Voileipäkakku - Finnish savoury sandwich cake

My grandmother and Mum did the catering for our wedding. It was an intimate affair at my Mum’s gorgeous abode with family and our closest friends. Our dear friend Owen was in charge of the bar (a job he did well and with pride) and my Mum was the hostess extraordinaire. From as long as I can recall the women in my family have always put on a good spread, Finnish women are born with that natural culinary flair!

One of the dishes my grandmother made which impressed the most was Voileipäkakku, which translates to 'sandwich cake'. It is traditionally a long loaf of bread, sliced horizontally, then layered with various savoury fillings and fabulously garnished. My grandmother made two varieties for our wedding – meat and seafood. Once the layers are filled the cake is covered in cream cheese or dip and decorated with caviar, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, parsley and various other toppings. The cake is sliced vertically to reveal all the layers and the array of colours of the filling.

I wanted to make Voileipäkakku for my Mum’s visit last weekend, but I knew if I made an entire loaf I would wind up eating whatever she didn’t. So instead I made smaller individual cakes. I didn’t follow the traditional Finnish recipe for Voileipäkakku, which involves brushing the day old bread slices with stock, filling, and leaving overnight. This is my own technique based on the idea of Voileipäkakku, without following the traditional method. I made it minutes before my Mum arrived. She devoured it minutes after arriving.

Of course you can use whatever meat and vegetables you like to fill and top Voileipäkakku. I made a meat one for my Mum and a seafood one for my husband. The following ingredients make one individual cake.

Ingredients:
4 slices of white bread

2 slices Jarlsberg cheese

2 slices ham

1 slice sandwich salami 

Cherry tomatoes

Continental cucumber

Mayonnaise

Spreadable cream cheese

Using a large round cookie cutter cut round circles in each slice of bread. Discard the crusts. (I don’t have a cookie cutter so I used an egg ring.)

Place the first layer down, and spread mayonnaise on top. Place ham on the first layer of bread. Place the second slice of bread on top and cover with mayonnaise and slices of jarlsberg cheese (I cut mine into small slices to fit the circle shape, however you can cut bigger slices with the cookie cutter to make circle shapes). Place the third slice of bread on top, cover with mayonnaise and another slice of ham. Top with the fourth slice of bread. Gently cover the entire sandwich with cream cheese. 

Using a vegetable peeler cut long strips of cucumber and place gently around the edge of the sandwich to cover the sides. Garnish the top of the sandwich with any vegetables you like. Radish circles look great, as do halved cherry tomatoes. Top with herbs to add some green colour. I had an idea to cover the sides with thinly sliced boiled egg, however I wasn’t sure if they would stick as well as the cucumber.

This is how it looks cut in half.

For the seafood one I layered the centre with smoked salmon and cheese, and garnished the top with caviar and dill. 

I used fresh white bread however it would be nice with rye bread alternated with white bread. My Mum also suggested making smaller bite size portions, how appealing would they look on a platter with all the colours of the garnish!

Eventually I will make a traditional Voileipäkakku, and of course I will post the recipe. Until then, give this easy but impressive treat a go.

Toscakakku - Finnish almond-topped cake

My Mum lives about 1200km away, so on the odd occasion she comes to town I get a tad excited. When she called to say she would be in town AND she was going to visit, I got to thinking about what I could prepare for her. Being a recent convert to baking, a Finnish treat was the natural choice. I dug into my Nordic Bakery Cookbook and decided to make a Tosca Cake, otherwise know by the Finns as Toscakakku. My grandmother used to make Toscakakku but she used to make it into more of a slice. This version of Toscakakku is a thicker cake variety.

As with most Finnish recipes this one calls for few ingredients, all of which I already had in my pantry and fridge, and is as simple as a cake can get. The smell of the almond/butter topping fresh out the oven is amazing! The husband wanted a slice immediately, I had to disappoint him by telling him he had to wait until the mother-in-law arrived. 

Toscakakku is the perfect morning or afternoon tea accompaniment. I actually pulled out some of my grandmother’s fine china to enjoy it with, the two (cake and china) went hand in Finnish hand. I recall my grandmother baking Toscakakku for her friends when she used to entertain, it is an old reliable favourite.

* Recipe from Nordic Bakery Cookbook with variations to cream and almond portions.

Ingredients:

4 eggs

170g caster sugar

100ml cream

100g unsalted butter, melted, cooled

1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)

2 tsp baking powder

260g plain flour

Tosca topping:

75g unsalted butter

75g caster sugar

50ml cream

25g plain flour

100g flaked almonds

Method:

Preheat oven to 200^oC. Grease 29cm springform tin. 

