Winter food from Finland

Finland has been experiencing a frigid winter, full of record-breaking snow and cold. Even the Finns, quite adept at dealing with frozen winters, are looking for ways to cope with the freezing temperatures outside, and many are turning to savory meals with family and friends, cozily inside.

The Finns have a special winter festival that has strong traditions based on food: Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent – the season of traditionally characterized by fasting and prayer leading up to Easter. Although this festival has religious origins, today it is usually celebrated with activities such as sledding, skiing and skating.

Shrove Tuesday food is hearty and rich, primarily because historically, this is was the last day before Lent when many give gave up meat and dairy. Traditional Finnish dishes served on Shrove Tuesday include pea soup, pancakes and semlas. Semlas (or srove buns) came to Finland from Sweden. These sweet buns, filled with whipped cream and almond paste or strawberry jam, are certainly a favorite during this holiday.

Historically, Finnish food culture has its origins in both Sweden and Russia. This is the case with most many of our winter food dishes, which includesincluding blinis. These small, salty pancakes, with their Eastern influence, are served with sour cream, roe, and chopped onion. Delicious!

Finnish semlas (shrove buns)

Approximately 25 pieces.

2 packages Active dry yeast
2 cups lukewarm milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1 egg
6-8 cups white flour, sifted
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

Filling:

Almond paste or strawberry jam
2 cups whipped cream, seasoned with sugar

Topping:

1 egg
Coarse sugar

1. In a large bowl, stir the yeast into the warm milk, until the yeast has dissolved. Stir in sugar, cardamom, salt and egg and enough flour to make a batter. Mix until the dough is smooth. Add about 2 cups of flour and mix well - the dough should be quite smooth and elastic in appearance. When the dough gets thicker switch to kneading adding the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time alternating with melted butter. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

2. Mix in the butter and add as much additional flour, as you need until the dough is stiff, but not dry.

3. Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it is smooth and satiny. Knead and cut it into approximately 25 pieces. Roll pieces into buns and place on greased baking trays. Leave the buns to rise for about 20 minutes and then brush the surface of the buns with beaten egg. Sprinkle coarse sugar over the buns.

5. Bake at 400 degrees F for approximately 15 minutes, or until light golden-brown. Cool the buns and cut off the tops. Fill with almond paste or strawberry jam and whipped cream and then replace tops.

Blinis with vendance roe

1 ½ cups semi-skimmed milk
½ package Active dry yeast
1 cup buckwheat flour
2 egg yolks
½ cup beer
3 tablespoons rye flour
½ cup wheat flour
½ tablespoon salt
Freshly ground white pepper
1 ½ tablespoons sour cream
2 beaten egg whites

Toppings:

Vendance roe
Chopped onion
Black pepper
Clarified butter
Sour cream

1. Warm the milk and add the yeast. Add the buckwheat flour and mix it to smooth dough. Cover and allow it to stand overnight and ferment into sourdough.

2. Next day, combine the other ingredients with the sourdough, folding in the beaten egg whites last.

3. Fry the blinis until crisp in clarified butter in a blini pan and serve them hot with clarified butter, vendance roe, chopped onion, black pepper and sour cream.

Finnish pea soup

6 - 8 portions.

10 cups water
1 lbs. dried peas
1 lbs. smoked ham
½ cup cream
2 chopped onions
2 chopped carrots
2 laurel leaves
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp salt
(Mustard)

1. Steep the peas in water overnight. Pour out the water, rinse the peas well and strain the remaining water from them.

2. In a medium pot, sauté onions in oil. Remove from heat and add split peas and chopped ham. Add enough water to cover ingredients.

3. Cover and cook until there are no peas left, just a green liquid, 2-3 hours. While the soup is cooking, check to see if water has evaporated. You may need to add more water as the soup continues to cook.

4. Chop the carrots and add them to the saucepan together with cream, black pepper, marjoram, laurel leaves and salt.

5. Cook at a low heat for 30 minutes. Season with mustard.

Finnish oven pancake

2 ½ cups milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons melted butter

1. Beat eggs.

2. Add milk, sugar and salt. Whisk in the flour, mix well.

3. Add melted butter and mix until blended. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

4. Pour into a greased pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for approx. 40 minutes, or until custard is set and top is nicely browned.

5. Serve with strawberry jam or fresh berries and sugar.