Rhubarb aquavita a la COOP

I have located this recipe on rhubarb aquavita on COOP homepage (rabarbersnaps). In the recipe the infusion in minimum 1 day, however I let the aquavita infused for 1 week. The use of chili together with rhubarb gives a good taste depth to the rhubarb. Also the aquavita change colour from being clear to red.  

Rhubarb aquavita a la COOP:

• 3-4 stems of rhubarb - cleaned and cut into 1-2 cm
• ½ red chili - de-seeded and cut into smaller pieces
• 20 ml honey
• 70 dl clear neutral taste aquavita (Brøndum Klar)

1. Cut the rhubarb and chili into pieces.
2. Add the pieces into a medium size bowl.
3. Pour in the honey.
4. Fill up with the clear aquavita.
5. Place the aquavita cold in the refrigerator.'
6. Let the aquavita infuse for minimum 1 day or for longer time.
7. Let the aquavita infuse for 1 week.
8. Drain the content from the mixing bowl through a sieve.
9. Pour the aquavita into a glass bottle.
10. Enjoy cold together with lunch.

Triple asparagus soup

Asparagus season is here, so it is a question about enjoying as many fresh asparagus as possible (other suggestion is triple asparagus risotto). I used this recipe on asparagus soup as starting point. I done the the twisting about using canned white asparagus and their liquid in order to increase the taste of asparagus.

Asparagus soup: 3-4 servings

• 500 g white asparagus - to have the end broken off, to be peeled and chopped into 2 cm pieces do not peel the head of the white asparagus
• 400 g green asparagus -  to have the end broken off  and chopped into 2 cm pieces
• 270 canned white asparagus - 140 g liquid & 130 g asparagus
• 30 g butter
• 3 tablespoons wheat flour
• 1 l vegetable stock
• 2½-3 dl dairy whipping cream, 30-38% fat
• season with salt and pepper. 

1. Prepare the two types of asparagus individual.
2. Melt the butter in a medium cooking pot. 
3. When the butter is melted, stir in the wheat flour. Let the wheat flour dissolved into the melted butter.
4. Start by stirring in the pickled asparagus liquid.
5. Afterwards add in the vegetable stock little by little, so the butter-flour mixture is dissolved into the vegetable stock.
6. Add in the prepared white asparagus. Let the asparagus pieces simmer gentle in the soup for approx. 10-15 minutes.
7. Add the cream to the soup together with the prepared green asparagus pieces and canned white asparagus pieces
8. Bring the soup to the boil. Let the soup boil gentle for 2-3 minutes.
9. Season the soup with salt & pepper.
10. Serve.

Apricot ice tea

After having made a portion of this peach ice tea I thought it could be interesting to exchange the canned peach with canned apricot. The portion of apricot-tea mixture was more than enough to fill up my metallic tea filter, so you can actually make two portions of ice tea.

It is crucial, that you get the tea leaves and fruit mixed evenly together. It failed for me the first time, so the tea leaves were located more or less dry at the bottom of the metallic tea filer. So I removed the apricot mixture after 8 hours cold storage, and when I filled the tea filter with 1 tablespoon of black tea leaves, and let it infuse the mixture for another 8 hours in the refrigerator.

The flavour of apricot is very difficult to detected in this ice tea compared to the peach ice tea.

Peach ice tea:  - 2 liter

• 3 tablespoons of black tea leaves
• 425 g canned apricot - save 2 tablespoons of the sugar syrup
• 2 l cold water (0-max 25'C)
• ice cubes - optional
• twig of green herbs such as mints or lemon balm

1. Separate the canned apricot fruit from the sugar syrup using a sieve. Save 2 tablespoons of the sugar syrup.
2. Place the apricot in a smaller mixing bowl and mash the fruit like mashed potatoes using a potato masher.
3. Pour in the sugar syrup and black tea leaves, and stir.
4. Fill ½ the portion into the metallic tea filter.
5. Pour cold water into the tea pot. I noticed, that the draining of water filling through water into the the filter, was very bad. So therefore I filled water into the tea pot and when afterwards placed the tea filter into the tea pot.
6. Place the tea pot cold in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours, so let the apricot-tea mixture infuse the water.
7. Remove the tea filter from the tea pot.
8. Fill ice cubes and optional herbs twig into a high ball glass and fill up with the ice tea.
9. Enjoy :-)

Vegetable bolognese with extra tomatoes

After having made this vegetable bolognese a la Søndag I decided to twist this dish by adding in some more tomato concentrate to have more flavour of tomato. I also added in some red pepper fruit together with the carrots, as I was having some left over pepper fruit in my kitchen.

