Here we are the 1st December – and so the Festive season begins. Baking is one of my favourite activities at this time of year, I love the ritual of creating Christmas treats for family and friends. This is a Swedish classic; an enriched sweetened bread referred to as saffranslängd. Now the translation isn’t pretty:…
Desserts
Plum, Cobnut & Oat Crunch Crumble
If I had to pick just one simple dessert to make in autumn or winter it would be crumble. For me it wins major points because its super easy to knock up and I normally have all the ingredients in my store cupboard and fruit bowl. The difference here is that I have used less…
Spiced Preserved Pears
As winter is almost upon us I like to have a few hidden gems stored away in my larder to pull out at the last minute. These are just that, fragrant autumn jewels that see me through the winter months. Simple as they are, they bring warmth to salty cheese and work perfectly with game….
Berry & Lemon Custard Tart
Autumn is almost upon us, August brings a softer golden light and a slight chill to the evening air. I seized every opportunity I could this last week to forage for blackberries as they are so incredibly sweet this year. This dessert was inspired by my love of lemon tart. I adore the citrusy, creamy,…
Cherry, Lemon & Almond Cheesecake
The cherry season is so very short, this makes them all the more desirable to me. So when I stumbled across this recipe in a Swedish publication Lantiv Sommarmat (Country life – Summer Food) on my resent trip to Stockholm I just had to make it. This is a cheescake but not as you know…
Prinsesstårta
Quite simply the loveliest and most popular celebration cake in Sweden. Let me explain, this is Prinsesstårta or Princess cake, so called because Princesses Margaretha, Märtha, and Astrid, daughters of Prince Carl, brother of King Gustaf V loved it so. And they weren’t alone. It promptly became popular in Sweden and Finland. Every year around 500,000…
Blueberry, Buttermilk & Lime Cake
This blueberry, buttermilk and lime cake has a delicate zesty flavour from the limes with a lovely moist crumb from the buttermilk. This bake really needs nothing else with it other than a cup of tea or coffee. Sweet summer blueberries are an absolute joy, it doesn’t take me long to work my way through…
Elderflower & Strawberry Ripple Ice Cream
There isn’t anything lovelier than the first crop of locally grown strawberries, sweet, juicy and a taste of summer. Following a warmer than usual climate so far this year, British strawberries are ready to eat much earlier, I’m totally happy with that! Last weekend was a productive one, I was out amongst the hedgerows picking…
Kladdkaka – Sticky Chocolate Cake
This decadent, dark chocolate torte is possibly Sweden’s most popular cake. Without exception, every cafe boasting its own unique version. This rich, dense, incredibly simple cake has few ingredients. Baked just long enough to form a crisp exterior, while remaining gooey and mousse like in the centre, kladd means sticky in Swedish. Serve at room…
Rhubarb & Blood Orange Frangipane Tart
Time both flies and stands still when you’re looking forward to something. I have a holiday booked and I’m happy to say it’s now imminent. Lots to sort out before we depart though so my desk is littered with list upon list. When we do have the opportunity to travel we endeavour to explore somewhere…