Category: Desserts

Desserts, England

Mixed Berry Trifle

by Lynda Balslev3 Comments on Mixed Berry Trifle

Trifleblog

One of the best aspects of living in new countries is discovering and adopting the local cuisine. This is my version of a trifle, which, to me, is a quintessential English dessert – or as the English would say, a pudding. I was first served trifle by a new friend who invited us to a dinner party when we lived in London. It was beautifully presented in a large glass bowl showing off a stunning swirl of berries and cream. I also remember the appropriate ooh’s and aah’s that accompanied the presentation, punctuated by complete silence as everyone spooned into their luscious dessert.

Distantly related to a fool (a concoction of cream and fruit), the trifle has a history that extends as far back as the late 16th century. Variations exist, but suffice to say it is a sumptuous parfait of fruit and cream, rippled with layers of custard or curd, and laced with spirits or syrup. Best of all, trifle is a crowd pleaser, forgiving in its portions and ingredients, a do-ahead dessert that elegantly displays the season’s ripe fruit.

Mixed Berry Trifle
Serves 8-10

A combination of seasonal berries may be used.  This trifle uses fresh raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.  Begin preparing the trifle one day ahead.

For the lemon sponge cake:
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
5 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the lemon curd:
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

For the syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water

For the fruit and topping:
1/2 lb. fresh raspberries
1/2 lb. fresh blackberries
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Cointreau or Framboise (optional)

1 lb. strawberries, hulled and halved

2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar

Whole strawberries, raspberries or blackberries as garnish

Prepare the lemon sponge cake:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Line a buttered jelly-roll pan with parchment paper; butter the parchment paper and dust the pan with flour, knocking out the excess.  In a small bowl sift together the flour, salt and baking powder; set aside.  In bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the egg yolks, sugar and lemon zest until the mixture is very thick and pale.  Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla extract.  Continue to beat the mixture for 3 to 5 minutes, until it forms a ribbon when the beater is lifted.

Figure_1_3

Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.  In a clean bowl beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks.  Whisk one third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it.

Figure_2_5

Fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly.  Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.  Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 – 15 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a tester comes out clean.  Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes.  Invert onto a rack and discard parchment paper.  Let stand uncovered, overnight to dry out.  Cut the cake with a serrated knife into 2 cm. cubes.

Prepare the lemon curd:
This lemon curd uses the egg whites in addition to the yolks, resulting in a milder, less intense curd that does not overpower the trifle.
Whisk eggs, sugar and lemon juice in a heavy medium saucepan to blend.  Add butter and stir over medium heat until curd thickens to custard consistency, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in lemon zest.  Press plastic wrap onto surface of curd and chill until cold, at least 4 hours.  (Can be prepared 3 days in advance.  Refrigerate until use.)

Prepare the syrup:
The syrup is a child-friendly variation of the spirits normally added to trifle. Substitute 1/3 cup Cointreau or Framboise for a more potent dessert.
Combine sugar, lemon juice and water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute.  Cool to room temperature.

Prepare the fruit:
Combine raspberries, blackberries, sugar and optional liqueur in bowl.
Mash with fork.

Figure_3_2

Let stand 30 minutes to macerate.

To assemble trifle, line bottom of a large glass bowl or 8-10 individual glass goblets (depending on size) with sponge cake pieces.  Brush with syrup or spirits.

Figure_4_4

Spread 1/3 raspberry mixture over sponge cake; fill in gaps and line sides with strawberries.  Top with 1/3 lemon curd.  Repeat layering twice using 1/3 cake, syrup, 1/3 raspberry mixture and strawberries, and 1/3 curd.  Cover and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 6.
Before serving, whip cream to soft peaks.  Beat in 2 tablespoons sugar, taking care not to overbeat.  Spread cream evenly over trifle.  Arrange whole berries on top as garnish.

Desserts, gluten-free, Vegetarian

Strawberry and Mascarpone Cream Parfait with Balsamic Syrup

by Lynda Balslev5 Comments on Strawberry and Mascarpone Cream Parfait with Balsamic Syrup
Strawberry and Mascarpone Cream Parfait with Balsamic Syrup

Strawberry Mascarpone

It is strawberry season in our part of the world. The supermarkets and open air markets are displaying piles of luscious red strawberries, sweet and ripe, ready for eating.  Before we moved here, our home was in Denmark, which would be considered (very) northern Europe.  Summer is brief, and sunshine is not guaranteed.  At this time, strawberries would be available, but were imported from France or Spain, as the Danish spring would still be in its early stages. Danish strawberry season is fleeting – primarily for the month of June – and for that one month we would gorge ourselves on strawberries. We would pick our own at the nearby organic farm, or stop at roadside rest areas where people would sell their garden harvests from backs of pick-up trucks and car trunks. While driving on country backroads, at the end of long rural driveways, we would find lone tables perched under tilted garden umbrellas shielding cardboard boxes of just-picked strawberries from the fickle Danish sun. We would select our strawberries and pay our money into an unmanned cash box – all transactions done on the honor system, of course.

