Finnish Butter Cake Food

FINNISH PULLA

Steps:

• Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm.
• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Stir in the lukewarm milk, sugar, salt, cardamom, 4 eggs, and enough flour to make a batter (approximately 2 cups). Beat until the dough is smooth and elastic. Add about 3 cups of the flour and beat well; the dough should be smooth and glossy in appearance. Add the melted butter or margarine, and stir well. Beat again until the dough looks glossy. Stir in the remaining flour until the dough is stiff.
• Turn out of bowl onto a floured surface, cover with an inverted mixing bowl, and let rest for 15 minutes. Knead the dough until smooth and satiny. Place in a lightly greased mixing bowl, and turn the dough to grease the top. Cover with a clean dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down, and let rise again until almost doubled.
• Turn out again on to a floured surface, and divide into 3 parts. Divide each third into 3 again. Roll each piece into a 12 to 16 inch strip. Braid 3 strips into a loaf. You should get 3 large braided loaves. Lift the braids onto greased baking sheets. Let rise for 20 minutes.
• Brush each loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes. Check occasionally because the bottom burns easily.

FINNISH PANNU KAKKU

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Melt the butter in a 9x13 inch pan.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add the beaten eggs and milk; mix well. Tilt the baking pan to coat all of the sides with butter, then pour the excess butter into the batter, and mix until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Serve hot.

MUNAVOI- FINNISH EGG BUTTER

Steps:

• Gently mix the eggs and butter together until spreading consistency.
• Add salt if desired.
• Spread on bread or toast.

FINNISH CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter, 1/4 cup of the sugar and almond extract. Stir in the flour. Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Place the dough between 2 large sheets of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin to roll into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into strips 2 1/2 inches long and 3/4 inch wide.
• Combine the remaining tablespoon of sugar with the almonds. Use a pastry brush to coat the top of the cookies with egg white. Sprinkle with the almond and sugar mixture. Carefully transfer cookies to an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake to a delicate brown, 17 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer cookies to a rack to cool. Cookies can be frozen in an airtight container, with wax paper between each layer for up to 6 months. Defrost 30 minutes before serving.

FINNISH BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Lightly grease a 10-inch Bundt pan.
• In a bowl, stir together the flour, cardamom, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda.
• In a larger bowl, combine the butter and sugar.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat until just blended.
• Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
• Beat in the whipping cream, alternating with the flour mixture until just blended.
• Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake 50 to 60 minutes until the tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let cool 5 to 10 minutes in the pan; turn out onto a rack.
• Sprinkle the top with fruit sugar.
• Let cool.

FINNISH RIBBON CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until creamy.
• Beat in egg yolk, vanilla, and lemon peel.
• In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour and salt.
• Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, blending thoroughly.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or leave ungreased).
• Shape dough into two logs about 1-inch in diameter and as long as your baking sheets.
• With the side of your little finger, press a long trench - lengthwise - down the center of each log. DO NOT press all the way down to the cookie sheet or your jam will leak out.
• Bake logs for 10 minutes.
• Remove logs from oven and spoon jam into the trenches.
• Return to oven for 5 - 10 minutes or until logs are firm to touch and a light golden brown.
• In a small bowl, combine the confectioner's sugar and lemon juice.
• While cookies are hot, drizzle them with the confectioner's sugar mixture (or spread along the sides of the logs).
• Cut at a 45 degree angle into 1 inch lengths.
• Let cool 5 minutes on baking sheet.
• Transfer to racks and let cool completely.
• Store in single layers in an airtight container.

MARJA-LEENA'S FINNISH CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch pie plate.
• Combine 1/2 cup butter and 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1 egg until well blended. Beat in flour and baking powder. Chill crust mixture for 30 minutes.
• Spread crust mixture into the greased pie plate.
• Combine cottage cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup melted butter, almonds, sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract in a blender; blend until smooth. Pour over crust in the pie plate.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set, about 40 minutes.

FINNISH BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Gradually add 1-1/4 cups flour. Knead in remaining flour. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. , On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 in. thickness. Cut with a 1-1/2 to 2-in. cookie cutter; place on ungreased baking sheets. Beat egg white until foamy; brush over cutouts. Sprinkle with sugar and almonds. , Bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool on wire racks.

FINNISH CURD CAKE

Steps:

• Butter the baking dish, pie pan, or springform pan until generously coated.
• Sprinkle the crumbs as needed into the pan, then turn the pan around and shake gently, distributing the crumbs along the sides as well.
• The crumbs should completely coat the inside of the pan.
• Chill briefly to set the crumbs and then fill with the desired filling.
• CAKE: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
• Press the cottage cheese through a sieve.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and the sugar until they are frothy.
• Add the spices and fruit rinds.
• Add the cottage cheese and blend all the ingredients well.
• Stir in the butter, then add the dry mixture, mixing well.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake for 1 hour.
• NOTE: Again this is more like a quick bread, and you can increase the sugar if you like as this is not particularly sweet.

FINNISH TIIKERIKKAKKU, TIGER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Grease and flour a bundt pan.
• Beat butter and sugar together until creamy.
• Sift together flour and baking powder.
• Alternatively, add eggs and flour to the batter until all are combined.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Place 1/3 of cake batter into separate mixing bowl; stir in cocoa and juice of 1/2 orange.
• In original bowl, stir in all of orange zest and juice of remaining 1/2 orange.
• Spread 1/3 of orange batter evenly in bottom of bundt pan.
• Gently dribble half of chocolate batter on top with a spoon or frosting bag.
• Repeat layers, ending with orange batter on top.
• Bake on center rack of oven for 1 hour or until cake tests done.