Whisk eggs and caster sugar well with electric whisk until mixture is fluffy and lighter in colour. Gently fold in cream, melted butter and vanilla bean paste.

In a separate bowl sift flour and baking powder together, fold into the egg mixture. Pour mixture into cake tin and bake for 30-35 minutes.

While cake is baking heat Tosca topping ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, mix well and bring to the boil.

Once cake is cooked remove from oven and gently spread Tosca topping over the top of the cake, return to the oven for a further 15 minutes or until the topping is golden in colour and slightly caramelized.

Cool, slice and devour with a good cup of coffee!

Finnish Blueberry Tart

I am a sucker for a good Finnish dish. I haven't tried one I don't like yet...although I wasn't a fan of Kaalilaatikko as a kid which is a cabbage bake. I remember my brother and I cringing when we knew it was coming knowing it was cabbage, although I do recall I didn't actually mind the taste. I think I would like it now though, I will try it out myself one day.

A few months ago I got my hands on a cute little cookbook called the Nordic Bakery Cookbook, I wrote about it here. I decided to try the blueberry tart a few weekends back. Although I don't recall ever eating blueberry tart as a kid my Mum has said my grandmother often made berry desserts when she was a kid and she had to go out and collect the berries herself. We don't have that luxury here in the city, unfortunately, however in Finland the forrests are full of berries so berry based desserts are very popular.

In the Nordic Bakery Cookbook they use a rye crust however I decided to use my grandmother's famous ricotta pastry (quark pastry). You will find this pastry appears in quite a few of my recipes, sweet and savoury, and they are the basis for the Finnish Christmas Jam Tarts known as Joulutorttu. The pastry calls for a whole 250g block of butter, and as much as I can hear my arteries screaming out NOOO, my taste buds are screaming out YEEES! The pastry simply melts in your mouth. Although initially I wasn't sure how this quark pastry would tie in with the crème fraiche filling of this tart I was very pleasantly surprised. Of course after I had a wee slice (or two) I took the rest into the office, and the compliments were abundant. So I can confirm now the pastry was a hit with this very light but tasty filling.

This recipe is adapted from the Nordic Bakery Cookbook using my grandmother's famous quark pastry.

Pastry:

250g butter, cubed at room temperature

250g ricotta

250g plain flour

Mix butter and flour together with your fingers to form a crumby consistency.  Add ricotta and combine well to make dough. Roll out into a disc shape, wrap in cling wrap and place into the fridge for 30 minutes.

Take the pastry dough out of the fridge and roll out on a floured surface, fold into three (like an envelope) and roll out again. You need to make a circular shape to cover a 25-27cm flan tin, at about 10mm thickness. You may need to add a bit of flour to the dough to make it workable and less sticky. Once rolled out gently lift the dough with rolling pin and place into the greased tin. Press into the sides and cut off any excess.

Filling (adapted from the Nordic Bakery Cookbook):

150ml crème fraiche

150ml sour cream

1 egg, lightly beaten

40g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

250g blueberries

To make filling simply place all filling ingredients except the blueberries into a bowl and mix well.

I didn’t blind bake the pastry case before adding the filling but I would recommend you do so. Cover the base with baking paper and baking weights or a handful of rice and bake in preheated oven at 180^oC for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden. Remove from oven and add filling, top with blueberries and bake at 200^oC for 25 minutes or until set and crust is golden brown.

Nordic love and other lovelies

I had a real Nordic kind of week last week. I was seriously spoiled with some beautiful things. My Mum kindly sent me a handful of beautiful embroidered table cloths and placemats. *love* So Nordic and so, so pretty. I need to host a high tea!

♥ Also from my Mum, this adorable little Arabia pot. You might have noticed I am seriously obsessed with Finnish tableware. And Arabia designs are my absolute favourites. This little beauty makes me smile.

 ♥ My Mum also sent me some cute Finnish slippers called Nullit. My grandmother bought them for my Mum however she now lives in the tropics so has no need for them. Thank you, I’ll take those!

♥ And as if that wasn’t enough, my Mum made this adorable bag out of Marimekko fabric. Can you tell I can never get enough of Unikko?

♥ And the gifts kept on coming. My sister in law, naughty girl, bought me these adorable Marimekko napkins. How lucky am I!?

 ♥ And then she also gave me two Marimekko mugs. Marimekko makes my heart sing!

Last weekend I had a coffee date with my first ever writing client. We went to Cottesloe to check out The Boat Shed which is a huge warehouse type building full of fresh produce, cheeses, quirky delights (they even had ostrich eggs!), a bakery, a butcher and then this:

♥ Of course I indulged. I heart peonies.

