Jansson's temptation and saffron pancake

I am off to spend the Christmas with the family in freezing Sweden. Can't wait for my Mum's Christmas food. It doesn't matter if I am using the same recipes as her, there is nothing like Mum's food.
All the Christmas presents are wrapped, and most of our bags are packed. The girls are playing and I' m having a quick break with a cup of coffee. Thought I would leave you with these  two, dead easy Christmas recipes.
The first one is Jansson's temptation- Janssons frestelse, a potato gratin with anchovies. My personal Christmas favorite. And as you might know with anchovies, it does melt into the dish, so it's not really a "fishy" dish. Many non fish eaters have been converted with dish dish- trust me ;-)

Jansson's temptation - Janssons frestelse

• potatoes (king Edward or similar)
• yellow onion
• milk
• cream
• anchovies
• butter 
• bread crumbs

I'm not going to complicate things by giving you measurements for this dish, because it's really not necessary. 
Use as many potatoes as it takes to almost fill up your chosen  ovenproof dish, ones you have peeled and cut your potatoes into thin "french fries". Finely slice one yellow onion and mix with the potato strips. Chop the anchovies roughly and add them as well. Pour over milk so it almost covers the lot, and top up with cream and sprinkle over the bread crumbs. Finish of with a few knobs of butter and bake in the oven for 3/4 of an hour - 1 hour 200C. The smell coming from the oven will be utterly heavenly.

The second recipe that I want to share with you is a dish that my auntie Tine makes for Christmas, Saffron pancake.
A traditional dish from the island of Gotland, the largest island in Sweden. 


Saffron pancake- saffrans pannkaka

• one lot of rice pudding (see earlier blog post)
• 0.5g of saffron (1g if you want a more intense taste of saffron)
• 6 dl milk
• 1 dl cream
• 4 eggs
• blanched and chopped almonds
• 1/2 dl sugar

Grind the saffron with a little bit of sugar in a pestle and mortar.
Mix the powder with the milk and cream, and add it to the rice pudding.
Add the eggs one by one, the sugar and the almonds (leave some for decoration).
Pour the mixture into an oven proof dish and scatter the remaining almonds on top.
Bake until the mixture is set 200C. This will depend on the depth of your oven dish app. 30-45 min.
Serve with a geneorous helping of whipped cream and a dollop of your favourite jam.

Enjoy!

 I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for the support you all have shown me from all over the world. And for all you positive comments and advise. They put a smile on my face every time! 
I'll be back in the new year with more mouth watering recipes.
Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year!

Love
Jenny

Rice pudding- Tomtegröt - Risgrynsgröt

In Sweden, the tradition of elves goes far back in time. In the olden days they believed that elves helped out around the house and the barn, stable etc commonly known as a "house elf", hustomte. Making sure the animals were happy, crops grew and cup boards were full. But in return, it was important to look after the house elf, or else he would get up to mischief. And he could be a very grumpy so and so. One way to stay on the good side of him was to give him rice pudding, tomtegröt on Christmas eve. But you had to make sure to put a big dollop of butter in the middle, because that's the way he liked it.
And the Santa that comes on Christmas eve ( the main day of our Christmas celebration) has his roots in that old tradition. Less Disney and "coca-colafied", if you know what I mean.
The YouTube clip is of a story called "The Tomten" and shows how hustomten is looking after all the animals at the homestead.
And if you want to make some tomtegröt for your "hustomte" this Christmas, or treat the people that you love. This is how you make it:

Tomtegröt  6.port

• 3 dl pudding rice
• 5 1/2 dl water
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 10dl (1 litre) full fat milk
• Cinnamon stick (can be left out, if preferred)

Boil the rice, water and butter for 10 minutes.
Add the milk, the cinnamon stick and the salt, and simmer for 3/4 of an hour-1 hour. Stir occasionally.
To make a "de luxe" version add a splash of cream when you add the milk.
The tomtegröt is traditionally eaten with a tablespoon of golden syrup or a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar ( only hustomten likes butter on his tomtegröt). Some like it with a splash of milk, but I prefer it without. However, a cup of glögg wouldn't go a miss ;-)
Enjoy! 

Rice Pudding

Christmas spiced red wine - Glögg

So you have made your lussebullar and your pepparkakor, now you definitely deserve a drink.
This is the Swedish equivalent to mulled wine or glühwein.
A "Christmassy" drink that will warm you from the inside out.
Traditionally drunk in a small cup with a few raisins and almonds (blanched) in the bottom.
You can also make a non-alcoholic version with blackcurrant squash, or if you like it a bit stronger, you simply add 1 dl cognac. 

Glögg

• 1 bottle of red wine
• 1 dl sugar
• 2 1/2 dl water
• half a thumb sized piece of ginger
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 8 cloves
• 1 tsp cardamom seeds
• 1 slice of orange peel

Crush the ginger and break the cinnamon in half (if needed).
Bring the water and all the spices to the boil, and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
Sieve, and mix with the sugar and red wine. Heat the mixture, but do not boil.
Serve with a few raisins and almonds.

Enjoy responsibly!