Tribute to Finnish superfoods

Whipped porridges are quite common Finnish dishes, like porriges overall, and usually these whipped versions are made of semolina. The berries varies a lot, but the most favourite ones are lingonberry and redcurrant. But you can use any berries you like. The dish is often served as a dessert, with cold milk, since it is sweet. Altough, it can easily be a light lunch or breakfast as well, especially if the amount of sugar is reduced.

Today I wanted to prepare whipped porridge for light lunch, because we have done nothing but eaten all weekend. We celebrated our friend's 40th birthday and had so many nice breakfasts, lunches and dinners. So today it was good idea to eat a bit lighter... Instead of semolina I chose more healthier option for the flour, I used rye. And for berries, my preference is always bilberry. I just love them. So Finnish and so healthy!

If you haven't tried this dish yet, I really recommend to do so. What could be more Finnish than this?? A real superfoods!

Whipped Blueberry Rye Porridge
for 4 person
1 l water
pinch of salt
0,5 l blueberries (preferably bilberries)
100 ml sugar (optional, if you like sweet. I didn't use any)
300 ml rye flour

Boil the water in a pot, add salt and bilberries. Bring to a boil. Start adding rye flour whipping at the same time to avoid clods. After all flour has been added, cook over low heat 15 minutes. Let it cool.
Using mixer, whip the porridge until fluffy and light.
Enjoy with cold milk!

It's rhubarb time!

Rhubarb is one of the first season foods at spring. At least here in Finland. Every year I decide to make pie or a cake, and most of the times I try something new. This year I found recipe that sounded so good from the maganize of Glorian Ruoka & Viini. One of the ingredients was Bailey's and that was all it needs to convince me. It had to be good, - and it really was!

The cake itself is quite dry and it crumbles easily, but I enjoyed it still. Maybe next time I moisten the cake with something, e.g. with Bailey's...

Rhubarb-cheesecake
75 ml potato flour 
1 tsp baking powder 
100 ml almond flour 
3 eggs 
175 ml sugar 
Rhubarb compote 
2 leaves of gelatine 
250 g of rhubarb 
200 ml sugar for jam (hillosokeri) 
25 ml water 
0.5 tsp cardamom 
Brittle 
50 g butter 
75 ml sugar 
100 g almond flakes 
2 tsp corn starch 
2 tbsp double cream 
Rhubarb and cheese filling 
4 leaves of gelatine 
200 g of marcarpone 
100 ml cream liqueur (eg. Bailey's) 
200 ml whipping cream 
Rhubarb compote 
 
Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees.  
Grease the pan with butter . Make the cake base. Sift the potato flour and baking powder into the almond flour. Whip the eggs and sugar until fluffy and light. Gently invert the flour mixture to the egg-sugar mixture. Pour the batter into the cake pan (diameter 18-20 cm) and cook 30-35 minutes. Take the cake from the oven and let it cool. The cake will fall slightly during cooling. 
Rhubarb compote
Put the gelatine leaves in cold water. Peel the rhubarb if needed, and chop them in a pot. Add the sugar, water and cardamom. Bring to a boil and skim the surface. Let it simmer until the rhubarb is tender, about 10 minutes. Squeeze the water out of the gelatin and mix them in a bowl with compote. Let it cool.  
Brittle
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Apply the mixture on a baking tray with baking paper and bake in a 200 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the maturation of brittle, so that the sheet edges do not burn. Take a brittle from the oven and allow to cool. 
Filling 
Make the filling, after the rhubarb compote has cooled down. Put the gelatine leaves in cold water. Mix the Mascarpone and cream liqueur in a bowl. Whip the cream and mix it with cheese mixture. Squeeze the gelatin and mix with boiling water 2 tablespoons hot water so that the gelatin will melt. Stir the gelatine into the filling. Add rhubarb compote and stir just a little bit, if you want it to have the rhubard compote strips. You can also mix the filling until smooth. 

Remove the cake from the pan and cut it into two parts. Wash the pan and stretch the new baking paper on the bottom of it (you can also assemble the cake directly serving platform, so that you only need a springform tin edges). Lift the lower slice of the cake tin. If the cake base has shrunk slightly during cooling, make the cake tins baking paper slightly higher strips and roll them along the edges of the cake to support the cheese mass. Attach the ends of the strips of paper to each other even if the paper clip. Pour the filling into baking dish. Lift the top base of the cake on top of the filling. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and move to the refrigerator. You can (and should) do this cake a day before serving. Decorate with brittle and powdered sugar. 

Enjoy the cake with nice cup of coffee and Bailey's or with sparkling wine!