And to top off a week of beauty I created my very own Manifesto that will feature in my eBook. I promise once it is published I will stop harping on about it…well, I’ll try...

What beauty have been you presented with lately?

Pulla - traditional Finnish sweet bread

Traditional Finnish Pulla is sweet, cardamom flavoured bread that encapsulates the essence of Finnish baking. It is simple to make with few ingredients, but tastes like home. When I made my very own first batch of Pulla the smell of cardamom brought childhood memories flooding back. My Mum used to make Pulla when we were kids and is one of my longtime favourites. In the past I have made scroll type Pulla with cinnamon as posted here, and the traditional (although mine took on a somewhat rogue shape!) Korvapuusti shaped Pulla as posted here.

Kneading Pulla dough isn’t for the faint hearted. I estimate it takes a good 15 minutes of kneading to get the dough perfect. My Mum’s tip is the softer the dough, the softer the Pulla. There is quite a bit of mixing prior to kneading as well. I have recently heard that the Thermomix makes light work of the kneading, and my sister in law uses a dough hook on her Kitchen Aid and that reduces the risk of RSI that comes from kneading. I must say the kneading does not turn me off, clearly, since I made Pulla on Sunday and again today.

My son has decided Pulla is a must-have for his lunchbox. My son has great taste.

Ingredients:

500ml warm milk

2 eggs

150g sugar

1tsp cardamom

1tsp salt

900g plain flour

6tsp dry yeast

200g melted butter

Sugar to dust on top

30g flaked almonds

1 egg (to brush on top)

** You can add a handful of raisins to the dough before you roll it out if you like.

This recipe makes 2 Pulla loaves. You can halve the ingredients if you wish to make 1 loaf but I prefer to make 2 loaves after the effort of kneading. Pulla freezes well in an airtight freezer bag and can be defrosted in the oven.

Method: 

Mix warm milk, 2 eggs, sugar, salt and cardamom together until the sugar has melted.  In a separate bowl mix the flour and yeast together.  Using your hands start adding a little of the flour and yeast mixture by kneading it through the mix.  Keep adding the flour a little by little until the dough comes off your hand (don’t worry if you have not used all the flour).  Add slightly cooled melted butter and keep kneading until it is all absorbed into the mix. *Note: when you first add the butter the dough seems to float in it, keep mixing, the butter will absorb into the dough. If the dough is too moist and sticks to your hand, add a little more flour. Knead the dough for about 15 minutes until soft.  Cover the kneaded dough with a tea towel and let it rise to double its size in a warm place, away from draft, for about 30 or so minutes.

Once risen, punch the dough, then pour out onto a lightly floured work bench.  Divide into 2 to make 2 loaves. Divide the first portion into 3 pieces and roll out each piece into a long rope shape approx 50cm in length. Place each piece onto a baking tray side by side, press one end of all 3 rope pieces together then plait. Tuck both ends under to make loaf neat. Cover with a teatowel and let rise for about 15-20 minutes.  Brush the top and sides of the loaf with beaten egg, then sprinkle sugar and a handful of flaked almonds on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 225^oC for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Do not overcook as the Pulla will dry out.

Best eaten fresh out the oven. I can guarantee you won’t be able to resist, the smell of freshly baked Pulla is amazing! Accompany with freshly brewed coffee for a delicious afternoon tea treat.

Don’t forget to pop some into your kid’s lunch box!

Exmouth - beach sand bliss!

This time last year we were just coming home from a trip to visit my Mum in Exmouth. I am ashamed to say although I have travelled extensively outside of Australia (mostly SE Asia) I have not travelled through Australia aside from a couple of trips as a kid. The catalyst for us heading up north was my Mum. When we got there however I was in awe of its beauty, why had I not been there before?

It is no secret I am a born beach bum. I could spend my every day at the beach perched on the sand. I personally think in WA we have some of the best beaches in the world. Big call I know but I am a fan of the beach and I know what makes one special. Cottesloe beach is definitely one of my favourites. I wasn’t even that impressed with Cable Beach in Broome and think Cottesloe is much nicer in comparison. I think myself very lucky to be living so close to such beauty. To then arrive in laidback, chilled out Exmouth and be taken to Bundegi Beach, I could have moved in.

We spent many days relaxing, swimming and snorkelling at Bundegi. My 10 year old even taught his grandmother how to snorkel. At the young age of 60 something she had never snorkelled. Well she has now. My boys jumped off the jetty, got a glimpse at the local wildlife, went fishing, met the "locals" and just basked in nature that is abundant in Exmouth.

