Scandinavian Recipe: #9 Norwegian Hazelnut Cake (Hasselnøtt Kake)

 

 I am coming up on the final thematic dessert that I will need for thanksgiving 2.7. I have finally found 1 recipe for each of the 4 main countries. If I am feeling adventurous I can look for a Finnish dessert, but it would have to be incredible. I'm very happy with the 5 themed desserts I've found and will start focusing on finding the on-theme side dishes. Enjoy the final dessert.  
 Prep Time: 30 minutes

 

Cook Time: 35 - 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

 

Yield: 12 servings

 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup hazelnuts
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 eggs 
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

The base after it's pulled from the pan.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom of one 9 or 10 inch spring-form pan.
2. Reserve 8 whole nuts for garnish. Pulse the remaining nuts in a food processor until ground, and reserve 1 tablespoon of ground nuts for garnish.
3. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, cool.
4. In a large bowl beat eggs, sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until thick and lemon colored (about 2 to 3 minutes). Add flour, baking powder, salt, and ground nuts, mix well. Continue to beat mixture while slowly adding the cooled melted butter or margarine until blended (mixture will be thick). Spread batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove sides of pan. Remove pan bottom and invert onto a serving plate. Cover with a cloth towel and cool for another 30 minutes before glazing.
6. To Make Glaze: In a medium saucepan bring whipping cream just to a boil, remove from heat and stir in the semi-sweet chocolate chips until melted and smooth. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Spread glaze over top of cooled cake, allowing it to run down the sides. Sprinkle reserved ground nuts around top edge and arrange whole nuts over the middle in a pleasing pattern. .

     Overall, this was a really simple recipe. I was a little hesitant about using a spring form pan. I've had mixed experiences with them in the past when I was making anything other than a cheesecake. Thankfully, I was fortunate. I had no issues with the pan and as you can see from the cake base picture I had no problem with removing the cake from the pan. The hazelnut but for the cake ended up fairly moist, and had a nice texture. Probably the best part of this cake was the glaze. First, I really enjoyed the glaze on this cake. It not only gives the cake a fancy coating, it happens to be one of my favorite baking techniques, ganache. I don't have too many recipes in my repertoire that use chocolate ganache, but after making this recipe I may have to change this oversight.  (My favorite dessert ever used to be offered at the gourmet restaurant Olive Garden. It was a cappuccino truffle layer in-between 2 layers of chocolate cake that was coated in chocolate ganache and bittersweet chocolate shavings.) The extra crunch added by the ground hazelnuts on the top of the glaze was a great final addition. 3 very different textures and 2 enjoyable flavors. I will be adding this to the final TH2 menu for this year. I only have to decide if I should make 1 or 2 of these.

The finished cake.

 

Scandinavian Recipe #8 - Swedish "Royal Pot Roast" or Slotsttek

There are several variations on the traditional Swedish recipe for Royal Pot Roast. This type of recipe dates back to a time when meat was expensive and reserved for the wealthy. This traditional Swedish dish is also often translated as "Castle Fry". The Swedish name, "slot" or "slitted" steak, refers to earlier methods of roasting the meat on a spit over an open fire.The recipe has a unique addition. It uses anchovies to add flavor to the gravy. (The picture below has sardines in it, not anchovies, I grabbed the wrong fish item from the cupboard) This dish can also be made using venison, elk, boar, or moose roasts rather than beef. Because of the difficult time I had 2 years ago during TH2.5 to find the game birds, I will not be scouring the nearby counties for moose. However, if someone happens to have some moose or boar lying around in their freezers let me know. 

The most ingredient intensive meal to date. 

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients:

• 4-pound boneless chuck roast
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 1 large stalk celery, finely diced
• 2 cups beef stock or bouillon
• 5 anchovy fillets, minced
• 5 white peppercorns
• 5 whole allspice
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp. white vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. dark Syrup or molasses (I used Steen's Pure Cane Syrup)
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 1/2 cups cream

A well browned piece of meat.

Preparation:

The onions and peppers. 

Rub the roast all over with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat; brown roast well on all sides. Remove from pot.

Place chopped onion and celery in pot and cook until opaque - 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in beef stock, minced anchovies, peppercorns, allspice, bay leaves, white vinegar, and dark syrup; return roast to pot and heat liquid to boiling. Reduce heat to medium-low, place lid on pot, and simmer until meat is tender, about 2 hours.

