Finnish “Squeaky” Cheese (Leipäjuusto)
Danish Smoked Cheese (Rygeost)
Norwegian Cream Porridge (Rømmegrøt)
Macaroni Casserole with Nøkkelost Cheese
Karelian Cheese Torte (Rahkatorttu)
Icelandic skyr, much smoother and thicker than American yogurt, is also extremely healthy as far as dairy products go. Created by incubating nonfat milk with live active probiotic cultures, skyr contains three times the protein of regular yogurts.
INGREDIENTS | MAKES APPROXIMATELY 1 QUART
4 quarts nonfat milk
4 tablespoons unflavored skyr (look for Siggi’s brand)
7 drops liquid rennet (available in the baking aisle of most groceries)
1. Make sure, throughout the skyr-making process, that all of your equipment (bowls, whisks, colander, pots, cheesecloth) is sanitized (rinsed with boiling water or removed directly from a hot dishwasher) immediately before using.
2. Heat the milk in a large pot over medium heat to scalding (185°F–190°F), stirring often to prevent scorching. Turn off heat immediately when it reaches the scalding point. Cover, and allow to cool to 110°F.
3. Combine 2 cups of the cooled milk with the skyr, then return the mixture to the pot, stirring to incorporate. Stir in the liquid rennet.
4. Cover and keep the mixture in a warm place at around 110°F for 12 hours. (To maintain this temperature, you can try placing the pot in an insulated cooler, wrap it in towels, or place it in an oven with two tealights burning at the bottom of the oven.)
5. Line a sanitized strainer with cheesecloth, place it over a large bowl, and spoon the skyr curds into the strainer. Allow to drain in a cool room or in the refrigerator to your desired thickness (it should be thicker than American yogurt, but not as thick as cream cheese).
6. Skyr will keep for 3–4 weeks, covered, in the refrigerator.
Tykmælk, “thick milk,” is a natural yogurt that is much sweeter and less tangy than many other yogurts.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
4 cups whole milk
5 tablespoons buttermilk or 2 tablespoons all-natural (no preservatives or gelatin) yogurt
1. In a large pot, heat the milk to the scalding point (185°F–190°F). Turn off the heat, insert a thermometer, and allow it to cool to 112°F.
2. When it reaches 112°F, stir in the buttermilk or yogurt. Transfer to sanitized bowls (rinsed with boiling water), cover, and allow to sit overnight in a warm place (like an insulated cooler), to curdle.
3. Transfer to refrigerator and allow to cool for 8 hours before serving.
4. Top with brown sugar and serve as a breakfast or snack.
On warm summer evenings, Danes enjoy koldskål, a chilled buttermilk drink they offer with twice-baked kammerjunker cookies, similar to biscotti.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 4
4 cups buttermilk
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt or skyr
4 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1. Stir all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Using an egg beater or the whisk attachment of a mixer, strongly whip the mixture until it is smooth, about the consistency of thick cream.
3. Allow to cool for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.
4. Serve with twice-baked Almond Rusks (see Chapter 18) or biscotti and fresh summer berries.
Homemade butter, infinitely superior to the store-bought variety, can be made in a mere 15 minutes in a stand mixer. Mold it into either traditional butter molds or decorative sandbakkel tins for a special finishing touch.
INGREDIENTS | MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
1 quart cream or whipping cream
1⁄2 teaspoon salt (optional)
To make honey butter, place 1 pound of homemade butter, slightly softened, in a mixer and beat together with 1⁄4 cup honey until butter is creamy and smooth and the honey is fully incorporated.
1. Pour the cream into a mixing bowl equipped with a splash guard (alternately, cut a 4-wide strip of aluminum foil and tent it around the top of the mixing bowl).
2. Using the whip attachment of your mixer, beat the cream on low, then gradually increase the speed as the cream begins to thicken.
3. Once the cream has been whipped to the “firm” peak stage, increase the mixer speed to “high” and whip for 10 minutes, or until the butter separates from the buttermilk (it will look like scrambled eggs).
4. Place a fine-meshed colander over a large bowl and strain the buttermilk from the butter through it, pressing down on the butter to release as much liquid as possible.
5. “Wash” the butter by placing it in a bowl of cold water and kneading it. Pour off the water, replace with clean water, and repeat the process until the water remains clear after kneading.
6. Press the butter into molds, wrap tightly, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks (homemade butter can also be frozen).