The use of red lentils in this dish is really a large advantages, as it gives texture, which looks a bite like beef.

I served this dish together with freshly baked foccacia bread with olives a la Tupperware

Vegetable bolognese a la Søndag: - 4 servings

• 1 large onion - finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic
• olive oil
• 4 tablespoon tomato concentrate
• 1 tin (400 g) of canned tomato
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 carrots - peeled and medium grated
• 1-2 red pepper fruits - medium chopped
• 6 dl water
• 70 g red lentils
• salt & pepper for seasoning
• 400 g spaghetti
• grated parmesan cheese
• rucola

1. Fry the onion and garlic in hot olive oil, so the onion becomes clear in colour.
2. Add in the tomato concentrate and let it fry for ½ minute.
3. Add in the canned tomatoes with the dried herbs.
4. Add in the water, grated carrot, chopped pepper fruit, lentil. Season with salt & pepper.
5. Bring the mixture to the boil.
6. Let the bolognese simmer under lid for 1 hour.
7. Serve the bolognese with boiled spaghetti, grated parmesan, rucola and foccacia.

Crisp bread with 5 grain mixture

I have used this recipe on crisp bread a la Skovdal as starting point for making a new portion of crisp bread. Instead of using the various seeds I decided to use some left over 5 grain mixture after baking these "The miller daughters bun". The 5 grain mixture is a composition of 38% wheat flakes, 26% rye kernels, 13% linseed, 11.5% sesame seeds & 11.5% sunflower seeds.

Another recipe on crisp bread could be this classic crisp bread a la Svansø or DL crisp bread.


Crisp bread with 5 grain mixture: - 30 pieces

• 5 dl 5 grain mixture 
• 2 dl wheat flour
• 1 dl whole grain wheat flour
• 1 dl oat flakes
• 2½ dl water
• 1 dl olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Heat up the fan oven to 180'C.
2. Add all the ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl.
3. Stir it together, and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
4. Divide the crisp bread dough into two portion to get the crisp thin enough.
5. Place the crisp bread on a piece of baking parchment, place another piece of baking parchment on top of the crisp bread dough.
6. Use a rolling pin to flatten the crisp bread dough into a thinner size.
7. Remove the top piece of baking parchment, sprinkle the poppy seed on top of the crisp bread dough.
8. Put back the baking parchment, and roll again with rolling pin.
9. Remove the top baking parchment.
10. Cut the crisp bread into piece size, so it is easier to break into pieces after baking.
11. Place the crisp bread on a baking tray.
12. Bake the crisp bread at 180'C for approx 20-25 minutes, until it let golden in colour. After 10-12 minutes baking twist on the baking trays to get an even baking.
13. Cool down.
14. Store in an airtight container.

Triple asparagus risotto

Time again to enjoy asparagus during this Spring time. I have used this recipe on asparagus risotto as starting point. On top of the fresh green and white asparagus I also decided to add some pickled white asparagus from glass, as I wanted to use the pickling stock in order to boost the asparagus flavour. This is also the reason, why I call this risotto Triple asparagus risotto.

For this specific risotto I have used a combination of both green and white asparagus. The types of asparagus is added at different time, as the white asparagus needs more cooking time compared to the green asparagus.

As other Spring dishes with asparagus you could also have a look into Spring green risotto and asparagus soup.

Triple asparagus risotto: - 2-3 servings

• 25-30 g butter 
• 1 onion - chopped
• 250 g white asparagus - peeled and chopped into pieces of 2-3 cm
• 200 g green asparagus - chopped into pieces of 2-3 cm
• 75 cl asparagus pickling stock
• 100 g pickled asparagus
• 200 g risotto rice
• 1 dl white wine
• 4,25 dl vegetable stock - warm
• 20-25 g butter - i smaller pieces
• Parmesan cheese - grated
• salt and pepper for seasoning
• dill as topping

1. Chopped all the vegetable in the desired size.
2. Heat up the butter in a bigger cooking pot. Add the chopped onion and white asparagus and fry them for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the risotto rice and stir them around for 1 minute to absorb the butter.
4. Pour in the white wine on top of the vegetable and rice and let the wine cook at lower heat, until the majority of the wine has boiled away. 
5. Pour in the asparagus pickling stock, let the rice absorb the liquid.
6. Afterwards add the warm vegetable stock little by little, let the rice absorb most of the liquid, before adding more vegetable stock. This part of the cooking process takes approx. 20 minutes.Keep stirring regular.
7. When there is 1 dl vegetable stock left, add this vegetable stock and chopped green asparagus and pickled asparagus. Doing it like this means, that these vegetable will not do be over-cooked.
8. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Add the smaller butter pieces and let them melt into the risotto.
10. Serve the risotto with grated Parmesan and chopped dill on the serving plates/bowls. 
11. Serve together with the white wine. 

