Apple Cake (Finnish Apple Pie/ Omenapiiraka)

Yields approx. 16 slices
note: recipe below is adapted from a Finnish recipe, so I have converted the dl (decilitre) measurements into grams

Ingredients

• 1kg apples (pink lady or royal gala)
• 4 eggs
• 3dl (approx. 255g) caster sugar
• 150g melted butter let cool
• 2dl (200g) milk or milk substitute
• 5dl (52g) all purpose flour
• 3tsp baking powder
• 2tsp vanilla sugar (optional)
• half tsp ground cardamom (optional)

Decoration (before baking)

• 2-3tbsp sugar 
• 2tsp ground cinnamon

Method

1. Cut apples into quarters removing the core, then slice into thickness of choice 
2. Whisk eggs with sugar at room temperature, then pour cooled down melted butter into it to mix
3. Add milk then dry ingredients and mix thoroughly 
4. Pour cake batter into baking paper lined tray
5. Sprinkle over ground cinnamon and sugar
6. Bake at 200degrees on the lower shelf of oven
7. Serve with vanilla custard or ice cream if desired

Tips

• You can reduce the sugar called for in main recipe if baking for toddlers
• If you love your apples, try cutting them in thick chunks 
• If you’re out of apples, try replacing with rhubarb or berries 

Piparkakut (Ginger Cookies)

Christmas is coming. 3days and counting down!

Today happens to be the Winter Solstice '冬至', a rather significant day for the Chinese. On one hand, we have traditional Chinese Winter Solstice celebration food like Jiao Zhi　'饺子', and Tang Yuan　'汤圆'; on the other we're preparing Christmas food.

This recipe is adapted from the Finnish Christmas table recipe site. I've halved the portion as the original makes about 200 cookies!

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes per batch
Oven Temperature: 200 degrees celsius

Ingredients:

1. 150 g Unsalted Butter or Margarine
2. 150 g Brown Sugar
3. 1.5 Eggs
4. 175 g (1/2 cup) of Dark Syrup (I've improvised by using Golden Syrup)
5. 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
6. 1 tsp Ground Ginger
7. 1 tsp Ground Cloves
8. 1/2 tbsp Grated Orange Rind
9. 3.5 cups White Flour
10. 1.5 tsp Baking Soda (Alternatively you can use Baking Powder - 1 tsp for 1 cup of flour)

Method:

1. Boil the syrup and spices in a pan, add the margarine and beat until the mixture is cool.
2. Beat the eggs and sugar until thoroughly mixed.
3. Mix the baking soda in with part of the flour, then combine with the spiced margarine syrup. Add whipped eggs and the rest of the flour and fold in until well mixed. Do not knead the final mixture.
4. Cover the dough with cling wrap and leave overnight in a cool place (in the chiller/ fridge).
5. Next day, roll out the dough, cut up into shapes and bake the cookies in the oven until golden brown.

Joulutortut (Christmas Stars)

Joulutortut = Christmas Tart
Also known as Christmas Stars as they are shaped like stars.

This is a traditional Finnish Christmas delight. It is made of puffy pastry, and filled with either preserved plum or prune jam. We attempted these tarts the easy way - ready made puff pastry and prune jam from the annual Christmas Fair at the Finnish Church.






If you'd like to make it from scratch, here is a good recipe from Virtual Finland's site.

Ohukaiset (pancakes)

This recipe yields approximately 8 medium sized pancakes.

Ingredients:

1. 2 Eggs
2. 6 dl* Milk
3. 3 dl* Flour
4. 2 tbsp Sugar
5. 1/2 tsp Salt
6. 1 dl* Butter

Method:

1. For the batter, mix eggs and milk together. Then add flour, sugar and salt. Mix thoroughly.
2. Let batter rise for 30mins. If in a hurry, you could start cooking.
3. Place a small knob of butter in a hot pan, spread evenly, then pour a thin layer of batter onto hot pan. Repeat the buttering process after every pancake.
4. Brown pancake on both sides for approximately 2mins until crispy.
5. Serve hot with sugar sprinkles and lemon, or jam of your choice, or plain.

*dl = desilitre (Amounts to one tenth of a litre. 3 desilitre amounts to 1 full cup.)

Apple Pie

This is our family recipe. My Grandpa's speciality.

Ingredients:

• 400 ml Sugar
  
• 6 Eggs (medium sized)
  
• 300 g Butter
  
• 400 ml Flour
  
• 1/2-1 tsp Baking powder
  
• Sliced apples (2 royal gala apples, for overlapping use 3 or more)
  
• Ground cinnamon
  

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 175 °C
   
2. Beat Eggs with sugar until foamy.
   
3. Add melted butter and then flour. Mix thoroughly. (the more thoroughly mixed, the better it bakes)
   
4. Pour the mix in large buttered tray.
   
5. Add a layer of apple slices on top. You can overlap the apples if you like, or add just a thin layer of apples on top.
   
