Icelandic Recipes

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Vínarterta
Icelandic Brown Bread
Pönnukökur
Icelandic Black Bread
Kleinur
Ástarbollur
Icelandic Christmas Fruit Cake 

The recipes printed here are personal favourites of the webmaster. The first three have come from his mother's and amma's handwritten notes (New Iceland). The next three came from visitors to this page and the last one came from an anonymous Icelandic source. There are many variations to these recipes and each variation is defended as being the best version. It is a well-known fact that each family's mother and amma always made the best versions.

These recipes will give you a tasty start into the world of New Iceland baking. Your favourite Icelandic recipes are welcome here and can be emailed to: robasg@telus.net

More Icelandic recipes can be found at: Virtually, Virtual Iceland

 

Vínarterta

A Special Occasion Cake

Cake Layers:

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups fine granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons cream
4 cups flour (approx.)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 dessert spoon almond extract
2 teaspoons ground cardamom seed

Filling:

1 lb. prunes, boiled and stoned and put through the food chopper.
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup water that prunes were boiled in.

Method:

Bring filling to a boil and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Keep warm for spreading on cakes. Cream butter, add sugar gradually and eggs one at a time. Sift dry ingredients and work into first mixture. Add flavouring and cream. Knead in all the flour (don't knead very much) and divide into 6 equal parts. Roll each part on wax paper to fit the outside bottom of a (9 inch diameter) round baking tin. Transfer to the outside bottom of the tin, trim off excess dough and bake to a light golden brown at 375 degrees (about 10 minutes). Watch carefully as the edges can burn easily. Remove each cake layer from tin and cool before layering together with prune filling. Total cake height should be about 2 1/2 - 3 inches. Place a book on the cake for awhile to help compress it. When cool, wrap in plastic and let stand in the fridge or in a cool room for 2-3 days to cure. As a finishing touch, some people ice the cake with an almond/vanilla flavoured butter icing prior to cutting and serving. Most enjoy it plain or with a dolop of whipped cream. Enjoy!

(NOTE: This cake freezes well and thaws quickly when needed.)

Index

Icelandic Brown Bread

1. Traditional Manitoba Interlake recipe
2. Bread Machine version

1. Traditional Manitoba Interlake recipe

Prepare Yeast:

2/3 cup warm water, two teaspoons sugar
Add 2 packages Yeast or 2 tablespoons Yeast.

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup Molasses (Black Strap)
1/3 cup Shortening
2 tsp. Salt
2 cups boiling water
2 cups water
1 cup Powdered Milk
1 cup Wheat Germ
9 cups Whole Wheat Flour*

(*An alternate recipe calls for 5 cups Whole Wheat Flour and 4 cups All-Purpose Flour to make up the 9 cups of flour required.)

Pour 2 cups boiling water over Brown sugar, Molasses, Shortening and salt. Stir to melt Shortening. Add 2 cups cooler water (to make lukewarm). Stir in Powdered Milk, Wheat germ, 2-1/2 cups of the flour and beat. Add Yeast and beat well. Add the remainder of flour gradually. Let rise in warm place till well risen (approx. 30-45 minutes.) Divide into four loaves and put in pans. Let rise 30 minutes. Set oven to 400 degrees. Put loaves in oven and turn oven down to 325-350 degrees. Bake 1 hour. Makes 4 loaves.

2. Bread Machine version

(The following recipe is for a 2 lb. loaf - Black & Decker Bread Machine. If using other sized machines, scale recipe accordingly.)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Water
2 tbsp. Powdered Milk
2 tbsp. Butter (or shortening)
1/3 cup Demerrara Brown Sugar (or white sugar)
1/4 cup Black Strap Molasses
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/2 tsp. Yeast*

Method:

Measure and add ingredients in the order listed into Baking Pan.
Select: Sweet Bread setting (3hrs, 50 min.) "normal" crust.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes:

1. If milk is substituted for the water, omit the Powdered Milk.

2. * Use Fleishmann's Bread Machine Yeast. If you prefer to use Traditional Dry yeast, Rapid Rise yeast or Quick Rise yeast, you will have to increase yeast amount by 1/4 teaspoon in your recipe.

3. Recommend using: Rogers Bread Machine Whole Wheat flour. It seems to make a nicer loaf of bread that also rises better than regular Whole Wheat flour.

Index

Icelandic Black Bread

1 cup all purpose white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rye flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup dairy sour cream
1 cup buttermilk

Heat oven to 250 F. Mix all ingredients together thoroughly, pour into a greased loaf pan (I like a long narrow one) and bake for about three hours. Remove bread from pan and cool on wire rack. Wrap tightly when cool.

Susie Danielsson

Index

Pönnukökur
(Icelandic Pancakes)

DESERT PÖNNUKÖKUR,
CRÊPE (pönnukökur) WITH MEAT FILLINGS

DESERT PÖNNUKÖKUR

Ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour

2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2~3 drops of almond extract
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups milk
1/8 lb. melted butter.

