Swedish Recipes
Hemslojd, Inc. Swedish Gifts offers an extensive collection of Scandinavian Recipe books. On our Swedish Recipes page you will find an example recipe from several of our most popular recipe books, each with a link to the specific recipe book located in our online store.
Herring Salad (Sillsallad)
From the Recipe Book: Swedish Recipes
1 salt herring or 2 Matjes herring fillets in wine-flavored sauce
1 1/2 C diced boiled potatoes
1 1/2 C diced pickled beets
1/4 C diced dill pickles
1/2 C diced apple
1/3 C finely chopped onion
4 T vinegar or liquid from pickled beets
2 T water
2 T sugar
Dash of pepper
2 hard-boiled eggs
If Matjes herring is used, no preparation except to be minced fine. If salt herring is used, clean fish, remove head, soak fish 10 to 12 hours, changing water several times so fish will not be too salty. Bone and fillet by cutting herring along backbone. Remove the big backbone and as many small ones as possible; pull off skin. The bones come out easily after the soaking. Dice fillets. Finely mince all the diced ingredients so the flavors will blend well. Mix them together gently but carefully. Combine vinegar, water, sugar and pepper; blend well. Gently stir into fish mixture. Pack into a 5-cup mold that has been rinsed with cold water or lightly greased with salad oil. Chill a few hours before serving. Unmold onto serving platter and garnish with hard-boiled eggs and chopped parsley. Serve with sour cream. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Norwegian Meat Filled Potato Cakes
From the Recipe Book: Norwegian Recipes
6 C cooled mashed potatoes
1 egg
1 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 minced onion
1/4 lb finely cubed pork
Mix first 4 ingredients together. Roll out on a floured board. Cut in cakes 1/2" thick. Brown meat and onion in hot fat in a skillet. Place mixture on half of the cakes. Cover with other half. Press edges together. Boil 2 quarts salted water and drop in cakes. Boil 10 - 12 minutes.
Semlor - Shrove Tuesday Buns
From the Recipe Book: Favorite Swedish Recipes - Edited by Selma Wifstrand
3 C flour
1/2 C lukewarm cream
1/2 C lukewarm water
1/2 C butter
1 yeast cake
4 T sugar
Filling:
1/2 C blanched almonds, ground
2-3 blanched bitter almonds, ground
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 egg white
1 cup cream, whipped
Make dough. Dissolve yeast cakes in 1/2 cup lukewarm milk. Mix remaining milk, sugar, salt, butter and cardamom seeds and small amount of flour; beat smooth. Add yeast and remaining flour, beating with wooden spoon until smooth and firm. Sprinkle dough with small amount of flour, cover with clean towel and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours. Turn onto lightly floured baking board and knead until smooth.
Shape dough into 12 balls. Arrange side by side on well buttered baking sheet, cover with towel and allow to rise. Brush with beaten egg and bake in hot oven (425 degrees F) until brown. Cool on towel.
Mix ground almonds, sugar, egg white and a little water; work until smooth. cut tops off buns, spread with paste and add tablespoon of whipped cream. Replace tops. Dust with powdered sugar.
Serve as dessert in deep individual dishes with hot milk, sugar and cinnamon.
Ostkaka
From the Recipe Book: Our Beloved Sweden - Food, Faith, Flowers & Festivals
1/3 cup milk, lukewarm
1 rennet tablet
1 gallon whole milk, heated
1 C flour
2 C milk (for flour mixture)
6 eggs
1 1/3 cups cream
1 1/3 cups sugar
Heat the 1/3 cup of milk to lukewarm. Add the rennet tablet to this to dissolve. Heat the gallon of whole milk to 100 degrees F. Mix the flour with the remaining 2 cups of milk to form a paste. Add the "paste" to the heated whole milk. Then add the milk (in which the rennet has dissolved) to the heated whole milk. Stir until the milk begins to curdle. Set aside until it forms firm curds, and then drain off 2 quarts of whey.
Beat the eggs and add the cream and sugar. Add this mixture to the curds, and stir. Pour the entire mix into a pan and bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Then lower the temperature and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.
Serve topped with lingonberries or with "kram".
Andover Lutheran Church - Windom, KS
Swedish Meatballs - Köttbullar
From the Recipe Book:
Superbly Swedish - Recipes & Traditions
1 T chopped onion
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2/3 cup water, milk or cream
3/4 lb ground beef
1/4 lb ground pork
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
Sauté onion in butter. Soak bread crumbs in water, milk or cream. Add remaining ingredients. Shape into small balls. Fry in hot butter. Serves 4 as a main dish. May be frozen in a casserole dish and baked, unthawed, at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Add water or gravy to casserole before freezing.
