Pepparkakor - Swedish Christmas Cookies

There are many types of gingerbread made around Christmas time in Europe. Personally I like the thin crisp type they make in Scandinavia, as opposed to the thicker chewy types you see in Germany and France. The main reason I wanted to bake pepparkakor this year was to pair it with blue cheese as an hors-d'oeuvre on the julbord. I discovered this gingersnap-blue cheese combo fairly recently and was blown away by the flavours, and wondered why I hadn't heard of it before. Brunkager in Denmark are almost exactly the same, but no one I've met had ever tried the pairing even though Sweden is just across the bridge.

  

 Traditionally pepparkakor are cut into shapes. Stars, hearts, trees, and various animals are most common. Small holes can be punched in the top and the cookies used as Christmas tree ornaments, which I think is more appealing than the candy canes we had as a kid. They say if you hold a pepparkaka in your hand and make a wish, then crack the cookie with your thumb, if it cracks into 3 pieces, your wish will come true, if not, that's how the cookie crumbles. Pro Tip: it's proven that heart shaped cookies are more likely to break into 3 pieces.

 

 Fruit pear or figs is a good addition to the blue cheese. I poached a pear in sugar syrup and vanilla, and topped each cookie with a sliver. When I was in Malmö I bought Ädelost in a tube it made a good creamy base to put the stronger crumbly blue cheese on. The recipe for pepparkakor is easy. The one I used from Cottage in the oaks is a bit different from most, as it includes an egg, but I really liked how they turned out. I added a little more spice than the recipe to complement the cheese and pear. These things are addictive. You need to try them!

 

 

 

 

Pepparkaka Cookie Recipe

 175ml butter, softened
175ml sugar
125ml molasses
1 large egg, beaten
375g all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda, dissolved into 1 tbsp water
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1.5 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt

1. In a mixer cream together the butter and sugar.
2. Add the molasses and egg
3.Mix in the remaining ingredients until well blended.
4.Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.
5.Roll the dough to 1/8″ thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut out shapes
6.Bake at 175ºC for 8-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown

Tourtière - Canadian Meat Pie

This year I had the opportunity to make tourtière for my Danish family and friends for Christmas in Copenhagen. None had ever heard of it, and it was a nice addition to the traditional 2.Jul Dag buffet that we served.

Tourtière is originally a Québecois dish, but has been enjoyed across Canada for generations. In my opinion it is Canada's most known and unique traditional dish. Unlike so many Canadian recipes, there is no equivalent in Europe. The French people I've described tourtière to claim there is no such thing as meat pie in France, and seem a bit indignant that such an English sounding thing could be labelled French. I partially agree, because tourtière is closer to a Cornish pasty than anything I've seen on the continent.

 There are endless recipes for tourtière, but a mixture of ground pork and veal is most common. My sister lives near North Bay, In the French speaking part of Ontario, where moose meat is often used. Some people claim there is salmon tourtière on the east coast, but that's straying a bit far from the concept in my opinion. The spicing of tourtière varies from pie to pie, but almost always contains cinnamon and allspice. I consider sage to be indispensable in a tourtière, and the cinnamon / sage pairing is the flavour profile that makes the tourtière so distinct from any other savoury pie. Marjoram is also a nice addition that I use, although I don't see it in many recipes.

Christmas at my Sister's Farm

The condiments that accompany tourtière vary from place to place and family to family. In Toronto my mom served tourtière with Sharwood's Major Grey Mango Chutney. Piccalilli is also a popular choice, but chow chow tomato relish seems to be preferred in Quebec. Ketchup is also popular, but possibly an injustice. Pickled beets, cranberry sauce and gravy are also served by some people, but these are oddities in my opinion. For my tourtière, I served piccalili, nigella and cumin spiced chow chow, and Mia's mother's home pickled green tomatos with ginger and vanilla. All three compliment the pie and each other. I highly recommend the trio for the supreme tourtière experience. 

The short crust pastry for the tourtière is standard and can be decorated with Christmas trees, stars, maple leaves, moose, or fleur de lis if you like. Mia made the nice design on ours. My recipe for the filling is based on the recipe we used at Le Rendez-Vous Restaurant in Yorkville, where I worked as Sous-Chef in the 80's, as well as some influences from various family members recipes. I've been perfecting this recipe for years, and I take pride that it is one of the best.

Recipe for Tourtière

500g ground veal

500g ground pork

250g small diced potatoes

1 large chopped onion

2 cloves chopped garlic

2 bay leaves

1/2 tbsp dried sage

1/4 tbsp dried marjoram

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1tbsp cider vinegar

salt and pepper

1. Saute garlic, onions, and potatoes until onions soften

2. add spices and blend well

3. add meat, vinegar and 1/2 cup water, and stir to break the ground meat up well

4. season with salt and pepper and simmer until the water is absorbed and the potatoes are cooked

5. cool mixture to room temperature

6. fill a 9 inch pie crust heaping with the cooled mixture and top and decorate with another crust

7. egg wash and bake at 175 degrees until crust is golden brown

8. serve at room temperature with your choice of condiments

Tomato Chow Chow

4 large tomatoes diced

1 small onion finely diced

1 tsp nigella seed

1tsp mustard seed

1/2 tsp cumin seed

1/2 tsp coriander seed

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper

1. dry roast seeds in a pan for a couple of minutes

2. add 1 tbsp olive oil, then the onions and tomatoes and saute 

3. add sugar, vinegar, water, salt and pepper 

4. simmer until a thick jam consistency.