Chocolate Rosettes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's sometimes a mistake to try and improve on an old favorite recipe. Last year, I shared my recipe and memories of Christmas Rosettes with you. I know that these cookies have lost cache, but they will forever remain one of my favorite treats. My love for them is enhanced, of course, by the sweetness of memory. I think that's OK. We all are creations of time and place and those memories are what make us unique and set our place at the table. Several years ago, Bob and I were in Hawaii for several weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday. The people of the islands know how to celebrate the holiday in an unabashed fashion and it is impossible not to get into the spirit of the season if you are there. Let's say Hawaii, unconcerned with political correctness, bolstered my somewhat flagging Christmas spirit with its exuberant sense of season. We arrived home on Christmas Eve and, despite the hour, I decided we couldn't have Christmas without rosettes on the table. One of the beauties of these cookies is that they require no special ingredients. Another is the ease with which they come together. Ease and simplicity made the cookies possible that Christmas, so I'm not quite sure what possessed me to try this gussied up version of the recipe. It was a mistake. Truth be told, this chocolate version is lacking in flavor and, save for color, has nothing to commend it. It is neither sweet nor chocolatey. Please view me as your early warning system. If you are tempted to try this recipe, pinch yourself and move on. You deserve better.

Chocolate Rosettes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cocoa powder (any type)
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
Vegetable shortening
Powdered sugar

Directions:
1) Combine cornstarch, flour, cocoa, sugar and salt in a bowl. Beat egg lightly, combine
with milk, and add to dry ingredients. Stir until smooth.
2) Heat rosette iron in deep, hot oil (350 to 375 F) for two minutes. Drain excess oil from iron; dip in batter about 1/2 way. Fry rosette while counting to 10. Wiggle iron so rosette falls off into oil and continue to fry until golden brown. Lift out with tongs. Drain on paper towels. Reheat iron 1 minute before making next rosette. Yield: 18 rosettes.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Stained Glass Cookies - Baking and Boys
Pecan Strips - Louanne's Kitchen
Lemon Glazed Christmas Wreath Cookies - Barbara Bakes
Chocolate Chip Biscotti - Mom's Cooking Club
Chocolate Peppermint Bark Cookies - The Recipe Girl
Peppermint Meringue Cookies - Sugarcrafter

Swedish Strawberry Cream Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This lovely sponge cake is popular throughout Scandinavia. I learned to make the Swedish version of the cake , called Jordgubbbstårta, the summer of my twelfth birthday. Traditionally, this cake was made for special occasions such as birthdays or national holidays. In summer months the cake was filled with heavy cream and fresh berries. Winter versions were, of course, filled with fruit preserves. While it is simple to make, the cake requires a lot of beating and I suspect that's why it was so seldom made. Although electric mixers became available to homemakers in the early 1930's, they were expensive and few families could afford them. All that changed in 1952 when Sunbeam began to market an affordable hand held electric mixer. That, coincidentally, is the year I first made this cake. Independence Day was a communal holiday in our neighborhood and Mrs. P was responsible for the desserts. She decided to substitute the usual shortcake with her lovely Swedish sponge. She had already made one cake when she asked if I would like to make the second. I was thrilled to pieces and under her watchful eye began to make the second. Now, there is a Tom Sawyer aspect to this tale. I suspect I was given the task because it took so long, even with the electric mixer, to beat the eggs. With her hands free, Mrs. P went on to mix a batch of brownies and the dough for oatmeal cookies, while I carefully held the mixer and watched and waited for the eggs to thicken. They eventually did and the tale ends well. My cake was a triumph. To prevent unnecessary worry, you should know that the cake layers will not dome as they bake. I've also found that the cake is vastly improved if the layers are lightly brushed with orange liqueur or dark rum. The berries I used were super-ripe and packed with flavor, but they tinted the cream pink. If you want a cake with a pure white visage use less ripe berries. The cake will hold nicely for a day or two, but it really wilts as day three approaches. This is a lovely dessert, and if you're looking for a strawberry dessert to replace shortcake, you might want to give this a try. Here's the recipe.