Foccacia bread with olives a la Tupperware

I have got this recipe on foccacia bread with olives in connection with a Tupperware demonstration. It is very easy to make the dough, as you do not have to knead it together, you just stir it together in the mixing bowl. I divided the original recipe into two, as I only had one silicone form. I have recently baked a version with tomato & rosemary.


Foccacia bread with olive a la 
Tupperware: - 1 bread

• 12 g fresh yeast
• 2½ dl water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 125 g wheat flour
• 125 g tipo 00 flour
• 15 green olives with almonds inside
• salt & olive oil as topping

1. Add yeast, water, olive oil, salt & both types of flour into a medium size mixing bowl.
2. Stir all the ingredients into a homogeneous mass using a cooking spoon.
3. Fill the dough into a rectangular shaped silicone form (18 x 25 cm).
4. Place the olives with insides almonds into the dough, sprinkle with olive oil & salt.
5. Let the bread dough raise in the oven with a temperature of 50'C for 30 minutes.
6. Remove the dough from the oven.
7. Heat up the oven to 220'C.
8. Bake the bread at 220'C for approx 20 minutes.
9. Serve the bread together with vegetable bolognese with extra tomatoes.

Hveder 2020

Today I decided bake another portion of "hveder" baking a modified version of these "hveder - wheat buns a la Søndag" removing cinnamon and only using cardamon as spices. "Hveder" are a very specific Danish tradition in relation to Store Bededag (Great Payer Day) (a Danish religious holiday celebrated on the 4th Friday after Easter). 

Yo are actually baking freshly buns in order to roasted more or less at once right after baking !!!

I have used my "normal" raising process for "hveder", where I do the second raising process placing the dough pieces in a baking tray with some distance followed by raising when in the oven at 50'C with a tray below below full of boiling water.

"Hveder" (wheat buns) a la "Søndag" - 16-20 buns

• 500 g wheat flour
• 200 g whole grain wheat flour
• 50 g sugar
• 50 g butter
• 20 g fresh yeast
• 1 egg
• 350 g milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon cardamon

1. Weigh all the ingredients directly into the mixing bowl of the stand alone mixer. Keep salt & sugar away from the yeast.
2. Place the bowl on the stand-alone mixer.
3. Start knead the dough at speed 1 for 8 minutes.
4. Afterwards increase the speed to 4, knead for 2 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough. If it is not OK, when knead it at speed 4 for another 2 minutes. Again check the consistency. If needed, knead again for 1 minute and when check consistency of the dough.
5. Cover the dough in the mixing bowl with a damp tea towel.
6. Let the entire dough raise for approx 60-90 minutes under a damp cloth.
7. When you evaluate, that the dough has raise enough, divide the dough into smaller pieces with a weight of 80 g each.
8. Shape the dough pieces into bun shapes. Place the bun pieces relative close in pans covered with baking parchment. 
9. Place the pans with bun dough in the oven (fan oven at 50'C) together with 1 liter boiling water in a jug. 
10. Let the bun raise for second time for approx 40 minutes inside the oven.
11. Heat up the oven to 120'C.
12. Bake the bun at 200'C for 20-25 minutes.
13. Serve the buns warm with butter or perhaps maple syrup butter. Or slice them into 2 and roast the buns in the fan oven at 200C until light brown in the colour, and when serve with butter.

Marple syrup butter a la "Søndag"

In the recipe on these hveder wheat buns a la Søndag in the weekly magazine "Søndag" issue 19/2020 I also found this recipe on maple syrup butter, which I decided to make as well without any modification.

Maple syrup butter a la "Søndag" - 1 portion

• 100 g butter - soft
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon vanilla powder
• 1 knife pinch salt

1. Whip the soft butter airy in a small mixing bowl using an electrical beater.
2. Add in the maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla powder and salt.
3. Whip the entire butter mixture into a homogeneous mass.
4. Add the butter into container&small bowls, which you will serve the butter from.
5. Place the butter in the refrigerator for 2 hours, so it can set.
6. Enjoy on top of roasted "hveder" wheat buns.

