Finnish Crescents Recipes

CRESCENT ROLLS

Steps:

• In a large bowl dissolve the yeast in warm water.
• In a saucepan heat the cream (or milk) over med heat to boiling point (but don't let it boil) and add butter to milk. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
• Add milk/butter mixture to yeast mixture.
• Add salt (1 teaspoon) and one cup of flour, stirring to combine. Add remainder of flour, a little at a time until you have a stiff dough. Let dough rest for 15 minutes.
• Turn dough out on floured board and knead until smooth.
• Put dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease both sides of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and/or damp towel. Let rise until doubled (1 - 2 hours).
• Turn dough out onto floured board and roll it into a 16-inch circle. Spread dough with soft butter and cut into 8 wedges. Roll each wedge up, starting at wide end and shape into a cresent. Place rolls on a greased baking sheet and brush with egg white and sprinkle with kosher salt and caraway seeds.
• Let roll rise for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375-degrees F.
• Bake rolls for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

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 PANCAKES

Steps:

• Pour milk into a microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave until slightly warm, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk in butter. Whisk in eggs. Add flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt; blend briefly with an immersion blender to make a smooth batter.
• Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle and cook until bottom is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until browned on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

VIENNESE CRESCENTS

Steps:

• Chop vanilla bean. Pound it in a mortar or pulverize it in an electric blender with about one tablespoon of the confectioner's sugar. Mix with the remaining confectioners' sugar. Cover and let stand, preferably overnight. Reserve while cookies are baked.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut walnuts with a sharp knife into very small pieces. Pound the pieces to a paste, using mortar and pestle.
• With a wooden spoon or the fingers, mix walnuts, butter, granulated sugar and flour to a smooth dough. Shape dough, about a teaspoon at a time, into small crescents about one and a half inches in diameter.
• Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet until lightly browned, or 15 to 18 minutes. Cool one minute. While still warm, roll cookies in prepared vanilla sugar.

LATTYJA (FINNISH CREPES/PANCAKES)

Steps:

• Use a bowl large enough to hold all ingredients.
• Beat eggs, sugar and salt together.
• Add flour, milk (1% or 2% can also be used) and melted butter.
• Beat with whisk or hand mixer until not lumpy.
• Adjust the mixture by adding additional milk to thin it. Thinner mixture works better.
• You can make the mixture ahead of time and refrigerate; however you will need to add additional milk to thin it for frying.
• Heat a non-stick pan at medium-low, add butter to coat the surface; use only enough to coat the pan. (We use a cast-iron mini-round indented pan for ours that acutally came from Sweden - thanks for reminding me to add this!).
• While lifting the pan by the handle with one hand, pour some of the mixture onto the frying pan.
• Tilt the pan so that the mix coats the surface of the frying pan; return to heat.
• Cook until the crepe starts to brown; cook the other side until brown circles start to form.
• Move the crepe around the pan to keep the pan greased and remove the crepe.
• You can put sugar, jams or preserves onto the crepe and roll up to eat, or just dip and eat off of the plate. Serve with strawberry jam and whipped cream for the traditional Finnish dish.
• They don't stay hot for long, so eat up while you can or there won't be any left for you!