Swedish Strawberry and Cream Cake - Jordgubbstårta...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup (4 to 5 large) eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Orange liqueur or rum for brushing cake layers
Filling
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 quart hulled strawberries, sliced

Directions:
1) Grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottom of pans with wax or parchment paper. Grease paper and flour pans. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Place eggs in bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat until frothy. With mixer at high speed, slowly add granulated sugar and beat until mixture is very, very thick and pale. Add vanilla extract and beat until combined.
3) Sift flour and baking powder into another bowl or onto wax paper. With mixer set to low speed, slowly add flour to egg mixture, beating just until blended.
4) Spread batter into pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake bounces back when touched. Do not over bake. Remove cake layers from oven and cool.
5) To prepare filling, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla and continue beating until cream is stiff. Refrigerate. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Toscatarta - One Perfect Bite
Swedish Coffee Ring - One Perfect Bite
Linzer Cookies - One Perfect Bite
Swedish Visiting Cake - Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy
Swedish Princess Cake -Foodaholics
Swedish Meringue Cake - Epicurious

Linzer Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I love Linzertorte when it's made by someone other than myself. It's a lot of work to assemble and I have trouble with the lattice that typically covers it. I make up for it's absence on our dessert table by making Linzer cookies for the holiday. The cookies are very easy to do and the ingredients used to make them are the same as those used in the torte. While the cookies are far simpler to assemble than the torte, they need to be chilled before being rolled. That means you'll need to build wait time into your plans should you decide to make these luscious morsels. These are basically a butter rich sandwich cookie. It can be a trick to get the top and bottom layers to line up with so soft a dough. I recently read the problem can be overcome by rolling the cookies on parchment paper and transferring the paper to a cookie sheet, rather than attempting to move the cookies. Makes sense. I still haven't tried it, but I've put it on my must try list for the coming year. Linzer cookies are traditionally filled with black currant jam. That can be hard to come by, so feel free to use whatever jam you have available. Raspberry and apricot are always safe alternatives. If the dough becomes too soft as you are working with it, return it to the refrigerator to chill again. All scraps can be saved and reused if they are chilled before an attempt is made to roll them. If you keep the dough cold and use a cookie cutter no more than 2 inches in diameter, you'll have no problem making this classic cookie. Here's the recipe.

Linzer Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup ( 2 sticks) sliced butter at room temperature
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg, separated
2/3 cup finely chopped almonds, divided use
1/3 to 1/2 cup good jam or jelly

Directions:
1) Combine flour, butter, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg yolk and 1/3 cup almonds in bowl of a food processor. Blend until a smooth dough is formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. I chill my dough for 3 to 4 hours before rolling.
2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
3) Roll dough on a well-floured board until it is 1/8-inch thick. Use a cookie cutter or thimble to cut centers from half of cookies. Brush cookies with centers removed with egg white. Sprinkle with reserved 1/3 cup almonds and 3 tablespoons sugar. Plain rounds should be left without topping. Transfer cookies to prepared cookie sheets.
4) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges just begin to brown and center of cookie is set. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
5) Top each plain cookie with 1/2 teaspoon jam. Cover with a cut out cookie making sure to keep almond-sugar side up. Yield: about 50 sandwich cookies.

Creamy Winter Squash Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Butternut squash and pumpkin have started to appear in our farmer's markets. I'm delighted. I've been waiting for their arrival so that I could try a recipe I found earlier this summer. I'd been looking for a soup to replace the corn chowder I normally serve with our Thanksgiving meal and I had the good fortune to stumble on this recipe develop by Ed Chamberlain. The use of cardamom and allspice leads me to believe the soup has Scandinavian origins. It's delicious, simple to make and freezes well. The next time I make it I plan to use acorn squash. The butternut squash is delicious but I want more depth of color than it provides. You'll need about 3 pounds of squash to make this soup. I simmer it in stock, but it could also be baked and pureed before adding it to the soup pot. While I used fresh pumpkin, it was overkill and unnecessary work. Canned pumpkin can be substituted. As a matter of fact, frozen squash could also be used. I finished the soup with heavy cream but whole milk or light cream would also work for those who prefer their soup on the lighter side. There is, however, no substitute for the cardamom.

Creamy Winter Squash Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 medium (1-1/2 pounds each) butternut squash
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin puree
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups heavy cream, light cream or whole milk
Optional Garnish:
Croutons
Creme fraiche

Directions:
1) Peel the squash; cut into chunks. Place in a soup pot. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer squash and some chicken broth to bowl of a food processor; puree until smooth.
2) Return squash puree to soup pot. Add pumpkin puree, honey, ginger, cardamom, allspice, salt and pepper. Heat, stirring until smooth and heated through. Add heavy cream and stir until blended. If desired, garnish soup with creme fraiche and croutons. Yield: 8 servings.

This post is being liked to Mellow Yellow Monday.

