Summer Dusk

The past couple of days the weather has been acting out: then it is cold and sunny, next thing you know it is warmish and snowy. To warm myself in these times, I am thinking back to long warm Scandinavian summer evenings, where dusk isn't until ten and there is a hint of light all night long. Here are some pictures from dusk at Bornholm last August. I saved them for a rainy day like this.

The Tale Of Fastelavnsboller

It has been a couple of weeks since it was Fastelavn, but I just came around to work on these pictures now. As you may have already read, I made fastelavnsboller, or at least my own interpretation of these. From back home I know two different kinds. One is a bun with creme-filling, the other a pastry with a lot more cream-filling. I decided to combine these two in one and attempt choux for the first time. After that decision I also found this recipe that I thought looked amazing. All of a sudden I felt compelled to try out both.

First one - the bun with the cheese and berries - I started a couple of days before, because I adapted the recipe to sourdough. With sourdough the process always takes a bit longer, but I am still amazed every time I am standing with a dough that has risen without any added chemical our yeast. And as I am trying to experiment more and more, it gets to be more and more fun. Earlier I used to hate doing bready dough, but now it has become one of my favorite kitchen activities.

As already mentioned I was trying "choux" out for the first time, and although the dough was fairly easy to do, I think I need to practice using the pastry bag a couple more times before getting it right. My choux turned out rather uneven and in all shapes and sizes. But the taste of coffee and raspberry filling was good, and I don't think anyone would complain if I started practicing more regularly until I have the shape right.

Fastelavn er mit navn...

This weekend we had a little Fastelavns celebration. Or rather Fastelavn was an excuse to invite some people for coffee and cake and spend a nice Sunday afternoon in good company. I made two different kinds of Fastelavnsboller and a little Fastelavnsris (this is the decorated branches). They were normally used to beat people with to remind them of Jesus suffering) but no one got beaten here. Instead we had a lovely afternoon with too much sugar and just enough talking.

Sun at Home

Between the days of show and rain, I have been enjoying some of the many sunny days, and the rays coming in our windows, brightening the rooms and making them warm. Not to forget the rainbows all over the floors and walls.