Finnish “bread cheese,” leipäjuusto, is as popular among Finnish Americans in northern Wisconsin as it is in Finland. Although it is now packaged and distributed by Trader Joe’s, it’s fun to make from scratch and to enjoy the distinctive “squeak” when you bite into a piece.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 12
41⁄2 gallons whole milk
1⁄2 rennet tablet or 1⁄2 teaspoon liquid rennet
1 tablespoon warm water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1. Heat the milk to scalding (185°F) in a large pot.
2. Dissolve the rennet in the warm water, then combine with 1 cup of the scalded milk, along with the cornstarch and salt. Pour this mixture back into the pot in a steady stream, stirring steadily to combine.
3. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and allow to rest until the curds rise to the top of the pot, about 1 hour. They are ready when you can cut through the mass of curds with a knife.
4. Line a strainer with a double thickness of cheesecloth, place it over a bowl, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the curds to the strainer. Allow to drain, then pull up the sides of the cheesecloth and squeeze tightly to remove all excess whey.
5. Preheat oven to 400°F. Press the curds into a 9 cake pan and sprinkle with 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar. Broil the cheese on the top rack for 15 minutes or until golden on top. Remove from the heat, invert into a second cake pan, sprinkle with 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar, and return to the oven. Broil for 15 minutes more or until golden. Serve immediately, or refrigerate or freeze for later use.
Creamy Rygeost is well worth the effort it takes to make. If you don’t have a smoker, you can heat 3 or 4 coals in the bottom of a barbecue grill, placing an aluminum pan (filled 2⁄3 with water) on top of the hot coals. Put your pans of cheese on the top rack of the grill, close the lid, open the vents, and smoke for 15 minutes or so.
INGREDIENTS | MAKES 1⁄2 POUND
4 quarts organic whole milk
1 cup active cultured buttermilk
5 drops liquid rennet
1 tablespoon warm water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons caraway
A few large handfuls of straw and fresh or dried nettles (optional; you can substitute hickory chips)
The easiest way to quickly dry nettles is to place them in a dehydrator at 95°F until dry. In dry climates, you can also spread the freshly harvested nettles on old window screens set on bricks outdoors (to allow for air flow); then place them in a non-breezy location or cover them with an additional screen. They’ll be dry—and safe to touch!—in a day or two.
1. Sanitize all of your equipment in boiling water.
2. Stir together the milk and buttermilk in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the rennet in the warm water, then stir into the milk. Cover the bowl with clean cheesecloth and place in a warm place (71°F) for 48 hours (an insulated cooler, on top of the refrigerator, or in the oven with two lit tealights).
4. Line a colander or sieve with cheesecloth, place on top of a large sanitized bowl, pour the milk into the colander, and allow to drain for 2–3 hours. Transfer to the refrigerator and continue to drain overnight.
5. Mix the cheese with the salt and 1 tablespoon caraway. Spread in shallow 10 aluminum foil pans, sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of caraway, and place in the refrigerator (or outdoors if it’s cold) for 1 hour.
6. To smoke the cheese, soak the straw and nettles (or the hickory chips) in a bucket with just enough water to moisten thoroughly, for 30 minutes–1 hour. Completely encase one of your smoker racks in heavy aluminum foil. Place 3 empty tin cans on the bottom of the smoker, surround them with the dampened straw/nettles or hickory chips, then place the rack directly on the cans. Fill two metal bread pans with ice cubes, then place these on top of the rack. Place the top rack of the smoker at the highest level in your smoker, then place the pans of cheese on top of it. Cover the smoker, open the vents, and turn it on at the lowest heat possible. Smoke the cheese for 30–45 minutes, checking at 20-minute intervals to make sure it isn’t melting/bubbling.
7. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered, for later use.
Norwegian grandmothers of days past spent hours stirring rømmegrøt until it reached creamy, velvety perfection. Today, microwaves make the process less labor-intensive.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 8
3 cups half-and-half
8 ounces unsalted European-style butter (1 stick), plus 4 ounces
1⁄2 cup flour
4 tablespoons sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon-sugar, to taste
To make holiday baked goods as rich as possible (they should be, after all, once-a-year treats), use a European-style butter like Plugra or Kerrygold. These contain twice the butterfat of American butter, and you can truly taste the difference.
1. Pour the half-and-half into a large Pyrex measuring cup and heat in microwave on high just until warm (1 minute–1 minute, 15 seconds, depending on your microwave).
2. Place 8 ounces (1 stick) of butter in a second measuring cup or bowl and heat in the microwave until melted, about 30 seconds.
