tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2974347937387454259.post2870901583459438338..comments2023-04-26T13:05:18.909+01:00Comments on Teaching the Swedes Cricket: SnowtimesJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15584276804376448587noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2974347937387454259.post-28247697714023842132009-11-19T12:29:27.907+00:002009-11-19T12:29:27.907+00:00It's not a weird question to ask a weird perso...It's not a weird question to ask a weird person James.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2974347937387454259.post-48085346922794787122009-11-19T10:49:50.637+00:002009-11-19T10:49:50.637+00:00Thanks for the recipe! I hear there's a swedis...Thanks for the recipe! I hear there's a swedish xmas market in the swedish church near baker st this weekend. Oh and 'let the right one in' is fantastic...the book's also great!<br />This may seem a weird question, but do I know you? Your profile is coming up as blocked.<br /><br />J.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15584276804376448587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2974347937387454259.post-58414712418425178542009-11-16T19:12:01.932+00:002009-11-16T19:12:01.932+00:00Snow! How fabulous! I'll have to make do with ...Snow! How fabulous! I'll have to make do with the Finnish Fayre which is held at the Finnish Church in Rotherhithe in the next week or so. I'm not doing my usual pre-Christmas trip to Copenhagen this year. But, to get in pre-festive mode, here's a Swedish recipe given to me by my Danish friend, Birgitte, who lives in Central Copenhagen (a stone's throw from Tivoli Gardens) for some Cardamom and almond cookies. Apparently the Swedes picked up their coffee-drinking habits from the Ottoman Turks who liked to flavour their coffee with cardamom. <br /><br />100g shelled almonds<br />100g unsalted butter - softened until creamy<br />100g caster sugar<br />1 egg - separated<br />125g plain flour<br />12 cardamom pods- seeds only<br />half a teaspooon milled pepper<br />icing sugar - optional to scatter lightly when cookies are baked<br /><br />Set aside a dozen almonds and roughtly crush the rest, skin and all - blitz them in a processor or use a pestle and mortar, but don't them them oil. Beat the butter with the sugar until fluffy and lae. Beat in the egg-yolk. Toss the flour with the cardamom seeds, pepper and crushed almonds. Combine the flour and butter mixtures and beat with a wooden spoon until you have a smooth, softish dough - you may need a spponful or two of cold water. Or drop everything in the process or and pulse until it forms a soft ball. Roll out the dough-ball into a fat sausage about 5cm in diameter, wrap it up in clingfilm and set it in the fridge for half an hour to rest and firm. Meanwhile, drop the reserved almonds in boiling water, wait for a few minutes until the skins loosen, pop the nuts of of their skins, split them in half and reserve. Heat the oven to 180 degrees or Gas Mark 3. With a sharp knife dipped in hot water, slice the dough-roll into a dozen disks about as thick as your little finger. Transfer to a baking sheet - no need to butter - leaving each enough space to spread. Make a dip in the middle of each cookie, paint the dip with the remaining egg white and push in a half-almon. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes till golden and crisp. Transfer the cookies gently to a cake rack - they'll crisp more as they cool. Store in an airtight tin. Dust with icing sugar or not, as you please. Enjoy with a coffee whilst watching the excellent vampire film 'Let the Right One In'!little carthorsehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04195201508176009917noreply@blogger.com