 10-15 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

Let the cake cool down before slicing.

Serve the cake plain or with whipped cream and/or fresh berries.

Rugbrød Drys - Danish Rye Bread Sprinkles

RYE BREAD SPRINKLES WITH ALMONDS 

Ingredients:

2 slices of rye bread 
1 tblsp coarsely chopped, blanched almonds 
2 tblsp brown sugar (or white sugar)
1 tblsp Canola Oil or butter 

Sprinkle finished rye bred on yogurt or "tykmaelk"

Rye bread Sprinkle 

Place rye bread, almonds and sugar in a food processor and pulse until desired consistency.  Pour the canola oil or butter and toast the rye bread crumbs on the pan for approx. 3-5 min. and keep stirring, so the rye bread crumbs don't burn. Pour the rye bread sprinkles onto a plate to cool down.

Place the rye bread sprinkle in a plastic bag or jar. It will keep  for approx. 1 week.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Pecans

Do you love fruit in your salad? We sure do!  Here is are a recipe for a delicious strawberry spinach salad with pecans. 

 Salad Ingredients 

• 6 oz fresh spinach rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 lb strawberries, cleaned and sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tblsp minced onions
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese 

 Dressing Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tblsp poppy seeds
• 1 tsp mustard
• dash paprika, salt, pepper
• 2 tblsp chopped basil leaves, approx.

Instruction:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, paprika, mustard, basil leaves and chopped onion, salt and pepper.
2. Cover and chill.
3. In a large bowl, combine the spinach and strawberries.
4. Pour dressing over salad and toss.
5. Add the chopped pecans and shredded cheese.
6. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Nutella Milkshake! A delicious yummy treat!

A thick and creamy milkshake made yummy Nutella! Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkles and start sipping!

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk 
• 2 big scoops of vanilla ice cream
• 1 large heaping spoonful of Nutella (or 2-3 tablespoons)
• whipped cream
• sprinkles
• extra Nutella
• 3 or 4 ice cubes (optional)

Directions:

1. Pour milk into the blender
2. Add 1 large heaping spoonful of Nutella into a blender.
3. If desired, add ice cubes to make it a frothier milkshake
4. Blend until smooth.
5. Line a tall glass with drippings of Nutella
6. Pour the Nutella milkshake into the tall glass
7. Garnish with whipped cream and any of your favorite toppings such as sprinkles or chopped nuts. We enjoy Nutella drizzled over the whipped cream.
8. Serve immediately

Note:If you like a thicker milkshake, add 1 more scoop of ice cream scoop and/or use less milk. Then blend.

Scandinavian Rosette Cookies A traditional homemade Christmas cookie recipe for Jul

It's not Christmas (Jul) without both making and eating the traditional Rosette cookies. YUM! These Scandinavian cookies are delicious, deep-fried, and melt in your mouth. 

Some people like to sugar the bottoms and other people sugar the tops.  If you flip it upside down, it looks a little fancier and sugar these that way. The sugar catches the sides and it gives the cookies a bit more contrast.  If you sugar the top of the rosette cookies, it looks like a touch of snow.  However, either way the rosettes will still taste great!  Which way do you usually serve the rosettes with sugar on the top or bottom?

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla (or almond extract)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour
• vegetable oil for frying
• sifted confectioners' sugar to sprinkle  

A few flavoring ideas:

• Substitute lemon extract or vanilla sugaring

Kitchen Utensils

• rosette iron star- or flower-shaped
• measuring cups and spoons
• large mixing bowl
• whisk
• thermometer

Trivia:Did you know that in Swedish rosette cookies are called struva? 

 See Karen Grete making these delicious cookies

on our YouTube video

Instruction:

1. Combine milk, eggs, sugar and salt vanilla extract; beat well. Add flour and beat until smooth. 
2. Heat a rosette iron in deep, hot oil (375 degrees) for approx. 2 minutes.
3. Drain excess oil from iron. Dip in batter to 1/4 inch from the top of the iron, then dip iron into hot oil (approx. 375F degrees).
4. Fry rosette until golden, approx. 30 seconds. Lift out; tip upside down to drain. With fork, push rosette off iron onto a paper towel.
5. Reheat iron 1 minute; make next rosette.

 

When you are ready to serve these cookies, sprinkle the rosettes with confectionary sugar (optional cinnamon sugar or sugar) and jam on the side. You might want to use a sifter if you use confectionary sugar to avoid clumps of confectionery sugar plopping onto the cookies.  Instead if you use a sifter, it will look more smoother.  Also if you sprinkle the confectionary sugar too early, these cookies will get soggy. So you it is best to sprinkle the sugar just before serving.

See our additional Scandinavian recipes recipes including
*how to make Danish Christmas rice pudding with cherry sauce dessert recipe (Risalamande med kirsebærsauce)

*how to make Swedish Glogg for Christmas & cold evenings! (glögg or mulled wine recipe) 

*how to make aeblskiver (æbleskiver)

*how to make Danish Christmas Klejner

*how to make easy Danish cucumber salad (arguksalat)

*how to make Danish sugar browned potatoes (brunede kartofler)

*how to make Danish red cabbage (rødkaal)

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