Brunsviger

I’m note sure I possess the wherewithal to cook traditional Norwegian food for two weeks straight. The traditional dishes can be quite heavy, fattening, and wintery. Not exactly where my head is currently, considering the sweltering temperatures outside and fresh vegetables filling the market. As I continue my two week Norwegian cooking extravaganza in honor of Gourmand’s birthday I’ve been forced to modify things. I have branched out a bit and dipped my fingers into more overarching realm of contemporary Scandinavian Cuisine.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

Due to their short summer months Norwegians, as they do in the rest of Scandinavia, embrace the warmer months, preparing recipes filled with local fruits, vegetables and game. The majority of the recipes I have experimented with have hailed from Trina Hahnemann’s seasonal journey The Scandinavian Cookbook, a book filled with calm, lovely pictures and beginner friendly Scandinavian recipes from Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. I’ve used her recipes as a base for much of my experimentation, tweaking them for both my American taste buds and those ingredients available to me here in Louisiana (you try getting Elderflowers in New Orleans). The results have been wonderfully satisfying and surprisingly delicious.

This recipe for Burnsviger hails for Denmark, where the cake often accompanies coffee or tea and is eaten for breakfast or an afternoon snack. It’s not exactly a summer favorite, nor does it need to be. You can enjoy it every day.

Brunsviger is a yeasty bread like concoction. Not quite bread, not quite cake, but decidedly delicious. It is a biscuit flavored, spongy cake with a sweet buttery topping. And what a topping! I forget what a transcendent combination brown sugar and butter is. Be sure not to skimp on this delicious topping (I did, much to my dismay) as it is vital to the flavor and experience of the cake. Ideally, taste a slice straight out of the oven as it is surely better warm, but keep it for later and savor it as an afternoon snack.

Brunsviger (serves 8-10)

1 cup milk, warm
1 ounce fresh yeast, about 2.5 packets Fleischmann’s
2 eggs
4 tbsp melter butter
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 stick butter

Warm the milk and stir in the yeast until it has dissolved fully. Stir in the eggs and the melted butter. Sift in the flour and sugar and mix until fully combined and the dough pulls away from the bowl. Knead the dough for about five minutes and leave to rise in the bowl. Let rise 30 minutes. Grease and line a rectangular baking or casserole dish with wax paper. Press the dough into the dish and let rise 30 more minutes. In the meantime melt the butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan, but do not burn. Making small indentations with your finger, mark the bread. Then slowly pour the sugar mixture onto the bread, letting each crevasse fill with the butter mixture. Bake at 400F for 25 minutes or until golden.