"Hveder" wheat buns a la "Søndag"

Yesterday day evening was the the evening before Store Bededag (Great Payer Day) (a Danish religious holiday celebrated on the 4th Friday after Easter). And it is the peak evening for enjoying roasted "hveder" - wheat buns with cardamon.

This year I have baked these "hveder" a la "Søndag" using a recipe from the weekly magazine 19/2020. The only modification, which I have done is to use a combination of whole grain flour and wheat flour instead of only wheat flour.
It is also the first time, that I have seen a recipe with a combination of cardamon and cinnamon. The taste of cinnamon is not dominating, but just there as a under laying taste note. Normally only cinnamon is used in "hveder".

I have used my "normal" raising process for "hveder", where I do the second raising process placing the dough pieces in a baking tray with some distance followed by raising when in the oven at 50'C with a tray below below full of boiling water.

"Hveder" (wheat buns) a la "Søndag" - 16-20 buns

• 500 g wheat flour
• 200 g whole grain wheat flour
• 50 g sugar
• 50 g butter
• 20 g fresh yeast
• 1 egg
• 350 g milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon cardamon
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

1. Weigh all the ingredients directly into the mixing bowl of the stand alone mixer. Keep salt & sugar away from the yeast.
2. Place the bowl on the stand-alone mixer.
3. Start knead the dough at speed 1 for 8 minutes.
4. Afterwards increase the speed to 4, knead for 2 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough. If it is not OK, when knead it at speed 4 for another 2 minutes. Again check the consistency. If needed, knead again for 1 minute and when check consistency of the dough.
5. Cover the dough in the mixing bowl with a damp tea towel.
6. Let the entire dough raise for approx 60-90 minutes under a damp cloth.
7. When you evaluate, that the dough has raise enough, divide the dough into smaller pieces with a weight of 80 g each.
8. Shape the dough pieces into bun shapes. Place the bun pieces relative close in pans covered with baking parchment. 
9. Place the pans with bun dough in the oven (fan oven at 50'C) together with 1 liter boiling water in a jug. 
10. Let the bun raise for second time for approx 40 minutes inside the oven.
11. Heat up the oven to 120'C.
12. Bake the bun at 200'C for 20-25 minutes.
13. Serve the buns warm with butter or perhaps marple syrup butter. Or slice them into 2 and roast the buns in the fan oven at 200C until light brown in the colour, and when serve with butter.

Suggestions for "Hveder" (wheat buns) for Store Bededag

This evening is the evening before Store Bededag (Great Payer Day) (a Danish religious holiday celebrated on the 4th Friday after Easter). And it is the peak evening for enjoying roasted "hveder" - wheat buns with cardamon.

Having discovered the great taste of home-made "hveder", where is no turning back for commercial baked "hveder". The combination of freshly grounded cardamon covering your kitchen in wonderful flavour and eating freshly baked/roasted buns is a combination made in heaven !!!

As inspiration for you I hereby share a selection of the various "hveder", which I have been baking over the years. And tomorrow I will share the recipe of the "hveder a la Søndag", which I am baking this evening. You can already now prepare your shopping list as it involve fresh yeast, wheat flour & whole grain wheat flour, sugar, butter, sugar, salt, cardamon & cinnamon. And as finishing touch I baked another version of hveder Sunday after Store Bededag.

Happy baking



hveder -wheat buns with cardamon

Hveder a la Isabellas

Hveder af purpur hvede og surdej

Hveder med inspiration from "Maden imit liv"

Hveder med marcipan

Klassike hveder

May - what's up

May - what's up

May is one of the three Spring months, and for me May is the most beautiful Spring due to a forest in vibrant green colour, blooming flowers, apple trees with magnificent flowers, rhubarb in full power growth and some local asparagus for wonderful dishes.

Here in May we will also celebrate "Store Bededag", which is special Danish public holiday, where we eat freshly baked cardamon buns, which is eaten roasted with plenty of butter. 

hveder - wheat buns with cardamon

Another theme, which I will focus on during this month of May is rhubarb as well as asparagus. Rhubarb because they grow for full power in a corner in my garden. Asparagus as it the season in Europe/Denmark for this great vegetable. Look by from time to time, what kind of rhubarb stuff, which I am creating in my little kitchen such as:

• triple asparagus soup
• triple asparagus risotto
• rhubarb aquavita a la COOP

rhubarb raspberry jam

cream cake with rhubarb compote and white chocolate

crumble cake with rhubarb