Swedish Anise Twists Food

BEST SWEDISH ANISE TWISTS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, butter, sugar, eggs, salt, aniseed and 3 cups of flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; roll into a 16x9 inch rectangle. Cut into three 16x3 inch pieces. Cut each piece into sixteen 3x1 inch strips. Twist each strip; place 1½ inch apart on greased baking sheets Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Combine topping ingredients; brush over twists. Bake at 375℉ (190℃) for 12 to 15 minutes or until browned. Cool on wire racks dozen.

TARRAGON ORANGE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Melt butter with olive oil in large skillet. Add chicken, tarragon and garlic (I wait to add the garlic until later to prevent burning it) and cook over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• In a small bowl, stir together orange juice concentrate,orange juice, cornstarch and reserved mandarin orange syrup. Stir into chicken mixture. Reduce heat to medium. Cook stirring frequently, until chicken is thoroughly cooked and tender and sauce has thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in oranges and green onions. Serve with hot cooked pasta or rice.

RYE TWISTS WITH ANISE, FENNEL AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Place aniseed and fennel seeds in self-sealing plastic bag; close bag. Using mallet, pound seeds until coarsely crushed.
• Place warm water in large bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Sprinkle yeast over and stir to blend. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 10 minutes. Mix 1/2 cup molasses and oil into yeast mixture.
• Stir 3 1/2 cups bread flour, whole grain rye flour, orange peel, salt and crushed aniseed and fennel seeds in large bowl to blend. Add to yeast mixture. Beat mixture at medium speed until firm but sticky dough forms, about 4 minutes. Turn dough out onto floured work surface; knead until smooth and elastic, adding more bread flour as necessary if dough is sticky, about 8 minutes.
• Form dough into ball. Oil large bowl. Add dough to bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then kitchen towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Sprinkle 2 baking sheets generously with cornmeal. Punch down dough. Turn dough out onto floured surface; knead 3 minutes. Divide dough into 16 equal portions. Cut each portion into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 8-inch-long rope. Grasp 2 ropes at each end and twist ropes together, making about 4 turns. Pinch twisted ropes 1 inch from each end. Place twist on prepared sheet. Repeat forming of twists with remaining dough pieces. Cover with kitchen towels. Let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
• Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in top third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Brush tops of rolls lightly with 2 tablespoons molasses (do not allow molasses to drip onto sheets under rolls). Sprinkle rolls with additional aniseed and fennel seeds. Bake until rolls are golden and sound hollow when tapped on bottom, switching top and bottom baking sheets halfway through baking, about 20 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Wrap in foil and freeze. If desired, rewarm thawed wrapped rolls in 350°F oven about 10 minutes.)

NORWEGIAN FIGURE-8 CAKES KRINGLA

Steps:

• In large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water.
• Add 1 Tablespoon of the sugar and let stand until yeast foams, about 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining sugar, butter, cream, anise seed, and eggs.
• Beat well.
• Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, beating well to keep mixture smooth and satiny.
• All of the flour should be moistened.
• Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.
• Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease lightly.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.
• Cut it into pieces the size of large walnut.
• Roll out to strands about 8 inches long.
• Twist into figure-8s.
• Place on baking sheets.
• Let rise 1 hour until puffy.
• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Bake for 15 minutes until golden.
• Brush baked kringla with melted butter.
• These are best served just out of the oven.
• The Great Scandinavian Baking Book.