3. Whisk the flour into the melted butter until it is creamy and smooth.
4. Whisk the heated half-and-half into the butter-and-flour mixture. Stir in the sugar and salt.
5. Place in microwave, uncovered, and heat on high for 4 minutes, removing to stir every minute, until the porridge is thick (repeat for another minute if needed, depending on the strength of your microwave).
6. In a separate bowl, melt the remaining 4 ounces of butter in the microwave.
7. To serve, spoon the porridge into dessert dishes, pour a layer of the melted butter on top, and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar to taste.
Gomme, a sweet milk product similar to cottage cheese, used to be quite common in Norway, where every region had its own version. Labor-intensive, gomme was a “special occasion” dessert served at weddings and holidays. It is a superlative topping for pancakes and waffles.
INGREDIENTS | MAKES APPROXIMATELY 3 CUPS
4 quarts whole milk
3 cups kefir, Siggi’s Probiotics drinkable yogurt, or active cultured buttermilk
2 tablespoons flour
1⁄2 cup whole milk
1⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon cardamom
1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, slowly bring the milk to the scalding point (185°F–190°F) over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in the kefir.
2. Return the pan to the heat and continue to whisk steadily until the milk separates into curds.
3. Cover the pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 2–21⁄2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes, until the water has cooked off and the gomme has thickened.
4. Whisk together the flour and milk, and slowly stir into the curds. Stir in the sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom.
5. Continue to cook at low heat, uncovered, until the curds are lightly browned. Serve warm in bowls in this “porridge” form, sprinkled with brown sugar, or beat the gomme smooth in an electric mixer and then chill for use as a topping for pancakes or waffles.
Flavored with caraway (also called Persian cumin) that grows wild in Norway, spreadable Norwegian pultost will be appreciated by those who love very sharp, pungent cheeses. Don’t worry—this extraordinary cheese tastes nothing like it smells!
INGREDIENTS | MAKES APPROXIMATELY 1 POUND
5 liters active cultured buttermilk
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1. Sanitize all of your equipment (bowls, whisks, pots, cheesecloth) in boiling water before using.
2. Bring the buttermilk to the scalding point (185°F–190°F) over medium-low heat, whisking constantly.
3. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, whisking occasionally, until the buttermilk separates into curds.
4. Line a large bowl with an 18 × 18 piece of cheesecloth or clean muslin. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the curds from the pot to the bowl. Draw up and knot the ends of the cheesecloth together, then suspend from a broomstick placed across two chairs. Place the bowl underneath to catch the liquid.
5. Squeeze the cheesecloth bag every so often to help release the liquid (you want the cheese to be quite dry).
6. Crumble the cheese into a bowl, stir in the caraway seeds and salt, cover with a clean tea towel, and allow to sit in a warm place (on top of the refrigerator or in an oven with two lit tea lights) for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days. Stir and taste the cheese every 12 hours or so. When it reaches the depth of tanginess you prefer, transfer it to covered containers and refrigerate until ready to use.
Enjoy egg cheese as you would cottage cheese, or—better yet—spread it on rye crispbread and top it with a teaspoon of Lingonberry Jam (see Chapter 7) for a savory-sweet treat.
INGREDIENTS | MAKES APPROXIMATELY 1 POUND
1 quart whole milk
11⁄2 cups skyr, quark (curd), or nonfat Greek yogurt
1⁄4 cup sugar
5 eggs
Cinnamon-sugar to taste
1. Bring the milk to the scalding point (185°F–190°F) over medium heat, stirring constantly.
2. Whisk together the yogurt, sugar, and eggs.
3. Slowly pour the yogurt mixture into the milk in a steady stream, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the milk curdles on top and the whey is translucent.
4. Line a colander with cheesecloth and strain the mixture through it until the cheese is dry.
5. Transfer the egg cheese to bowls and serve sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar to taste.
Swedish Våsterbotten Pie is a popular side dish served at August crayfish parties in Scandinavia. Simplify the preparation by using a ready-made pie crust.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6
1 ready-made pie crust
5 eggs
1 cup cream or half-and-half
8 ounces Våsterbotten cheese, grated
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon white pepper
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Press the pie crust into a pie pan, prick well with a fork, and prebake for 10 minutes.
2. Whisk together the remaining ingredients, then pour into the pie shell.
3. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the middle of the pie is set and the top is golden brown.
Feel free to experiment with different varieties of Denmark’s Havarti cheese when baking these savory cheese snaps.