Method:

Sift and mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, blend eggs, milk, buttter, sour cream, vanilla and almond extract. Continue blending and gradually add the dry ingredients until a smooth thin batter is achieved. It is advisable to let the batter stand for 20-30 minutes before using.

Use a flat stove crêpe pan to make the thin pancakes. A special pan and spatula are available from Iceland. They definitely produce the best results. Pre-season your crêpe pan.

When pouring the batter onto the hot pan, angle and rotate the pan with your wrist to help the batter flow thinly and quickly over the surface. Return pan to the stove as soon as possible so as not to loose the heat. Using the tip of a long crêpe spatula, separate the outer thin edge of the crêpe from the pan almost immediately to prevent burning. Cook for a minute or until your crêpe is a light golden brown on the underside. Flip the crêpe over on the pan for about 10 seconds and then flip it onto a plate where you can stack the crêpes as they are cooked.

Sprinkle the pönnukökur with mixture of sugar and cinnamon and roll up tightly. Alternatively they can be spread with whipped cream and jam or fruit and then folded in quarters.

CRÊPE (pönnukökur) WITH MEAT FILLINGS

The basic unsweetened pönnukökur.

2 eggs
4 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
4 tbsp. butter

Whip milk and eggs together add flour and salt to make batter. Melt butter and add to the batter. It is advisable to let the batter stand for 30 minutes before using. Use a low brimmed heavy frying pan on high heat. Pour in just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan. Lift outer edges of the pönnukökur away from the pan so that it doesn't burn. Flip over and lightly cook on the other side for about 5-10 seconds. Set aside on a plate to cool.

1. Meat & Vegetable Filling

1 large onion
butter for frying
250 grams of ground beef or lamb
1 can (400 gr) canned tomatoes
1 medium size egg plant or other vegetable
1 to 2 cloves garlic
parsley
salt, pepper,
1 tsp. paprika

Chop onion, mash the garlic and sauté in butter. Add meat and brown. Cut eggplant into cubes, add to the mix. Add tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes, add salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Use as a filling for hot or cold pönnukökur.
Serves 4

2. Ham and Shrimp Filling

400 gr. ham
3 rings of canned pineapple
1/2 cup of cooked rice
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 to 1 teaspoon curry
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/3 cup milk
100 gr. shrimp
salt and pepper
1 sulk Leek

Cut ham and pineapple into cubes. Slice the leek very thinly. Melt butter in a pot, add curry. Stir flour into and thin with milk. Bring to a boil and simmer 4-5 minutes. Add ham, shrimp, pineapple and leek. Season to taste. Serve with warm pönnukökur. Serves 4 people.

Freezing & "Au Gratin" Pönnukökur

You can freeze pönnukökur and have them handy at all times. For "Au Gratin" use any kind of cooked meat or vegetable filling. Cover with shredded cheese and bake in a moderate oven until light brown at 225°-250° C.

Index

Kleinur

Icelandic Donuts

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk or buttermilk
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. nutmeg
Enough flour to roll (approx. 4 cups)

Method:

Beat eggs slightly and add sugar and beat some more. Gradually add the sour cream mixed with soda and milk alternately with the dry ingredients. This will take about 4 1/2 cups of flour. Mix it and pour out onto the floured board and divide into three portions and roll each out to approx. 1/4 inch thick and cut into 1 inch wide strips and then into about 2 1/2 inch long pieces. Put a slit in the centre of each and fold one end through the slit. Fry in deep fat Crisco in an electric deep fryer at about 375 degrees. Keep turning them till they are golden brown, about 3 minutes. After they have drained on paper towel, sprinkle with powdered sugar when ready to serve.

Index

Ástarbollur

Raisin donut balls

Ingredients:

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp. soft butter
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sifted All-Purpose Flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins

Method:

Beat eggs well. Then beat in 3/4 cup sugar and butter. Add milk and vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg together and add to first mixture with raisins. Blend well. Drop dough into hot fat from a teaspoon. Do only 4 at a time and fry till golden brown in deep fat, 375 degrees., turning if they don't turn on their own accord. Drain on paper and roll in mixture of 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.

Index

Icelandic Fruit Cake

A special Christmas experience !

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups dried fruit
1 1/2 cups flower
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 bottle whiskey
Lemon juice to taste

Sample the whiskey to check for quality. Take a large bowl. Check the whiskey again to be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat.

Turn on the electric mixer, beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add 1 tsp. of sugar and beat again. Make sure the whiskey is still okay. Cry another tup. Turn off the mixer. Break two leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of fruit. Mix on the turner.

If the dried fruit gets stuck in the beaters, pry it loose with a drewsciber.

Sample the whiskey to check for toxisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who cares? Check the whiskey. Now sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar or something... Whatever you can find.

Grease the oven. Turn the cake tin to 350 degrees.

Don't forget to beat off the turner. Throw the bowl out of the window, check the whiskey again and go to bed.

Merry Christmas everyone !

Recipe Index

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Please e-mail your recipes or enquiries to: Robert Asgeirsson <robasg@telus.net>