Swedish Meatballs - A Scandinavian Festival for Foodie Friday

Every year the folks in Junction City, Oregon, gather to celebrate their Scandinavian heritage. They throw quite a party. It's a four day celebration and visitors to the Scandinavian Festival never go home hungry. There's a day for Sweden, a day for Norway, a day for Finland and one for Denmark. Before we tour the fair and its food, I'd like to share a recipe for the best Swedish meatballs I've ever had. They are simple to make, but I guarantee they'll enhance your reputation as a cook. Additional pictures of the fair follow the recipe. Have fun and try not to eat too much.



Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients:
4 large eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups milk
1 cup packaged bread crumbs
4 tablespoons butter, divided use
1 cup very finely chopped onion
3 teaspoons salt + salt to taste
2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1-1/2 teaspoons dried dill weed, divided use
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
2 (10.5-oz.) can condensed beef broth, undiluted
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 cup light cream or half-and-half
Garnish: fresh dill or parsley

Directions:
1) Combine eggs, milk and bread crumbs in a medium bowl.
2) Place 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet and saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
3) Remove onions from skillet and add to crumb mixture with 3 teaspoons salt, beef, pork, 1/2 teaspoons dill weed, allspice, nutmeg and cardamom. Mix to combine (don't overdo this). Refrigerate, covered, until mixture can be shaped, about 1 hours.
4) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Shape meat mixture into 45 meatballs.
5) Heat reserved 2 tablespoons butter. Saute meatballs in batches until browned on all sides. Transfer to a large baking pan or roaster with 2-inch sides.
6) Pour off all but 1/4 cup pan drippings. Stir in flour and pepper. Slowly add beef broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add cream and reserved 1 teaspoon dill weed. Pour gravy over meatballs.
7) Bake, uncovered for 30 minutes. Garnish with fresh dill. Yield: 6 servings.

Recipe adapted from The New McCall's Cook Book



















This recipe is being linked to Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday

Cinnamon Meringue Coffee Ring

While looking for holiday recipes, I stumbled on this neglected favorite in a battered shoebox that holds my really old recipes. Each year I swear I'm going to transcribe and index them, but that just never seems to happen. As a result, a task that should take minutes can turn into hours of reverie as special recipes are found and the people associated with them emerge from memory. Lilah, George and Claire were a constant presence in my childhood. Lilah, whom I've written about before, was the mother of my best friend Claire. George, her husband, a professor at the University of Chicago, introduced Claire and me to the treasures of the Oriental Institute and the Field Museum, and, because neither of us were much into dolls, we became weekend explorers of the more exotic museum circuit. Back then museums charged no admission and a round trip ticket on the Illinois Central cost a quarter. If you were clever, you could ride from the south side of the city to the Loop and back again while stopping off to visit all the museums along the way. On a very good day, you might even catch a demonstration on the Midway at the University of Chicago. Claire and I really traveled. It was a different time and place and we were city kids, so no one worried about our museum treks from Mesopotamia to the coal mines of Appalachia. The holidays brought special exhibits to the Museum of Science and Industry and we learned that if you planned precisely you'd be able to see all the Christmas programs the museum offered. The blonde Claire, Cinderella to my Snow White, loved the re-creation of Christmas in Scandinavia and would embarrass me to death by singing "Santa Lucia" with abandon - at the top of her lungs, I might add - on the ride home from the museum. Claire loved this coffee cake and Lilah always made it for her on St. Lucia Day. It is very understated, but the unique meringue filling - a poor man's almond paste - makes it sweeter than a Viennese pastry. I hope you'll give it a try. It's not hard to do and if, as you make it, you hear the clear bell-like strands of "Santa Lucia" or see a blonde, haloed specter floating through the air, not to worry. It's probably Claire practicing for the Lucia Day procession. God Jul, Claire. No Lucia will ever hold a candle to you. Skol!

Cinnamon Meringue Coffee Ring

Ingredients:
1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
3-1/4 to 3-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons milk, divided use
6 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons butter, divided use
1/3 + 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided use
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, divided use
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds, divided use
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1) Combine yeast and 1-1/2 cups flour in bowl of an electric stand mixer. Set aside.
2) Combine 2/3 cup milk, 6 tablespoons butter, 1/3 cup sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat until butter is melted. Add to flour mixture with 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes longer. By hand, stir in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth, about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once. Cover and let rise until double. Punch down, turn onto a floured surface and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll dough into an 18 x 10-inch rectangle.
3) Beat reserved egg white until stiff. Fold in reserved 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Spread mixture over dough. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup almonds. Starting from long side, roll dough tightly in jelly roll fashion. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet; bring ends together and seal. Let rise until doubled in size.
4) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 25 minutes, covering with foil if bread browns too quickly. Set aside to cool slightly.
5) Meanwhile, heat reserved 2 tablespoons butter over low heat until browned. Cool. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, reserved 2 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix well. Drizzle cake with icing. Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup almonds. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Two Potato Make-Aheads Plus Gravy