INGREDIENTS | MAKES 40 CHEESE SNAPS
1 cup Havarti cheese, grated
5 cups self-rising flour (White Lily is preferred)
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1⁄2" cubes
3 tablespoons ice water
1 egg white
Of the many varieties of Havarti cheeses produced in Denmark, the following are becoming more and more available in American groceries: garlic, dill, red pepper, caraway, and jalapeño.
1. In a large bowl, lightly toss together the grated Havarti, flour, and salt.
2. Use a pastry blender or two forks to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly, the size of lentils.
3. Use a fork to stir the ice water into the flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to form a soft dough.
4. Transfer dough to a floured counter and knead as lightly as possible, about 3 times. Wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Roll dough out into 1⁄8-thickness, then cut with a 1-diameter cookie or biscuit cutter. Place on a greased baking sheet and brush with the egg white.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.
This is a creamy macaroni casserole featuring Norway’s caraway-studded Nøkkelost cheese.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6
2⁄3 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon canola or olive oil
3 cups whipping cream
11⁄2 cups Nøkkelost cheese, grated
1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked until al dente
1⁄2 cup smoked ham or bacon, cooked and diced
1⁄4 cup melted butter
2⁄3 cup rye bread crumbs
1⁄2 cup Våsterbotten cheese, grated (or substitute Parmesan)
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Sauté the chopped onion in the oil over medium heat until translucent.
2. In a separate saucepan, bring the cream to a steady simmer over medium heat, then stir in the grated Nøkkelost. Whisk steadily until the cheese has melted into the sauce. Remove from heat and stir in the macaroni, ham, and sautéed onions.
3. Transfer the macaroni to a greased 12 × 9 casserole dish.
4. Whisk together the melted butter, rye bread crumbs, and grated Våsterbotten. Sprinkle the mixture over the casserole.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
Caraway-studded Nøkkelost cheese melts beautifully in this beer fondue. Serve with chunks of rye bread, small roasted potatoes, and slices of fried or grilled sausage for dipping.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 6
1 pound Nøkkelost cheese, grated
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup Danish beer (your preference: lager, pilsner, or dark)
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Swedish mustard (or substitute Dijon)
1. In a large bowl, toss together the cheese and flour.
2. In a fondue pot, stir together the beer and Worchestershire sauce. Heat at 375°F until bubbling.
3. Gradually add the cheese, stirring until it melts. Stir in the mustard.
4. Reduce temperature to 200°F and serve with rye bread, grilled sausages, and roasted potatoes.
Although most common in Germany and Russia, quark—an unripened cheese similar to cream cheese—is also readily available in Scandinavia, especially in Finland, where it is used in rich desserts like Karelian Cheese Torte (Rahkatorttu) (see recipe in this chapter).
INGREDIENTS | MAKES APPROXIMATELY 1 CUP
1 quart whole milk
1⁄2 cup active cultured buttermilk (or unpasteurized buttermilk)
No time to make your own quark? You can substitute mascarpone cheese, ricotta cheese, yogurt cheese, or sometimes cream cheese in many Scandinavian recipes calling for quark.
1. Make sure, throughout the quark-making process, that all of your equipment (bowls, whisks, colander, pots, cheesecloth) is sanitized (rinsed with boiling water or removed directly from a hot dishwasher) immediately before using.
2. Bring the milk to the scalding point (185°F–190°F) and allow to simmer for 30 seconds. Remove from the burner, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and allow to cool to room temperature (about 75°F).
3. Use a whisk to stir the buttermilk into the milk. Cover again and allow to sit in a warm place for 24 hours, until the milk curdles.
4. Line a metal colander with cheesecloth and place it over a bowl; pour the clabbered milk into the colander and allow to drain in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally, for 12 hours.
5. Transfer to a covered container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Quark gives just the right amount of tanginess to this classic Finnish cheesecake.
INGREDIENTS | SERVES 12
1⁄2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
5 eggs, divided use
3⁄4 cup Superfine® sugar, divided use
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup Homemade Quark (see recipe in this chapter)
1⁄2 cup cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1⁄2 cup raisins or currants (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cream together the butter, 1 egg, 1⁄4 cup of the sugar, and the lemon zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder, then gradually stir into the batter to form a soft dough.
2. Grease and flour the bottom and sides of a 9 springform pan. Press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
3. For the filling, beat together the quark, cream, remaining 2 eggs, remaining 1⁄2 cup sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and raisins (if using). Pour into the prepared crust.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Chill before serving.