For this one month (if we were lucky, and it wasn’t a rainy season) we would stuff ourselves with strawberries. We would eat them plain and with cream, in trifles and pavlovas, in fruit soups and salads. When we gave up because we couldn’t eat them as fast as they arrived, we would freeze them for later in the year, as a tease and a whisper of our summer past.  And, finally, when we began to think that we couldn’t possibly eat another strawberry, the season would be finished.  Another fruit would replace it as the star of the show, strawberries would shift to the background and fade to a memory of summertime.  Until the next year.

April_2008_more_food_and_intl_day_3

This is a dessert I’ve prepared for dinner parties. It is more Italian in inspiration, easy to prepare and always a success, especially when prepared for my Danish family and friends who were weary of their more traditional Danish recipes:

Strawberry and Mascarpone Cream Parfaits with Balsamic Syrup and Mint
Serves 6-8

1/2 cup (80 ml.) balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

8 oz. (250 g.) chilled mascarpone cheese
2 cups (500 ml.) whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 lbs. (1 kg.) strawberries, hulled and halved

6-8 whole strawberries
Fresh mint leaves
Lemon zest

Prepare the Balsamic Syrup:
Combine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar and lemon juice in small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until syrup is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and cool completely. (Syrup can be made one day in advance. Cover and refrigerate.)

Prepare the Mascarpone Whipped Cream:
In a mixing bowl combine mascarpone cheese, whipping cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla. Beat until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.

30 minutes before serving, combine strawberries and balsamic syrup in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sugar. Toss gently to combine. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Divide half the strawberries among 8 glass goblets. Spoon half the cream mixture over the strawberries. Top cream mixture with remaining strawberries. Top with cream mixture. Drizzle with any remaining syrup.

Garnish with whole strawberries, grated lemon zest and mint leaves.

cake, Desserts

Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake with Strawberries

by Lynda Balslev4 Comments on Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake with Strawberries
Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake with Strawberries

Can you think of a better springtime dessert?  This cheesecake is rich and creamy, yet light and fresh.  Mascarpone cheese combines with cream cheese to bring Italian inspiration to a cream cheese classic.  Lemon juice and zest add a citrusy brightness balanced by sugar macerated strawberries garnishing the top.

Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake with Strawberries
An easy version of a timeless classic.  Prepare this cake one day before serving.

Serves 10-12

For the crust:
8 ounces (250 g.) graham crackers or digestive biscuits, in pieces
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup (115 g.) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
1 – 1/4 pound (600 g.) cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup (170 g.) sugar
8 ounces (250 g.) Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest

For the strawberries:
1 pound (500 g.) strawberries, hulled, halved
3 tablespoons sugar

Make crust:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine graham crackers and brown sugar in bowl of food processor and finely grind.  Add butter and blend using on/off turns until crumbs are moist.  Press crumbs onto bottom and sides of a 10 inch or 24 cm. diameter springform pan.  Chill while preparing filling.

Make filling:
Beat cream cheese and sugar in bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add mascarpone cheese; beat until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds after each.  Mix in lemon juice and zest.

Pour filling into crust.  Bake until cake is puffed at edges and center moves slightly when shaken, about one hour.  Transfer to rack and cool completely.  Cover and chill overnight.

Prepare strawberries:
Toss strawberries with sugar in a bowl.  Allow to sit one hour before serving.  (Can be prepared 3 hours in advance.  Cover and refrigerate.  Serve at room temperature.)