Norwegian Butter Cookies
From the Recipe Book: Lutheran Church Basement Women
3/4 C butter
1/2 C sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 C flour
3/4 C cornstarch
Melt butter and cool until lukewarm, add sugar and beat well. Add well beaten egg, vanilla and dry ingredients sifted together. Drop by spoonfuls 2 or 3 inches apart. Bake 16 to 18 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Christmas Rice Pudding (Julgrot)
From the Recipe Book:
Sweden's Regional Recipes
2 quarts water
1 C uncooked rice
2 T butter or margarine
5 C milk
1 tsp salt
2 T sugar
1 blanched, whole almond
cinnamon sugar
Bring the water to a boil; add the rice, stir, and allow to simmer for about 2 minutes. Drain off the water and add the butter. Pour the milk into a double boiler; stir in the salt and sugar and add the rice. Cover. Cook about 2 hours, or until rice is tender and milk is absorbed.
Stir in the single almond. pour pudding into individual serving dishes. (The almond should not be visible.) Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Serve warm or cold, with milk. Serves 8.
Swedish Tea Ring (Vetekrans)
From the Recipe Book:
The Great Scandinavian Baking Book
2 packages active dry yeast
1 C warm water, 105 degrees F to 115 degrees F
1/2 C melted butter
1/2 C sugar
3 slightly beaten eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
4 to 4 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C softened butter
1/2 C sugar
1 T ground cinnamon
1 C blanched almonds, finely chopped (optional)
Glaze:
1 C powdered sugar
2 T hot coffee or milk
1/2 tsp almond extract
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in the 1/2 cup melted butter, 1/2 cup sugar, the eggs, salt, cardamom, and 4 cups flour until dough is smooth. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.
Turn dough onto a floured board and roll out to make a 20 - 24 inch square. Spread with a thin layer of softened butter right to the edge. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon and sprinkle over the butter. Sprinkle the almonds over the cinnamon sugar. Roll up as for a jelly roll.
Grease a baking sheet and place the roll on the sheet, shaping it into a ring. Pinch ends together to close the circle. With scissors, cut almost through the ring at 1/2 inch intervals. Turn each piece so that the cut side is exposed. Let rise until almost doubled.
Preheat oven to 375º F. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until just golden. While ring bakes, mix the glaze ingredients. Brush while hot with the glaze.
Dilled Potato Salad
From the Recipe Book: Scandinavian Cooking
Dill Dressing:
6 medium potatoes, peeled, cooked, chilled, sliced
2 T chopped green onion
2 T chopped fresh parsley
1/2 C diced pickled beets
2 T chopped chives or green onion tops
Dill Dressing:
2 T white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/4 tsp dried dill weed or to taste
6 T vegetable oil
Prepare Dill Dressing; set aside. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, green onion, parsley, beets, and chives or green onion tops. Pour dressing over potato mixture; toss to distribute. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Makes 6 servings.
Dill Dressing: In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Beat with a whisk until blended.
Swedish Rusks
From the Recipe Book:
Var Så God
Heritage and Favorite Recipes & Handbook of Swedish Traditions
2 C sugar
1 C butter
2 eggs
3 1/2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 C cream
20 cardamom seeds, crushed
1 C chopped almonds
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Put into a 9 x 13 pan which has been greased and lined with wax paper. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes until lightly browned. Turn pan upside down onto foil lined cookie sheet. Cool and cut in thin slices - divide pan into fourths and then cut each strip into slices about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Toast in 250 degree F oven about 3 hours. Watch carefully. Store in tightly covered container. Keep a long time if they last that long!
Poached Freshwater Salmon
From the Recipe Book: Scandinavian Feasts
Fresh Dill
6 (1 lb) whole freshwater salmon or trout, or
3 lb fish fillets (each fillet should not exceed 1/2 pound in weight or 1 inch in thickness)
1 C dry white wine or clam, fish, or chicken broth
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 C sour cream
Dill sprigs and lemon wedges, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a shallow 9 x 13 inch baking dish with fresh dill. Place the fish, side by side, on top of the dill. Pour the wine (or broth) over the fish and sprinkle with the lemon juice and salt. Cover tightly with foil. (You can do this step 1 day ahead of time and refrigerate.)
Bake the fish for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily when probed with a fork. Let cool slightly, then pull off the skin. Strain the juices and boil them down until reduced to 1/2 cup. mix in the sour cream.
to serve chilled, cover and refrigerate the fish for 2 hours or until ready to serve. Chill the sour cream sauce before serving.
To serve hot, arrange the fish fillets on a warm platter and serve with the warm sour cream sauce.
Garnish the fish with additional dill sprigs and lemon wedges.
6 servings.
Swedish Glögg Vinglögg
6 3/4 C Burgundy (15 dl)
3 1/4 C Port Wine (7.5 dl)
2 1/2 C Vodka (6 dl)
7/8 C Whisky
1 T Whole Clove
1/2 tsp Whole Cardamom
3 pieces stick cinnamon
Rind from 2 oranges (washed)
1 1/4 C Sugar
Mix the ingredients together in a large crock pot and simmer (do not boil) for approximately 4 hours. As a substitute for the spices listed above, you may use our Grandpa Lundquist's Swedish Glögg Spices.