6. Sprinkle some cinnamon powder and fine sugar on top.
   
7. Bake for 45 min-1 hour or until golden brown.
   

Hyvää ruokahalua!!!

Note: This recipe yields a large pie. If you make it for 2 or 3 persons, you can halve the ingredients.



This is made from half of the original recipe.

Pancake (traditional)

This is the traditional pancake recipe. Serves 3-4, or a Finnish guy with a big stomach.

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

6 dl Milk

3 dl Flour

1 dl Butter

2 tsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

Mix
1. Melt the butter.
2. Mix eggs and milk.
3. Add flour slowly while stirring vigorously.
4. Add butter.
5. Add salt, sugar.
6. Let the batter settle down for 30 min.



Frying
1. Heat the pan hot, add a little bit of butter each time.
2. Add a thin layer of batter and fry both sides until nicely crispy golden colour.



Serve with sugar and lemon or with your favourite jam.

Pulla (Coffee Bread)

A unique bread for your tea or coffee break, good to go with either beverage! Do allow plenty of time as preparation does take a while.

Ingredients:

Approximately 10 dl* Flour

5 dl* Milk

50 g Active Dried Yeast (12 g if using Fresh Yeast)

4 Eggs (2 for preparing batter, 2 for glazing)

150 g Butter (melted)

2 dl* Sugar

1.5 tsp Salt

1 tbsp Cardamom (extracted from pods & slightly pounded)

Half a cup of Warm Water

Method:

1. Heat milk and let cool.
   
2. Mix dried yeast in warm water, mix well and add in lukewarm milk. Stir well then add sugar, salt, cardamom, 2 eggs and half the amount of flour to make batter. Beat until dough is smooth and elastic.
   
3. Mix in the rest of flour and add butter. Beat again until batter looks smooth and glossy. Start kneading dough when it is less sticky.
   
4. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Cover with mixing bowl. Let rise approximately 15 mins.
   
5. Knead dough until smooth and satiny. Then bring back into mixing bowl, cover with clean dishtowel. Let rise in warm place until double the original volume. Approximately 1 hour.
   
6. Bring dough on to floured surface again and knead well. Then start to mould the dough for baking. Shape as desired, either braid, or small buns then transfer to baking tray.
   
7. Glaze prepared dough with egg wash, sprinkle sugar or sugar crumbs over glazing, then bake in preheated oven at 225deg celsius for approximately 10mins, or until golden brown. The pulla should look like ones shown below.

For alternate pulla recipes, you could refer to these:

Coffee Bread Ring (Pulla)

Coffee Bread (Pulla)

Finnish Pulla

*dl = desilitre (Amounts to one tenth of a litre. 3 desilitre amounts to 1 full cup.)

Pannukakku (Finnish Pancake)

Really fast to make, FAT FREE, yummy delicious pancake, Finnish style.

2 Eggs
4 dl Milk
2 dl Flour
Salt, Sugar, Cardamom

1. Heat the oven at 225 Celcius before starting to prepare the batter.
2. Break the eggs, whisk it until foamy.
3. Add milk and flour, mix it well.

4. Add hint of salt and sugar, some vanilla (if desired) or cardamom.
5. Whack the mix into a buttered tray.

6. Bake in oven for approximately 30 minutes until dark brown.


The pancake is going to look raw inside no matter how long you bake it, so don't worry about that. Let it cool down a bit before serving with syrup or jam.

*Note*
dl = desilitre (one tenth of a litre)
For easy measurement, bear in mind that 3 desilitre is equivalent to 1 full cup.

Omenasalaatti (Apple Salad)

This is a recipe from mummi Tuulikki (Sami's grandmother). A very simple yet appetising Apple Salad.

Ingredients:
Raw Ingredients

Apples - thinly sliced

Carrots - thinly sliced

Lettuce - shredded into bite sized chunks

Cheery Tomatoes - halved

Dressing

Olive Oil

Water

Italian Salad Dressing (Italialainen - Mc Cormick)

Method:
Prepare the raw ingredients, then place them in a salad bowl. In a separate small mixing bowl, add in the Italian Salad Dressing with water according to desired consistency. Pour in desired amount of olive oil, and the mixed salad dressing. Finally toss the salad and serve fresh.

*Hint*
For slicing apples and carrots, a cutter could be used instead of manual slicing.