To serve cake, run knife around sides of pan to loosen.  Release pan sides.  Place cake on plate and cut in slices.  Serve with strawberries.

chocolate, Cookies, Desserts

Bake Sale #7 – Cranberry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

by Lynda Balslev2 Comments on Bake Sale #7 – Cranberry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Bake Sale #7 – Cranberry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies 11

Or is it #8?  If you have school-age children, you know what I am talking about. Every year a rite of school year passage involves a bake sale, or two, or ten.  I find myself baking throughout the school year to raise money for field trips, dances, class parties and charities.  Over the years I have learned a few lessons.  For instance, 5 year-olds are not as fond of rich dark chocolate as adults.  Or that the term “healthy” really isn’t appropriate or welcome at a bake sale, despite maternal instict.  Or that there is an alarming number of peanut allergies in the U.S. (interestingly, far more so than in Europe), with these allergies resulting in schoolwide nut-free policies as locked down as a demilitarized zone.  And, finally, if not most importantly: Size does matter.  So, after my earlier laughable attempts at flourless-triple-dark-chocolate-truffles, carrot cakes packed with grains, dried fruit, flax and wheat bran, or (even worse) anything containing peanut-butter, I am now a seasoned, if not broken, bake sale contributor.

My latest contribution is a batch of Cranberry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.  Catering to the discerning audience of my children’s primary and middle school, I took a basic chcolate chip cookie and ramped it up a bit, adding white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.  After all, as the bake sale motto goes,  less is not more – and if you inadvertently dump an entire container of psychedelic candy sprinkles over your creation, all the better.

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cranberry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 16 if size matters

8 oz. (1/2 lb. or 225 g.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F. (180 C.)
Cream butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until pale in color, light and fluffy.
Add egg and mix well to combine.  Stir in vanilla and cinnamon.
Sift flour, salt and baking soda together in a mixing bowl.  Add to batter and stir to combine well. Mix in oats.  Stir in chocolate chips and dried cranberries.  Drop spoonfuls of dough on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Bake in oven until golden brown, 12-15 minutes.  Remove and cool on rack.

Desserts

A Festival of Lemons

by Lynda Balslev1 Comment on A Festival of Lemons
A Festival of Lemons

Tarte au Citron

To me, lemons symbolize early spring and a brightness at the end of a lingering winter season.  Mind you, I live in California now, and our winter has been unseasonably warm and dry to this point, but as I think about lemons for a moment, I am transported back to Northern Europe where by the end of January, the dark and drizzle of the long winter season would be wearing thin. The knowledge of approaching spring and lengthening days would be shrugged off in a moment of impatience when we would impulsively book a quick escape in February to somewhere south in search of warmth and light.  A favorite destination would be the south of France, for, while Scandinavia and the UK would be shrouded in chilly mist and shadow, our southern counterparts would be basking in sunshine, enjoying the blooming daffodils and mimosa, and partaking in the festivities of Carnival in Nice and the Fête du Citron in Menton.

Fête du Citron?  Yes, that would be a Lemon Festival, and each year for 6 weeks from February to March, the  city of Menton devotes a celebration to all things citrus and yellow.  Situated halfway between Monte Carlo and the Italian border along the riviera, Menton is blessed with a warm micro-climate that is conducive to growing citrus.  Its history of cultivating lemons dates back to the 15th century, and by the early 19th century Menton was a main exporter of lemons to Europe and America.  Its prominence declined following a frost and increased competition from neighboring Italy and Spain, and, in 1934, the Lemon Festival was established in order to call attention to the replanting of Menton’s lemon trees and the re-establishment of their citrus production.

And what a festival it is.  Over the course of 6 weeks the town has celebrations, parades, and fireworks. Lemons, lemons are everywhere.  Parade floats are made of lemons, statues and decorations consist of lemons, food revolves around lemons, and tours and exhibitions are held throughout the city and at private estates to view lemon and citrus groves.  Typically, this festival coincides with the Carnival celebration in nearby Nice, so If you happen to be in the area for this double whammy of festivals, you can rest assured that you will have your fill of sun, fun and celebration – a perfect antidote for the winter doldrums.

Now, for those of us far away from the village of Menton and unable to hop on a short flight to the south of France, a little imagination is necessary to visualize this event and transport ourselves away from snowdrifts and frigid temperatures.  What I can offer you in tangibles, however,  is the following dessert. This lemon tart is simple to make and very, very lemony.  Its brightness is guarranteed to add a little sunshine to  your day, wherever you are.

Lemon Tart – Tarte au Citron

Makes one 9-inch tart

For the pastry – Pâte Sucrée
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut in 1/2″ pieces
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon ice water

Combine flour, sugar and salt in bowl of food processor.  Add butter, using on/off turns until the mixture becomes crumbly.
Stir together egg yolk and water in small bowl.  Add to flour mixture.  Pulse until dough begins to clump together.
Press dough into bottom and up sides of 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.  Trim edges.  Pierce crust all over with fork.  Freeze 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line crust with foil.  Fill with dried beans or pie weights.  Bake until crust is set, about 15 minutes.  Remove foil and beans or weights.  Continue baking until crust is lightly golden, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to rack to cool while preparing the filling.

