Danish Pork Tenderloins (Fyldt Svinemørbrad)

12 dried prunes
2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins
Salt and pepper
1 tart apple, chopped
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup cold water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Cook prunes in boiling water 5 minutes; drain.
Remove pits.
Cut
tenderloins lengthwise almost in half.
Sprinkle cut sides with salt
and pepper.
Place half each of the prunes and apple down center of
one side of each tenderloin; cover with the other side.
Fasten with
metal skewers; lace with string.
Place on rack in shallow roasting
pan.
Insert meat thermometer horizontally so tip is in center of
thickest part of pork and does not rest in stuffing.
Roast at 325
degrees F until meat thermometer registers 170 degrees F, 1 1/4 to
1 1/2 hours.

Remove pork to warm platter; keep warm.
Add 3/4 cup water to
roasting pan; stir to loosen browned bits.
Pour into 1-quart
saucepan; heat to boiling.
Shake 1/4 cup water and flour in tightly
covered container; stir gradually into drippings.
Heat to boiling,
stirring constantly.
Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.
Boil and stir 1 minute.
Cut pork into slices; serve with gravy.

Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Potato Lefse (Norwegian)

3 cups cooled, mashed potatoes
3 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons shortening or oil
2 tablespoons cream

To the cooled, mashed potatoes, gradually add the remaining
ingredients.
Roll out 1 tablespoon at a time, using part of the 3
cups flour to keep from sticking.
Roll thin.
Bake lightly on both
sides on a large griddle or any other flat surface.
Cool on dish
towel, keeping lefse separated from one another.

To serve, spread with butter and sugar and roll.
Keep fresh by
rolling in towel.

Kartofler (Danish-Style Potatoes)

6 large potatoes
1/2 cup butter
1 large onion, sliced
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of white pepper

Boil potatoes.
Cool, peel and slice 1/4-inch thick.
Set
aside.

Melt butter in frying pan.
Add onions and sauté for
5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add potatoes.
Sauté
for 5 minutes, turning potatoes to brown both sides.

Add remaining ingredients.
Cook for 5 minutes longer.

Yields 12 servings.

Marzipan Coconut Balls (Denmark)

7 ounces marzipan
3 ounces desiccated coconut
3 teaspoons Kahlúa
1 teaspoon good-quality cocoa powder
4 ounces good-quality coating chocolate (such as Lindt)

Knead first four ingredients together.
Shape into 30 balls.
Dip
into melted coating chocolate and sprinkle with shredded coconut or
decorate as desired.
Store in airtight container.

Swedish Meatballs

1 teaspoon instant coffee
3/4 cup hot milk
1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs
1/4 cup minced or finely chopped onion
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water

Dissolve coffee in hot milk; pour over breadcrumbs.
Cook onion
in 2 tablespoons oil (or less) until soft; add to breadcrumbs.
Add
beef, seasonings and egg.
Mix well.
Form into 1-inch ball.
Roll
meatballs in flour and brown in remaining oil, or to taste.
Add
evaporated milk, cover and simmer about 5 minutes.

Remove meat from pan into a chafing dish for serving.

For gravy, combine the 1 teaspoon instant coffee and remaining
flour.
Blend with 2 tablespoons water.
Add to gravy in pan.
Stir
until thickened.
Pour over meatballs.

Yield: 6 servings

Norwegian-Style Kringle

Servings: 8

Kringle
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, sliced
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 eggs

Glaze
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon milk

Topping
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

To begin the bottom layer: Using the softened stick of unsalted
butter, cut it into the first cup of flour until it looks pebbly.
Use a fork to stir in a pinch of salt and the ice water until the
mix is a soft dough.
Form the dough into two 14 x 3-inch rectangles
on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Set aside.

Begin the top layer: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and the
sliced stick of butter until boiling and remove from heat.
To the
milk and butter add 1 cup flour and stir until smooth.
Beat the
sugar and eggs one at a time into the flour milk mixture.
Beat
well.
Spread this mixture over the two bottom layers.
Bake until
lightly browned.

While Kringle is baking, prepare glaze: Combine the sifted
confectioner’s sugar, vanilla extract, softened unsalted butter and
milk.
Drizzle glaze over the still-warm Kringle and set aside.

In a small bowl, toss slivered almonds with confectioners’
sugar.
Sprinkle almonds over the top of the Kringle while the glaze
is still tacky.