My kitchen is positioned in the center of our home. No walls separate it from the living or dining room (right click on photograph for an expanded view). I love the views, the bright and open space and the accessibility it gives me to visitors in our home. I'm not shy about cooking in front of others - truth be told, I'm a real ham - but there are certain dishes I like to prepare before my guests arrive so they can be spared the noise of appliances and the unsightly mess of dirty pans. Today's recipes are some of the make-aheads I prepare for our Thanksgiving dinner. I hope you'll be able to use them as well.

Make-Ahead Swedish Potato and Rutabaga Casserole



Ingredients:
2 pounds unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes
2 tablespoon salt, divided use
1 pound rutabagas, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup half-and-half or whole milk
1 tablespoon softened butter
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

Directions:
1) Place the potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with water; add 1 tablespoon salt to pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain, peel and mash the potatoes.
2) Meanwhile, place rutabagas in another large pan. Cover with water; add 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash; add to potatoes. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and well combined. Add flour, eggs and milk. Beat until smooth. Taste for salt; adjust with reserved 1 teaspoon salt as required.
3) Butter a shallow 3-quart casserole. Spoon potatoes into casserole; dot with butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
4) When ready to cook bring casserole to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour or until very lightly browned. Yield: 12 servings.

Cook's Note: Potato casserole can be assembled the day before serving.

Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes



Ingredients:
5 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
Salt
1-1/2 cups reduced fat sour cream
5 tablespoons butter, divided use
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

Directions:
1) Place potatoes in a large pan. Cover with water; add 1 teaspoon salt per quart of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain. Put potatoes through a ricer and scape into a large bowl. Add sour cream, butter, salt and pepper. Beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
2) Butter a 3-quart casserole; add potato mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
3) Bring casserole to room temperature. Preheat oven to 325 degree F. Bake, covered, for 1 hour. Toss breadcrumbs with reserved 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle over surface of potatoes. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Yield: 12 to 14 servings.

Cook's Note: Potatoes can be assembled the day before serving.

Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy



Ingredients:
4 turkey wings (about 3 pounds)
2 medium onions, peeled and quartered
1 cup water
8 cups chicken broth, divided use
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange wings in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Scatter onions over wings. Roast, uncovered, for 1-1/4 hours, or until wings are brown.
2) Place wings and onions in a 5-to-6 quart pot. Pour water in roasting pan and stir, scraping up brown bits from bottom. Add to pot with wings and onions. Add 6 cups broth (refrigerate remaining 2 cups), carrot and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours.
3) Remove wings to cutting board. When cool, pull off skin and meat. Discard skin; save meat for another use.
4) Strain broth into a large container, pressing vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard vegetables; refrigerate broth and allow fat to rise to top. Skim off fat. Transfer broth to 3 quart pot and set on stove.
5) In a bowl, whisk flour into remaining 2 cups broth until blended and smooth. Bring broth in pot to a gentle boil. Whisk in broth-flour mixture and boil 3 to 4 minutes to thicken gravy and remove floury taste. Stir in butter and pepper. Serve or pour into containers; refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 6 months. Yield: 8 cups.

Cook's Note: This recipe has appeared in Farm Journal and Woman's Day magazine.

Baked Swedish Pancake - Breakfast

One more long day, then it's all over but the shouting. We're going to start the day with a substantial baked pancake that comes from Sweden. Pancake is really a misnomer; this is more like a baked custard or an Italian cheesecake sans cheese. I first made this years ago in an attempt to get extra calories and protein into the diet of an ill child. It's not terribly sweet, so I suggest you adjust the sugar to taste or serve it with macerated fruit or a fruit syrup. It's very easy to do. A cast-iron skillet is recommended and any type of berry can be used.

Baked Swedish Pancake

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs
4 cups milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries
Garnish: blueberries, powdered sugar

Directions:
1) Butter a cast iron skillet and place in oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2) Place flour, sugar, salt, eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a 2 quart bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until combined. Fold in blueberries.
3) Pour batter into hot pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until center of pancake is set.
4) Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm with berries and syrup. Yield: 8 servings.

Cook's Note: Warmed jelly or jam makes an excellent syrup for the pancake.