For the Lemon Filling:

6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
6 tablespoons butter, softened
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons lemon zest

In a medium sauce pan, combine egg yolks and sugar.  Mix well to combine.  Add remaining ingredients, except for the lemon zest.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.  (Do not allow to boil or the mixture will curdle.)
When the mixture changes to a bright yellow color, and thickly coats the wooden spoon, remove from heat.  Pour through a fine strainer.  Discard the residue.  Stir in lemon zest.
Pour the filling into the cooled tart shell; it will continue to thicken as it sets.  Let it sit at least one hour.  Serve at room temperature or cold.

cake, Desserts, Fruit

Apple Brandy Cake with Caramel Sauce

by Lynda Balslev
Apple Brandy Cake with Caramel Sauce

This dense, fruit-filled cake studded with brandy-spiked raisins is perfect for afternoon tea or dessert.  Snowing outside?  It goes well with gløgg by the fire, too.  I have made a version of this cake for many years, and what I enjoy about it is its unfailingly pleasing qualities. It reminds me of a classic, timeless dress: always in style – just add a few accessories, and it gracefully morphs into a new dessert.  Eat it simply as is, and call it a coffee cake. Top it with rich caramel sauce and it becomes a gooey, child-friendly indulgence (perhaps minus the brandy in the raisins.)  Add a dollop of whipped cream fortified with Calvados, and you have a decadent dessert fit to end a dinner party.  The quintessential little black dress of desserts.

Apple Brandy Cake with Caramel Sauce
inspired by Regan Daley’s recipe for Apple Cake in the Sweet Kitchen

1 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup Calvados brandy

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut in 1/2″ dice
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

Combine raisins and brandy.  Let sit at least one hour.  Do not drain.

Preheat oven to 325 F. (170 C.)  Butter a 9×13 rectangular baking pan.  Line the bottom with parchment.  Lightly butter the parchment.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt together in a bowl of electric mixer; set aside. Add brown and granulated sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla.  Using electric mixer, beat until batter is pale and smooth, scraping down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Fold in apples, pecans and raisins with brandy.  Pour into prepared pan and smooth top.  Bake in center of oven until cake center springs back when touched and a skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan.  (Cake can be made up to 3 days in advance.  Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature.)

Caramel Sauce:
Makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup butter, cut in chunks
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Calvados brandy (optional)

Combine butter, sugars, cream in heavy saucepan.  Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Simmer, stirring, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in optional brandy.  (Can be prepared in advance.  Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate up to one day.)

Whipped Cream with Calvados:

2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon sifted confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons Calvados Brandy

In a bowl of electric mixer, whip cream until whisk attachment leaves traces in the cream.  Add sugar and brandy.  Continue to whip until cream holds soft peaks.

Cookbooks, Cookies, Desserts

Betty Crocker and Russian Teacakes

by Lynda Balslev3 Comments on Betty Crocker and Russian Teacakes
Sandies tf

Russian Teacake Cookies a.k.a. Sandies
adapted from Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book

Makes about 36.

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped toasted almonds
Additional confectioner’s sugar for rolling

Mix butter and sugar in bowl of electric mixer until lightened in color and fluffy, 3 minutes.  Mix in vanilla. Stir flour and salt together in a medium bowl.  Add flour to butter and mix to combine.  Stir in nuts.  Chill dough at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 F. (200 C.) Roll dough in 1 inch balls.  Place on parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake until firm, but not brown, 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool slightly.  Roll in additional confectioner’s sugar.  Place on tray and cool completely. Roll in sugar again.

Desserts

Tiramisù

by Lynda Balslev2 Comments on Tiramisù

In Italian, tirami-sù means “pull me up” which is in reference to the sugar and espresso in this light and luscious dessert.  Similar to a trifle, tiramisù is a layered concoction of savoiardi (ladyfinger biscuits), whipped cream, mascarpone cheese and eggs.  It can be served in individual glasses or a large bowl, preferably glass, to show off its fluffy layers.  Traditionally, the ladyfingers are lightly dipped in espresso coffee and brushed with Marsala or Vin Santo, and then layered between clouds of mascarpone, whipped cream and egg custard. Variations exist as in the below recipe, as I omitted the raw egg and wine for a child-friendly dessert for a dinner party.  Whether you choose this version or the more fortified adult version, this dessert is assured to pull you and your guests up.

