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Archive for September, 2012

Gone On Vacation…again :)

Posted in Other, tagged , on September 24, 2012| 2 Comments »

My family is visiting me from Denmark for the next couple of weeks so I’m off having fun in this beautiful Fall weather. Be back soon 🙂

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Finnish Coffee Fingers – Finskar Pinnar

Posted in Cookies, Finnish, tagged , , , on September 17, 2012| 5 Comments »

Finnish Coffee Fingers

Here are some Finnish Coffee Fingers for you. There’s no coffee (or fingers) in these cookies but it’s a cookie that goes well with a cup of coffee or Chai tea. I brought them into my work and my co-workers gave me a lot of really nice comments on them. It’s a basic butter cookie which is soft and delicate and has a wonderful sweet almond flavor. If you’re not big on almond flavor you can use vanilla extract instead and top with a different nut of your choice, pistachio would look real pretty 🙂 Of course now it’s no longer a Finnish Coffee Finger but that’s OK because that’s how cookies evolve. Have fun making these cookies!

Finnish Coffee Fingers (makes 35 cookies)

Ingredients:

1 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. almond extract (or vanilla)

2 1/2 c. flour

1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 Tbsp. cold water

1/2 c. finely chopped almonds

sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

Using a hand-held or stand mixer, place butter and sugar in the bowl and beat until soft and smooth. Add almond extract and while continuing to mix, add flour in small increments. Mix until dough comes together.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Lightly flour your work surface if needed.  Roll dough into ropes the thickness of a ring finger and cut into 2-3 inch pieces. Gently press the top of dough lightly with the back of your finger. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with chopped almonds and sugar.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.

Source: What About Pie

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Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Posted in Cake, Chocolate, tagged , , , , on September 10, 2012| 7 Comments »

Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake

This cake was love at first sight and that love was confirmed with the first bite. I have always been indifferent to zucchini, didn’t pay them any attention. As a matter of fact I always thought they were a bit boring. So what initially drew me to this cake was the deep, dark chocolate look and then I read on and discovered it contained zucchini, and I was intrigued. I had to taste this for myself.

The result was amazing and the cake left me speechless…well almost speechless 🙂 The cake is moist with a delicious intense chocolate flavor and I still can’t believe that it has zucchini in it. I was a bit unsure when I first made this cake if I should simply just let the shredded zucchini sit in the sieve and drip off while I prepared the other ingredients. I seemed to me that it should at least get squeezed a little to get rid of some more liquid. But I decided to trust the instructions and just let it sit quietly and drip off and it turned out perfectly. As you can probably tell I am a little excited about this cake and it will definitely not be the last time that I make it.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake (makes 1 loaf)

Ingredients:

2 cups zucchini (1 large), shredded

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

6 tablespoons butter (3 oz.), melted

1 large egg

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Rinse and dry zucchini. Leaving the peel on, grate the zucchini using the small holes on the grater. Place shredded zucchini in a sieve over a bowl and allow the excess liquid to drain while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a loaf pan and set aside.

In a bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice, set aside.

Over low heat melt butter and set aside to cool a little.

In your stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a handheld mixer) beat egg and sugar until creamy and smooth. While continuing to mix, add vanilla extract and butter. Using a spatula, fold in the shredded zucchini. Then fold in the dry ingredients until combined, do this in three increments. Add chocolate chips and mix until combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan. Enjoy!

Source: adapted from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

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Happy Labor Day

Posted in Other, tagged on September 3, 2012|

Summer has finally come to an end and I must say that it has been one of the hottest summers I have ever experienced. Personally I am longing for Fall. I love the cooler temperatures, crisp air, magnificent Fall colors, pumpkins and a promise of the inevitable Christmas and Winter. But all of that is still a while off yet. So in the meantime lets cook one last hot dog or hamburger on the grill and enjoy it with an ice-cold beer. Skål and Cheers! Happy Labor Day!

Sincerely, MyDanishKitchen

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