As well as other amazing spots – Pebble Beach, Yardi Creek, the Lighthouse, beaches galore - we visited what I had heard was the best beach in Exmouth on our second last day. Turquoise Bay. It is in every sense of the word breathtaking. Needless to say we spent our last day there too. I can see why my Mum was drawn to retire there, if hubby gave the nod we’d be heading up to live there right now. It is a peaceful town with zero crime and sights that are in their natural state just amazing. And the local wildlife is so friendly, my son had friends greeting him at every corner.

Bundegi Jetty

Bundegi Beach

Beach sand bliss!

Jetty jumping

Yardi Creek Gorge

A spot of fishing for the lads 

The long open road

My son is obsessed with WWII history, so this was right up his alley

Pebble Beach - needs no explanation

Turquoise Bay

Off for a spot of snorkelling

Turquoise Bay - must be seen to be believed!

This little dude walked out on the road as we approached in our car, then turned around and walked off again. In the rear view mirror I saw him toddle out onto the road as another car approached. Clearly he likes tourists.

The wildlife pop out to say howdy!

Hubby saw whales while out on the boat

Mingling with "the locals"

With all the amazing sights and relaxed lifestyle it has on offer Exmouth proved a real treat. We came home very rejuvenated. I didn’t even feel the daily stress of working life kick in for weeks after I returned to work, which is proof we had a wonderfully relaxing time. And the highlight, seeing my son cuddle his grandmother.

Wonderful memories.

Monday Musings - the weekend Mum came to town

This weekend was super special as my beloved Mother came to town. My Mum moved up north after retiring a couple of years ago. Although I was full of sheer sadness for myself that she would no longer be a mere 20 minute drive away, I was truly happy she was doing something she really wanted to do, for her. She has spent a good few decades running around after me, time for her now.

I got a visit from my Mum on Sunday. She brought along silk scarves she has been dying (she is a talented little artist my Mum) and I promptly lifted 3 of them. Aren’t they just gorgeous!

She also brought with her my grandmother’s Finnish cookbooks. How lovely! This book was published in 1951.

I love that my grandmother carted stuff all the way from Finland when she migrated to Australia. I was smiling all day that I got this book, I just love it. Mum also gave me a cookbook that belonged to her, I remember seeing it frequently as a kid. I have a lot of Finnish recipes to try out now! I hope they don’t get lost in translation.

Little bubbles of bliss... seeing Mum – always pure joy. seeing my son hug his Mummi. homemade lime tart. Finnish cookbooks. swimming. having grammar corrected by my son. this blog (a Scandinavian foodie? I'm there!). fresh flowers. rain. Instagram - there are some talented people out there.

Make your Monday great people!

Peggy

Knit me a love song

I have been incredibly inspired to try various types of handicrafts since I started blogging. My Mum and grandmother are knitters from way back. I've seen them knit and crochet, among doing other sorts of needlework, for as long as I can remember. I have some beautiful crochet tablecloths my grandmother made and not to mention lots of colourful knitted socks! Since I have started blogging I have come across some very talented people featuring their craft on their blogs. And then there is Pinterest, a mountain of inspiring images, links to blogs featuring handicraft tutorials and more images. I am in awe.

A few weekends ago when I was hanging out in Dymocks one Saturday afternoon (this is a regular hangout spot for us) I came across The Knitting Book, a big fat bible for knitters and knitter-wannabes. Fast forward to Saturday night and I was perched on the lounge, scarf around my neck, woolly socks on, blanket over my legs, reading my book (did you like that image? Nana come to mind?). As I was browsing this book I noticed all these amazing things that one can knit. In my excitement I turned to hubby and said rather excitedly, “Hey, I could knit you a vest!” to which he promptly and rather dryly retorted “Please don’t”. Just wait, once he sees my skill at work he will be putting in orders.

Here are some images I love that I found on Pinterest, seriously, how could one not get inspired?

 


I would wear this...

 




Oh hello, of COURSE I would wear these!

 





Couldn't be TOO hard for a beginner...right?

  





Oh now we're talking. Soft pink and brown for the bedroom.

  





Next winter's project. These would keep the boys off the Natuzzi.

  




Have I told you how much I love legwarmers?

 





Someone have a baby so I can knit these booties!

  




I'm not even sure how one would knit this, with yarn?

 




Look out winter, I'm gonna be ready for you next year!

 




And finally to knit myself a Saturday night outfit. Win!

 

My Mum is in town this weekend. I have commissioned her to give me a knitting lesson. I might even get my mitts on a crochet hook and she can show me how to crochet while she is here too. By next winter I want to be curled up on the lounge with a blanket I have made and socks I have knitted. No doubt by then hubby will be wearing that vest too.

{Image source: Pinterest}