Tiramisù
Serves 6

1 cup strong espresso (de-caffeinated, optional)
4 tablespoons sugar
1 cup mascarpone cheese
2 cups whipping cream
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
24 ladyfinger biscuits
2 tablespoons grated dark chocolate

Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and espresso.  Set aside.
Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk mascarpone cheese and whipping cream until thick and light.  Whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, orange juice, zest and vanilla.
Dip ladyfingers in espresso mixture and cover the bottom of a glass bowl, rectangular serving dish or individual goblets.  Cover with a layer of the mascarpone mixture.  Sprinkle with some grated chocolate.
Repeat with remaining ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture.  Garnish the top layer of mascarpone with grated chocolate.
Chill at least 4 hours and up to 8 before serving.

For a fortified adult version:
Add 2 tablespoons Marsala to espresso and sugar mixture.

Cookies, Desserts

Chocolate Oblivion Cookies

by Lynda Balslev6 Comments on Chocolate Oblivion Cookies

Chocolate Oblivion Cookies

As we tighten our purse strings, eat out less, purchase fewer perceived must-haves, it is important that we take a moment to focus on the simpler things in our lives that bring us pleasure. Family and friends – yes, absolutely.  Good health and happy children – of course.  Beautiful sunsets and autumn foliage – thank you so much.  However, what I specifically have in mind is chocolate.

Chocolate Oblivion Cookies
Makes approximately 20

14  ounces (400 grams) 70% dark chocolate
1/4 cup (55 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups (340 grams) granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 ounces (200 grams) coarsely chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips

1. Melt the 14 ounces chocolate and the butter in the top of double boiler over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat.
2. Beat the sugar and eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until thick and very pale in color, about 5 minutes. Add the chocolate and vanilla and mix well.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder. and salt together in a small bowl. Add to the chocolate and stir to combine. Stir in the chopped chocolate.
4. Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes
5. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Drop heaping tablespoons of the cookie batter onto the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake until the tops crack, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks before removing from the parchment. The cookies may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Denmark, Desserts

Red Berry Soup with Cream

by Lynda Balslev2 Comments on Red Berry Soup with Cream

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As if the Danish language was not hard enough to learn.

For us well-intentioned foreigners who have attempted to have a go at the language, there is an inside joke among our Danish counterparts when it comes to testing our purported linguistic skills.  Simply put, it is saying the expression “rød grød med fløde” which means “red berry soup with cream.”  Rest assured, if you wish to humor your Danish friends and family or fill an awkward lull at a Danish party, all you need to do is say this phrase. It never fails, in a Groundhog-Day sort of way. Your hosts will double over in laughter with tears streaming down their cheeks. Conspiratorily winking at each other, they will properly repeat the words to you and coax you to try again, eagerly awaiting the results.  Easily amused is all I have to say.  So, what is it about this phrase that never ceases to delight?  Suffice to say, that if you can even get your mouth around the correct sound for an “Ø”, you will stumble miserably when you try to pronounce the “D”, which when done properly in Danish, actually sounds as though you are saying the letter “D” with a mouth full of, well, red berry soup.
With that said, the upside is that even if the phrase is difficult – if not embarrassing – to pronounce, the dessert itself is sheer delight.  A traditional Scandinavian summer dessert, Red Berry Soup makes use of the region’s prolific berry season: strawberries in the beginning followed by raspberries, black currants, red currants, blackberries and blueberries.  Any combination of the berries are cooked with sugar, then chilled and served with whipped cream or crème fraiche.  Sometimes lemon or vanilla is added, or even chopped almonds for a more toothsome texture.  Every home has its own version.  The result is a fresh, simple and delicious dessert making use of what the Nordic summer season has to offer – as unfailing as the response I get whenever I say rød grød med fløde.

Red Berry Soup with Cream  – Rød Grød med Fløde
Serves 4-6
2 1/2 lbs. mixed summer berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, red and black currants
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Whipped cream or crème fraiche
Mint leaves for garnish
In a heavy medium-sized saucepan combine berries and sugar.  Heat over medium heat until sugar dissolves and berries release their juices, about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in lemon juice. Cool and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours before serving.  Serve with whipped cream or crème fraiche. Garnish with mint leaves.

Note: Any combination of berries may be used.  Depending on the combination and acidity of the berries, additional sugar may need to be added. Try to include black currants, if you can, as their firm texture and astringency add extra complexity to the sweet soup.