Latest thrift finds / Map, Tin, Cotton, Pattern

Thought I might show some finds from my lastest thrift shop rummage. Above is a framed old map over the nordic countries (with Latin names). Pretty happy about this one, since we really lack decorations for our walls, and my husband is very fond of maps. Need to hang it still, but our wall is concrete so it's easier said then done.

I also found a small baking tin with a nice triangular pattern, about 3 yards of turquoise cotton fabric for about 20 sek (3 usd) and a nice cape/coat/jacket Burda pattern (paid a measly 10 sek, 1,50 usd, for that one).

It was a good day.

The anatomy of a Semla / Semeldagen

Semla, here with intact top

Us Swedes seem to like having days designated to different sorts of bakery, we have waffle day, cinnamon bun day, and the most important of all, Semel day (Semeldagen/Fettisdagen). I don't know much about the other cases (I usually eat, content without knowing why precisely)  but this one has to do with being the last tuesday before the christian fast (which about not  many care about in Sweden, but we like our bakery).

Swedish blogs has been tattered with Semlor the last week, and Im gonna be no better. Bur for those of you not from these freezing bakery-goodness filled corner of the world i thought I'd present something helpful.

The Anatomy of the Semla!

Recipe? Ask Google, thats what I did.
Almond paste, I can tell you, is something close to marzipan, but with more almonds. Very easy to make your self with a food processor, 50% almonds, 50% sugar. Tada! Mine was store bought, because i didn't feel like it.

I am hereby placing my self in a bakery quarantine until further notice. I've become like Shirley the last couple of weeks...

Have a nice Semel evening!

Raspberry Sugar Cookies and Brownies - post Op baking

I get better each day, it's such a great feeling. The nausea is getting much better, and i have been able to do some knitting. Yesterday I ventured outside for the first time since the Op, all the way to the trash bin (although my knees where shaking afterwards). I even got some baking done , so a lot of things are possible with some well planned rest-sessions inbetween.

Raspberry Sugar Cookies - simple is often better

First, I made raspberry sugar cookies. It's just a basic batch of sugar cookie dough (without egg) such as this (for Swedes, I used this one)

* you roll it into small balls
* place them in paper baking cases/cups (not the giant muffin version)
* make a dent in the middle of each one and place a raspberry.

Bake for about 10 min (til' they looke nice and slightly brown) in 200° C  (approx 390° F)

I would say that is my best tip for sucess with these cookies, to go for whole raspberrys (frozen is fine) instead of (the traditional) jam. Jam tends to float out during baking and make them messy looking, and the cookies are sweet enough as it is.

I also made Brownies, something I'm not as familiar with. I used this recipe from Instructables.

Yummy Brownies from Instructables

They turned out fantastic, with the perfect gooeyness in the middle with a bit of crust on the edges. Mmmh.. They reminded me of the brownies my first longtime boyfriends mother used to make, a giant batch for all his firends. That, I think, really played into why we mosly hung around his place.

The recipe was a bit annoying since it was divided into pages, and the amounts where listed on the first page, and the instrucions on the following pages. But since the result was so good I forgive them.

I hade to bake it way longer than instructed, but I think that has to do more with our highly unpredictable oven than anything else.

That was yesterday. Today I have eaten them (not all of it...yet.), and made this blog post, and that is about it.

A lazy sunday with chocolate balls

It's been a slow sunday, partly because my husband gave me the loving gift of a cold.
On the up-side, when you have a cold you really deserve the no-bake godness that is Swedish chocholate balls.

100 g room tempered butter
100 ml sugar
300 ml oats
3 tabel spoons cacao
3 tabel spoons coffe (or water/milk)

Mix it all up, roll into balls, roll in pearl sugar or coconut flakes, put in the frindge for 1 hour or so.

Every Swede probably knows this inside out, it's the first thing you lern to bake as a kid since there is no oven or any other hot/sharp objects involved.

Now, back to watching Community.
Check out the other Sunday Pictures over at Fabriken

Todays project: baking

Today is spent baking for my mothers licentiate seminar on friday (Go mom!).
Biscotti and maple syrup cookies so far, chockolate cookies in the oven,

 The biscotti turned out a bit on the sweet side, but i guess it'll be fine with some black coffee (as us swedes tend to prefer it).
The Maple syrup cookies turned out great, the ones that i did not forget in the oven that is. Picture not included, i think that is for the best.

Almond Biscotti from Receptfavoriter.se