Darra Goldstein

Darra Goldstein is an author and food scholar. She has published 17 books and is a frequent speaker at organizations and events around the world. Books include "Fire + Ice: Classic Nordic Cooking," "A Taste of Russia," and "The Georgian Feast," among others.

Baking

Swedish Almond Wreath (Mandelkrans)

Thankfully, the art of baking is alive and well in Scandinavia, where coffee breaks are a cherished part of the day. I’m especially fond of the sweetened yeast breads made throughout Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway, in all sorts of intricate shapes.

The truth is, anything with almond paste makes me swoon, and this beautiful wreath is a particular favorite. During our penurious year in Stockholm we had two weekly indulgences: a visit to Tommy, our friend the fishmonger, and a pastry at Vete-Katten, a warren of small rooms where coffee was served in Royal Copenhagen china and most of the patrons (it seemed to us) were ladies of a certain age, all perfectly dressed and coiffed.

This Konditori is now less formal, and the plates more pedestrian, but the pastries and breads remain spectacular. It’s hard to decide which I like best: kanelbullar (soft cinnamon buns); semlor (tender cardamom buns filled with marzipan and whipped cream); the lavish prinsesstårta (sponge cake layered with pastry cream, raspberry jam, and whipped cream mounded into a dome and draped with pale green marzipan); or this delightful almond wreath.

Like all sweet breads, mandelkrans tastes best when very fresh, but you can reheat it gently to serve the next day.

Recipe from: Fire + Ice: Classic Nordic Cooking

Photograph of a Swedish Almond Wreath by Stefan Wettainen
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Swedish Almond Wreath (Mandelkrans)

Ingredients

Wreath

  • 1 package active dry yeast (2¼ teaspoons)
  • ¼ cup lukewarm water
  • 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
  • ¾ cup whole milk, lukewarm
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and separated into lumps
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 to 3½ cups all-purpose flour

Filling

  • ½ cup blanched almonds
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅛ teaspoon natural almond extract

Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • Pearl sugar

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl proof the yeast and 1 Tablespoon of the sugar in the lukewarm water for 5 minutes, until bubbles appear. Stir in the remaining 3 Tablespoons sugar, the lukewarm milk, egg, butter and salt. Add the flour, mixing well to make a soft dough.
  2. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it springs back to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes, adding up to ½ cup more flour if necessary. Or knead with the dough hook of a mixer at slow speed for 5 minutes.
  3. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a clean, lightly greased bowl, turning it to grease the top. Leave it to rise, covered, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours. Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Let sit while you prepare the filling.
  4. In a food processor grind together the almonds and the sugar until the nuts are very finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the softened butter to form a mass. Stir in the almond extract.
  5. Roll the dough out to a 12 x 18” rectangle. With a small spatula spread the almond paste evenly over the entire rectangle. Starting at the long end, roll the dough up jellyroll fashion into a log. Transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet and set it seam-side down. Bring the ends together to form a ring, sealing them tightly.
  6. With scissors, snip the dough ⅔ of the way through to the center of the ring at 1-inch intervals. Gently turn each cut section on its side. Leave the loaf to rise, uncovered, until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
  7. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the bread for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden. While it is baking, prepare the glaze by mixing together the confectioner’s sugar and orange juice.
  8. While the loaf is still warm spoon the glaze over the loaf. Sprinkle with pearl sugar. Transfer carefully to a rack to cool.

Gingerbread With Hot Orange Sauce

I love gingerbread in all of its forms—crisp snaps, chewy bars, and traditional English cake. This recipe makes a cakelike gingerbread that is extremely moist and tender. When served with hot orange sauce, it is pure bliss.

Recipe from: The Winter Vegetarian 

Gingerbread
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Gingerbread With Hot Orange Sauce

Ingredients

Gingerbread

  • 1 egg
  • 6 tbsp. light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark molasses
  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp. ground ginger
  • 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup boiling water

Hot Orange Sauce

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 4 tsp. cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. grated orange rind
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp. light corn syrup
  • 3/4 cup water

Instructions

Gingerbread

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch-square pan.

Beat the egg into the brown sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in the molasses, melted butter, and spices, mixing well, then add the salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour. Beat in the boiling water. The batter will be loose. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out dry. Allow to cool before cutting into squares. Serve plain or with hot orange sauce.

Hot orange sauce

Mix the sugars with the cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Gradually add the orange and lemon juices, stirring vigorously to avoid lumps. Stir in the orange rind, salt, butter, corn syrup, and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the sauce thickens, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve hot.

Cheddar Jalapeño Biscuits

Of all the biscuits we made in Baking Boot Camp, these were my favorite. They literally melt in your mouth. If you don’t want to take the time to cut out individual biscuits, you can quickly cut the dough into triangles, like scones.

Recipe from: Baking Boot Camp 

Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits
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Cheddar Jalapeño Biscuits

Yield 12 biscuits

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups bread flour
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1½ cups grated cheddar cheese
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon jalapeño, minced
  • Egg wash of 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. In a medium bowl combine the bread flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With a pastry blender, fork, or two knives, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is the consistency of coarse cornmeal; set aside.

Step 2

In a small bowl, combine the cheese, milk, 1 egg, and jalapeño. Add this cheese mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix.

Step 3

Scrape the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly 8 to 12 times, gently pressing the dough together as you knead. Roll out or use your fingertips to press down the dough to a 1-inch thickness; using a 2-inch round cutter, cut the dough into biscuits. Gather scraps together, re-roll, and cut additional biscuits.

Step 4

Place the biscuits on an un-greased baking sheet approximately 1 inch apart and lightly brush the tops with the egg wash. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

 

Spiced Berry and Pear Crisp

This autumnal dessert is a nice twist on the more usual apple crisp. Unlike cobblers, which are made with a biscuit topping, crisps have a sweet, crumbly upper layer, made here with a combination of oats and nuts. Crisps are best when served quite warm, though not piping hot. You can bake this dessert in advance, then reheat it gently in a 275ºF oven for 15 minutes. Serve with a dollop of lightly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla or ginger ice cream.

Recipe from: Baking Boot Camp 

Spiced berry and pear crisp
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Spiced Berry and Pear Crisp

Yield 6-8 Servings

Ingredients

  • 3 cups mixed berries
  • 4 medium pears (Bartlett or Comice), peeled, cored, and diced
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ginger
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup toasted chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pecans)
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, diced
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly butter a deep 2-quart baking dish or 6 individual gratin dishes.

Step 2

Combine the berries, pears, brown sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon, the nutmeg, and ginger in the baking dish. Spread into an even layer.

Step 3

Combine the flour, oats, nuts, sugar, salt, and the remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse the machine on and off a few times to combine. Add the diced butter to the oatmeal mixture and process just until the mixture looks crumbly.

Step 4

Spread the oatmeal mixture evenly over the filling and bake in a preheated oven until the top is golden brown and the fruit is tender, about 1 hour.