Recipes

Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark and International Church of Copenhagen

Denmark is made up of the Jutland peninsula, bordering Germany, and nearly 500 islands. The country is blessed with fertile grasslands and a moderate climate, and more than 70% of the country is farmland. Farming is an important profession in Denmark. According to the National Geographic Picture Atlas of Our World, young farmers must earn a farmer’s license before they can purchase land. Denmark is famous for its agricultural exports, including cheese, butter, and ham. Those of you who grew up with someone of Danish heritage in your family or who lived in a community with Danish roots have likely been fortunate enough to sample Danish baked goods.

Buttered Bread Smørrebrød Serves as many as you prepare for! The word "smorgasbord," from the Swedish smörgåsbord is more familiar to most people in the U.S. than is the Danish term for these open-faced sandwiches. According to Beatrice Ojakangas in her beautiful book Scandinavian Feasts (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1992), the term literally means "buttered bread," and that’s what you start with. Smørrebrød is often served as a Sunday evening supper, using up leftovers. Of course, you can go to many restaurants in Copenhagen that make a splendid buffet of these open-faced sandwiches that go well beyond leftovers. One idea to do with children is to involve them in preparing a Smørrebrød for the congregation. Choose 4 or 5 types of sandwiches to offer, counting on 2 to 3 sandwiches per adult. The bread slices should be buttered and the toppings should completely cover the sandwich, with any meat or cheese slices hanging over the edge. The sandwiches are eaten with a knife and fork, not the fingers. Serve with relish trays of carrots and celery sticks, coffee, fruit juice and perhaps some Danish butter cookies for dessert. Ideas for sandwiches: (see Scandinavian Feast for additional ideas) On French bread slices: scrambled eggs topped with tiny shrimp; sardines with sliced tomatoes or sliced stuffed olives; tuna with thin slices of sweet pickle; thin slices of sagablu or other blue cheese with thin slices of tomato; nutella spread with grated coconut; peanut butter with drizzled honey and Durkee onions (not traditional). On rye or pumpernickel slices: smoked salmon with a tiny spot of sour cream and a dill sprig; thin slices of ham and Danish havarti cheese with a touch of mustard; sliced roast pork with thinly sliced pickled beets; roast beef with Durkee onions and dill pickles; egg salad with bread and butter pickles

Danish Apple Cake Aeblekage (AY-bil Ka-guh) Serves 16 Preheat oven to 400F 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter 5 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples (app. 2 pounds) 3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons butter, melted 3 eggs 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Butter an 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom or a 9 x 9 x 2-inch square cake pan. Beat together 3/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl until blended. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. Combine flour and baking powder in a small bowl. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture to make a rather stiff batter. Spread into prepared pan. Peel apples. Halve lengthwise and core. Place each half flat-side down. Cut each half cross-wise into 1/4-inch slices, but keep slices together in shape of the apple. Press apple halves, one at a time, flat-side down, into batter in pan, spacing evenly. Leave 1 inch of batter exposed in center. Brush apples with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden and apples are tender when pierced. Serve warm with ice cream for a dessert, or serve as a coffee cake, offering coffee, tea and herbal teas.