Rum Pudding (Norwegian)

1 envelope plain gelatine
1/4 cup cold water
5 egg yolks, beaten
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 pint hot milk
1/2 cup rum
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

Soak gelatine in cold water until soft.
Beat egg yolks with
sugar until frothy and lemon-colored, then slowly add hot milk,
stirring constantly.
Pour the mixture into top of a double boiler
over boiling water, and cook for a few minutes until smooth and
creamy.
Add gelatine mixture to this; blend well, then cool.

When cream is cool, add rum and whipped cream.
Pour into a mold
and chill for several hours.
Serve with raspberry sauce or whipped
cream.

Swedish Cream

2 envelopes plain gelatine
1/4 cup cold water
2 cups cream
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sour cream

Dissolve gelatine in water in a small bowl.
In a heavy saucepan,
combine cream, milk, salt and sugar over low heat.
When sugar is
dissolved, whisk in gelatin mixture and heat until smooth and
gelatine is completely dissolved.
Pour from saucepan into a large
bowl with a pour spout.
Cool slightly, stirring occasionally, but
do not allow to set.

Add vanilla extract and sour cream, stirring and folding.
Pour
the cream into individual dessert dishes, wine goblets, or an 8-cup
mold.
Chill covered at least 6 hours.
Cream will set.
Serve with
fruit purée or eat plain.

Danish Fruit Pudding

1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Clean berries and rinse in a colander.
Drain well.
Mash with
sugar and bring to a quick boil.
Thin cornstarch with water and
pour into hot strawberries, stirring constantly.
Bring to another
quick boil and remove from heat.
Pour into a bowl and chill.
(Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons sugar on top to keep surface
soft.)

Serve cold with table cream.

Julskinka (Swedish Christmas Ham)

Source: Martin James’ International Recipes

The main dish served on Christmas Eve is the “julskinka”, the
traditional Christmas ham.
Usually, a ham should last at least for
a week and appear at almost all meals between Christmas Eve and New
Years Day.

3-5 kg salt-cured fresh ham (do NOT use dried cured ham)
1 egg
2 tablespoons mustard
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs

Depending upon the method of salt curing it might be necessary
to leave the ham overnight covered with water to desalt it.

Preheat the oven to 125 degrees C (240 degrees F).
Insert an
oven thermometer in the thickest part of the ham.
Leave it in the
oven until the temperature reaches 75 degrees C (167 degrees
F).

Remove the rind carefully and as much of the fat as you like.
(With less fat left it is healthier but drier!)

Heat the oven to 225 degrees C (450 degrees F).

Mix egg, mustard and sugar.

Place the ham on a roasting-pan, cover it with the mixture and
sift the breadcrumbs over if.
They should stick to the egg-mustard
mixture.

Bake the ham for 10 minutes in the oven.
When ready, it should
have a golden colour with a few deep brown but no black patches.
If
you’re not going to use it as the centrepiece on the buffet table
you can serve it together with potatoes, red cabbages, mustard and
stewed and mashed apples.

Scandinavian Raspberry Ribbons

Makes 4 dozen.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cream, milk or water

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cover cookie sheet with
parchment or baking paper.

Make the dough.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar
together with an electric mixer.
Add the egg yolk and vanilla and
beat until light.
Add the flour, a little at a time, and mix until
the dough is smooth.
Divide the dough into 4 parts.
On the
countertop, use your palms to roll each part into a strand about
3/4 inch thick and the length of the cookie sheet.
Place the
strands about 2 inches apart on the paper-covered cookie sheet.
With the side of your little finger, press a groove down the center
of the length of each strand.
Bake for 10 minutes until the cookies
feel firm to the touch.
Remove from the oven and spoon or pipe jam
into the grooves.
Return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until
cookies are very pale golden brown.

To make the decoration, mix the confectioners’ sugar, lemon
juice and cream in a small bowl to make a smooth icing.
Drizzle the
icing down the length of the hot cookies.
While the cookies are
still warm, cut them at a 45 degree angle into 1-inch lengths.
Let
cool on the baking sheets.
When the frosting is set, transfer to an
airtight tin.
Store in a cool place or freeze.

Danish Pickled Cucumbers (Syltede Agurker)

2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Minced dill weed or parsley

Place cucumbers in non-reactive bowl.
Mix vinegar, water, sugar,
salt and pepper; pour over cucumbers.
Cover and refrigerate,
stirring occasionally, at least 3 hours.
Drain; sprinkle with dill
weed.