Caramelized Potatoes - Brunede Kartofler

This is an unusual recipe. Potatoes are a staple of the Scandinavian diet and this caramelized version of new potatoes accompanies roast goose on the Christmas table. The potatoes also pair well with ham and pork. If you like yams or sweet potatoes, you'll like this novel dish. While the potatoes are traditionally peeled, I prefer to keep the skins on. This is simple and inexpensive to make and it's a great addition to a special meal.

Caramelized Potatoes - Brunede Kartofler

Ingredients:
2 pounds small Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and unpeeled
1/2 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) melted unsalted butter
Coarse salt
Parsley

Directions:
1) Put the potatoes in a pan and cover with heavily salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until just fork tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain.
2) Melt sugar in a heavy skillet over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar turns light brown. Stir in melted butter. Add one layer of potatoes to pan; shake skillet to roll potatoes and coat all sides with caramel. Move potatoes to a heated platter and repeat procedure until all potatoes are coated. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Garnish with parsley. Yield: 8 servings.

Swedish West Coast Salad

There was a time when villages did raise children. I lived in one on the south side of Chicago and the arteries that fed 83rd Street were lined with the homes of my other "moms" - Jewish, German, Swedish, Italian and Irish women - who helped my parents raise me. They would discipline, teach and bandage, then, cruel fate, drag you home for yet another round of reckoning. Housing shortages kept our neighborhood intact until the mid 50's, so I had an orchestra seat - front row center - for viewing families, traditions, and cuisine, in many hues, as I grew up. Today I made a quick trip to the mall. They are set for Christmas - only Santa Claus is missing. Stan Freeburg's parody Green Chri$tma$ - "we wish you a Merry Christmas and please buy our beer" - started running through my mind and I couldn't shake it. As a distraction, I started thinking about Christmas traditions on 83rd Street and the open house given by one of our neighbors - my Swedish "mom". It was there I first sampled gravlaux and West Coast Salad. Recipes for gravlaux abound, but a recipe for the salad was more difficult to find. I stumbled on one by Beatrice Ojakangas in Scandinavian Feasts. Her recipe uses lobster, shrimp, crabmeat, mussels and caviar; it's absolutely delicious, but prohibitively expensive. My version captures the spirit and freshness of the salad but is more affordable. This is a light, uptown supper. Enjoy!

Swedish West Coast Salad

Ingredients:
Dill Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 drop dill oil or 6 tablespoons fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Salad:
1-1/2 to 2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 pound white mushrooms, sliced
1 English cucumber, cut in 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup pimentos, drained
3 hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges
1/2 cup frozen petite peas, thawed
Garnish: Boston lettuce leaves, fresh dill or parsley

Directions:
1) Combine oil, vinegar, dill oil or fresh dill, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk until blended. Set aside.
2) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add shrimp and cook for 3 minutes, or until shrimp curl and turn pink. Drain. Toss with dill salad dressing. Chill for at least 1 hour.
3) Add mushrooms, cucumber, pimentos, eggs and peas to shrimp. Toss lightly. Line a platter with lettuce leaves. With a slotted spoon, transfer salad to platter. Garnish with fresh dill or parsley. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Cook's Note: I use dill oil rather than fresh dill. This is an essential oil that allows you to control the flavor's intensity. Fresh dill is not always available in my area. The oil, which I also use for canning, is available at farm stands or can be ordered through online grocers. I have included a link for you.

Kladdkaka

Is kladdkaka the glory or the curse of Swedish kitchens? The cratered confection falls somewhere between cake and candy on the Swedish culinary ladder. It is a thin, sticky - very, very sweet - chocolate cake with a texture all it's own. My not-terribly-domestic Dad, unable to convincingly argue a case that would cause my Mother to rethink her refusal to make anything so sweet, learned to make it for himself. My husband, too, loves this confection - me, a lover of the barely sweet, maybe not so much. There are no fence-sitters when it comes to kladdkaka - you either love it or you hate it; I'll let you be the judge.

Kladdkaka - Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pastry or all-purpose flour
1/4 to 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa (I use 1/3 cup)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 to 1-1/3 cups granulated sugar (I use 1 cup)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted butter
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions:
1) Adjust a rack to lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 300 degres F. Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan or pie plate.
2) Combine flour, cocoa and salt; sift and set aside.
3) Combine eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat for 5 minutes on medium speed, or until pale yellow and mixture forms a ribbon. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir just until combined. Add butter and mix well. Pour into prepared pan.
4) Bake for 35 minutes, or until the center is just set. Allow to cool in pan for about an hour. The cake will crater as it sits. Remove ring if using a springform pan. Serve warm or cold. Yield: 8 servings.