Remove meat from pot to cutting board. Strain solids from the pan juices, add enough water to equal 3 cups, then return liquid to pot and increase heat to medium-high. Whisk together flour and water then add to gravy, stirring constantly until gravy thickens; stir in cream and heat until warm. Remove from heat and serve with sliced pot roast.

      In general this was fairly simple to make. There were many steps, but each was nice and simple. This vaguely reminded me of a very stripped down boeuf bourguignon. I missed the extra bits of flavor and vegetables that come with the boeuf. The boeuf is a whole stew, and not just the meat. Once I realized that this is meant to be the centerpiece of a special meal I felt better about the whole thing. The many steps are there to pack as much flavor into something that appears to be simple. 

     Overall, I enjoyed the final product. The beef was very tender after the long cooking time.The creamy gravy complimented the tender beef really nicely. I was a little surprised at how subtle all of the flavors that made up the gravy became. It reminded me a lot of the traditional Swedish meatballs I have had in the past. The only difference being the meat's texture. The roast is soft like the meatballs would be, but there is significantly less work involved in this recipe. I have only had a few people taste test this recipe for me. They were all positive, but I am not sure if this will be included in the final menu. I don't know how well the subtle cream flavors will match up against some of the stronger scents and tastes of the other main courses. Yes, I know turkey has a mild flavor, but gravy and cranberry sauce do not. Since the theme this year is Scandinavia it may be expected of me to make Swedish meatballs. I'm positive that I do not want to make something that my guests can get at Ikea and enjoy there. I want the guests to experience food from the theme that they may not have had before. I will have to wait and see what other main dishes I come across before I decide on whether to add the "Royal Pot Roast". 

     

Scandinavian Recipe #5: Pork Roast with Cracklings (Flæskesteg)

     This entry is a few weeks late because of computer issues. However, it doesn't change the fact that it is a great recipe, and I can see why the Danish people eat it every year.
    This was my first attempt at a Scandinavian main dish. I was a bit hesitant to start with such an important recipe. This style pork roast or flæskesteg is the main dish eaten for Christmas dinner in Denmark. It's so popular that it is considered a national dish in Denmark.

• 5 lb. pork roast (neck or shoulder works well), with thick layer of fat
• 1 Tbsp. coarse or kosher salt
• 1 tsp. ground cloves
• 1 tsp. whole mustard seeds
• 5 bay leaves, crumbled into small pieces
• 3 cups boiling water

Preparation:

Notice the cross hatches. 

     Preheat oven to 450º. Remove the bone if your roast has one. The bone will change the cooking time entirely, and should be removed before continuing. This is a fairly simple process, if time consuming. (If you are uncomfortable attempting this process then talk to your butcher. They should be willing to do this for you for free.) Pat the pork roast with paper towels until it is as dry as possible. Then, using a sharp kitchen knife, cut halfway through the fat (but not into the meat) in horizontal lines 1/2" apart. Cut vertical lines 1/2" apart until entire layer of fat is cross-hatched.

     In a small bowl, combine salt, ground cloves, mustard seeds, and crumbled bay leaves. Rub mixture all over pork, taking care to workas much as possible into the cross-hatched layer of fat.

     Place roast on a rack in a deep roasting pan and bake on center rack of oven until top crackling is crisp and golden brown (about 30 minutes). Reduce heat to 350º and carefully pour 3 cups of boiling water into bottom of roasting pan (watch out for the steam!). Cook for an additional hour or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF. Let the meat rest for at least 15-20 minutes. 

     Remove crackling from roast, cut into thin slices, and serve alongside sliced pork.

Yield: 8-10 slices of pork with crackling.

     I was amazed at how juicy this was when it came out of the oven and even after letting it rest for 20 minutes it was still juicy. Removing the crackling was a bit tough. It was not terribly easy to cut it off without removing a thin layer of meat. I imagine this will improve with practice. I'm planning on making this recipe at least 2 more times before the big day. Also, the crackling didn't seem to stretch to the full 10 servings. (I can see this possibly being an issue at TH2 because this will be self-serve) This is either because it was too tasty and I screwed up my portion control or I got a pork roast with a smaller fat cap. Overall, this will make a great addition to the Main Course portion of my menu. It has a nice spiced pork flavor that most Americans will recognize, but won't find too odd.  The best part was just how easy this was to make. Very few ingredients, only a few steps, and a great taste, there is not much more I can ask for in a Thanksgiving 2.7 option. 

Next up: Swedish "Royal Pot Roast" or Slotsttek