• anya_sf on December 25, 2021

  Cardamom Coffee Bread (p. 133) - Similar to the pulla recipe in The Great Scandinavian Baking Book, but with less cardamom (I add more). This one includes the almond-pearl sugar topping. I usually make 2 smaller loaves from 1/2 recipe, adding a little more flour to the dough.

• anya_sf on December 25, 2021

  Spicy Christmas Pigs (p. 147) - This recipe is most similar to the gingerbread cookies my Finnish mother made. I usually have to add extra water. The dough has a tendency to crack on the initial rolling, but rolls out more smoothly after it's been re-kneaded and rolled (note to self: knead it more initially!). I probably don't roll it thin enough, as my cookies take a few extra minutes to bake. These are softer than Swedish pepparkakor.

• anya_sf on December 25, 2021

  Butter-Cookie Shells (p. 151) - Basically plain butter cookies baked in fancy tins. Another good use of butter cookie dough. The only tricky part here is that this dough calls for the addition of almond extract and optionally cardamom (which I like), so if you're making a large batch of dough for multiple uses, you have to somehow add extra ingredients to part of the dough, which can be done by removing some of the dough from the food processor, then adding the extract and spice and processing a bit more (or kneading in by hand).

• anya_sf on December 25, 2021

  Finnish Nut Logs (p. 152) - Nice almond cookies. Another good way to use the butter cookie dough.

• anya_sf on December 25, 2021

  Raspberry Ribbons (p. 152) - Our favorite cookie that uses the butter cookie dough. I generally use 1/2 recipe of dough divided into 3 logs in order to fit on my cookie sheet.

• anya_sf on December 25, 2021

  Butter-Cookie Dough (p. 150) - Easy to make, versatile dough that can be used for several types of cookies. Nice buttery flavor. Texture somewhere between soft and crisp. Dough freezes well.

• anya_sf on December 25, 2021

  Herring Salad (p. 106) - We've enjoyed this salad on many a Christmas Eve. I prefer it with plain cooked beets vs pickled.

• anya_sf on December 25, 2021

  Mustard-Dill Mayonnaise (p. 108) - good, classic sauce for gravlax

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Onion & herring smørrebrød (Sild med løg)

  • anya_sf on December 15, 2024

    Surprisingly well-received at a party, herring not always an easy sell. I cut the slices in half for easier eating and skipped the tomato garnish.

• Dilled-shrimp smørrebrød (Rejer i trængsel)

  • anya_sf on December 15, 2024

    One of my favorite smorrebrods. I used Danish pumpernickel instead of French bread, slices cut in half since they were for a party. Used fresh dill instead of dried and skipped the tomato garnish. I think there is an error in the mayonnaise quantity - no way will you need 2 Tbsp per slice, more like 2 tsp.

• Swedish meatballs (Köttbullar)

  • anya_sf on January 06, 2023

    I used a scoop and got 60 smaller meatballs, which needed to be browned in batches. Despite draining the meatballs after browning, the gravy ended up super fatty - maybe because the meatballs weren't cooked through initially? The gravy was pretty basic but decent, but I think I prefer a creamier sauce. I hate pan frying meatballs, but figured the gravy would need the flavor from the drippings. Next time I will roast the meatballs and just make a basic sauce using roux, broth, and a touch of sour cream. I enjoyed the traditional Scandinavian spices in the meatballs and couldn't help but add some white pepper as well.

• Finnish rice pudding (Riisipuuro)

  • anya_sf on January 01, 2023

    Traditional rice pudding recipe, not too sweet or rich. Could just as easily be served for breakfast.

• Baked mushrooms (Paistettu sienet)

  • anya_sf on January 01, 2023

    Tasty, comforting way to prepare mushrooms. Ideally made with mixed wild mushrooms, this is still good with regular button mushrooms.

• Jarlsberg cod (Jarlsberg torsk)

  • eilene_ii8svf on January 15, 2026

    The cod makes its own cooking liquid. This was lovely. Only recommendation is to slice your tomatoes really thin. They’ll cook through better.

• Fruit-juice glögg (Saft glögg)

  • anya_sf on December 28, 2024

    This was enjoyed very much by the non-drinkers in the house. I tasted it and liked it too, better than the alcoholic glögg I also made.

• Finnish cucumber salad (Kurkkusalaatti)

  • anya_sf on January 01, 2023

    Good, traditional cucumber salad. Either fresh or dried dill works.

• Herring salad (Rosolli)

  • anya_sf on December 28, 2024

    A traditional Christmas salad, perhaps an acquired taste for Americans, but we enjoy it, although leftovers are not popular. I usually mix the salad for convenience - which must be done at the last minute - rather than serving in rows.

• Rutabaga-potato casserole (Perunalanttulaatikko)

  • anya_sf on January 01, 2023

    Potatoes aren't traditional in rutabaga casserole. Sadly, they also don't make it taste good. I have yet to find a rutabaga casserole recipe I actually like (sorry, mom).

• Carrot casserole (Porkkanalaatikko)

  • anya_sf on January 01, 2023

    Tastes like mom's, except she cooked and mashed the carrots, and often used dark Karo syrup instead of brown sugar. I find shredding the carrots to be less work, although my sisters disagree.

• Veiled country lass (Bondepige med slør)

  • anya_sf on January 01, 2023

    Easy to make and quite tasty. Rye breadcrumbs, raspberry jam, applesauce, and chocolate may sound like an odd combination, but they're actually good together.

• Cardamom coffee braid (Pulla)

  • anya_sf on January 05, 2023

    My go-to recipe for pulla. I typically make half the dough into 2 smaller loaves and usually need to add extra flour. I double the cardamom and sometimes add currants. The shaped braids can be refrigerated overnight (will rise somewhat), then proofed the rest of the way and baked in the morning. Pulla only keeps a day or so; freeze for longer storage. Makes great French toast.

• Spicy Christmas pigs (Nissu nassu)

  • anya_sf on December 21, 2023

    This recipe is most similar to the gingerbread cookies my Finnish mother made. I usually have to add extra water. The dough has a tendency to crack on the initial rolling, but rolls out more smoothly after it's been re-kneaded and rolled (note to self: knead it more initially!). I probably don't roll it thin enough, as my cookies sometimes take a few extra minutes to bake. I get around 45 cookies (yield of course depends on your cutters).

• Butter-cookie dough (Pikkuleipienperustaikina)

  • anya_sf on January 05, 2023

    Versatile, very easy to make in the food processor. Can be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for months.

• Butter-cookie shells (Sandbakelser)

  • anya_sf on December 21, 2023

    This year I added the almond extract and cardamom, adding interest to these otherwise plain butter cookies. I had a little trouble draping the dough over the tins without cracking, but the cookies mostly still turned out well.

• Raspberry ribbons (Hindbærkager)

  • anya_sf on January 06, 2023

    A family favorite. I baked 1/2 batch (saving the other half of the dough for later), cut into 3 ropes in order to fit on my cookie sheet. I needed extra jam (we like them pretty full).