Spring in Sweden is moody, to say the least. Just yesterday, we had rain, strong wind, sun with clear skies, clouds, and hail! And then it was back to the rain again, only to end with clear skies and a full moon throughout the night. Just as soon as you glance away from and back toward the window again, you can expect a change to happen. For some reason, it makes me chuckle each time.
Today, some friends tell me they woke up to snow in Sarajevo. They're not happy, especially since most of the fruit trees have already bloomed.
On my most recent visit there, I bought and brought back a bottle of homemade pear molasses. It is a traditional, thick, syrup-like, sugarfree fruit product, made in late fall/early winter. When I was a child, I ate it with a side of creme fraiche and mom's warm bread. It was my favorite dessert at the time, and my winters still smell of its subtly burnt aroma. M's mormor (Swedish for 'maternal grandmother'), has a simple molasses cake recipe that everyone in the family adores. With age, it has become the only dessert she has the strength to make. But, as you would have it, I have yet to meet a person that has not asked her for the recipe. So, a fall cake in the spring? Why not, since it already snowed anyway. . .
Today, some friends tell me they woke up to snow in Sarajevo. They're not happy, especially since most of the fruit trees have already bloomed.
On my most recent visit there, I bought and brought back a bottle of homemade pear molasses. It is a traditional, thick, syrup-like, sugarfree fruit product, made in late fall/early winter. When I was a child, I ate it with a side of creme fraiche and mom's warm bread. It was my favorite dessert at the time, and my winters still smell of its subtly burnt aroma. M's mormor (Swedish for 'maternal grandmother'), has a simple molasses cake recipe that everyone in the family adores. With age, it has become the only dessert she has the strength to make. But, as you would have it, I have yet to meet a person that has not asked her for the recipe. So, a fall cake in the spring? Why not, since it already snowed anyway. . .
Ovih dana svjedočim promjenjivosti proljetnog vremena u Švedskoj. Jučer smo u jednom danu imali oblake, sunce i vedro nebo, kišu, snažan vjetar i grad (tuču). I onda sve ispočetka. Noć je bila vedra, obasjana punim mjesecom.
Nešto južnije, prijatelji i porodica mi danas javljaju da ih je po budjenju u Sarajevu dočekao - snijeg (M. je veoma zabrinut jer je snijeg pao na behar). Pri nedavnoj posjeti Sarajevu kupila sam jednu bocu kruškinog pekmeza. Još od malih nogu volim ga jesti sa pavlakom i maminim vrućim hljebom. Suprugova nana ga stavlja u jednostavan kolač, jedini za koji još ima snage, a za koji joj svako ko ga proba traži recept.
I tako. . . jesenji kolač u proljeće? Pa, ako može snijeg, može i to.
Nešto južnije, prijatelji i porodica mi danas javljaju da ih je po budjenju u Sarajevu dočekao - snijeg (M. je veoma zabrinut jer je snijeg pao na behar). Pri nedavnoj posjeti Sarajevu kupila sam jednu bocu kruškinog pekmeza. Još od malih nogu volim ga jesti sa pavlakom i maminim vrućim hljebom. Suprugova nana ga stavlja u jednostavan kolač, jedini za koji još ima snage, a za koji joj svako ko ga proba traži recept.
I tako. . . jesenji kolač u proljeće? Pa, ako može snijeg, može i to.
Mormor's apple molasses cake
Ingredients
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup apple or pear molasses
1/2 cup sugar or 2 mashed bananas
3 cups flour
1 cup milk
1 cup yoghurt
13 g baking powder
1 tbsp sodium bicarbonate
1/2 cup walnuts
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
Whisk eggs with sugar by hand. Stir in molasses, oil, milk, and yoghurt. Combine the dry ingredients separately and carefully add them to the wet ingredients, whisking throughout. Stir in the walnuts. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. Serve garnished with chopped mint, vanilla curd or whipped cream sprinkled with carob dust.
Pekmeznica
Sastojci
3 jajeta
1/2 mjerice ulja
1 mjerica jabukovog ili kruškinog pekmeza
1/2 mjerice šećera ili 2 izgnječene banane
3 mjerice brašna
1 mjerica mlijeka
1 mjerica jogurta
13 g praška za pecivo
1 kašika sode bikarbone
1/2 mjerice oraha
Priprema
Ingredients
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup apple or pear molasses
1/2 cup sugar or 2 mashed bananas
3 cups flour
1 cup milk
1 cup yoghurt
13 g baking powder
1 tbsp sodium bicarbonate
1/2 cup walnuts
Method
Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F).
Whisk eggs with sugar by hand. Stir in molasses, oil, milk, and yoghurt. Combine the dry ingredients separately and carefully add them to the wet ingredients, whisking throughout. Stir in the walnuts. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. Serve garnished with chopped mint, vanilla curd or whipped cream sprinkled with carob dust.
*****
Pekmeznica
Sastojci
3 jajeta
1/2 mjerice ulja
1 mjerica jabukovog ili kruškinog pekmeza
1/2 mjerice šećera ili 2 izgnječene banane
3 mjerice brašna
1 mjerica mlijeka
1 mjerica jogurta
13 g praška za pecivo
1 kašika sode bikarbone
1/2 mjerice oraha
Priprema
Zagrijati pećnicu na 180 C (350 F).
Ručno umutiti jaja sa šećerom do pjene. Dodati jogurt, mlijeko, pekmez i ulje. Pomiješati suhe sastojke (brašno, prašak za pecivo i sodu bikarbonu). Postepeno ih dodavati smjesi iznad. Na kraju dodati nasitnjene orahe. Peći 35-40 minuta. Kolač servirati ukrašen listićima mente i kremom od vanilije posutom prahom rogača.
Ručno umutiti jaja sa šećerom do pjene. Dodati jogurt, mlijeko, pekmez i ulje. Pomiješati suhe sastojke (brašno, prašak za pecivo i sodu bikarbonu). Postepeno ih dodavati smjesi iznad. Na kraju dodati nasitnjene orahe. Peći 35-40 minuta. Kolač servirati ukrašen listićima mente i kremom od vanilije posutom prahom rogača.
