December 18, 2018

For our 18th calendar surprise, we have a Yule dessert recipe from Miss Lina! 's a sweet apple treat with an interesting background story.

Tilslørte bondepiker - Veiled peasant girls

Apples are lovely in many hobbit dishes, not least Brockenborings apple brandy. However, since the shirrif will likely put me in the lockhouse if I make the brandy recipe public, here's a slightly more innocent thing to make for the yule tide.
So, yer want a simple, yet ever so tasty yule dessert? Look no further than tilslørte bondepiker (veiled peasant girls)

This is a traditional Scandinavian dessert, although you'll find variations of it elsewhere too. It consists of layers of mashed apples, caramelized breadcrumbs and whipped cream. There are probably lots of explanations as to why the dish got its name. The apples might be the peasant girls covered under a veil of whipped cream. Here in Norway, at least, legends has it that it is related to a philologist called Ivar Aaasen. He is most famous for having assembled (from dialects) one of the two official written versions of the Norwegian language, Nynorsk. Far less known is the fact that he was madly in love with a local girl who made these lovely desserts from apples and cream. One day, the girl offered him a taste of her sweets, which made Aasen cheer up considerably and hope the best for the night ahead. When he found out that nothing else was on the menu than the apple dessert, he was so disappointed he called the dish "veiled peasant girls".

Here's how you can make the dessert, about four serving portions:

Apple mash:
4 apples (firm and slightly acidic)
4 tblspoons sugar
0.5 dl water

Caramelized breadcrumbs:
6 tblspoons crumbs from dry bread or rusks
2 tlbspoons butter
2 tblspoons sugar
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

Whipped cream:
3 dl heavy whipping cream
Optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

You need ca 2 dl of mashed apples. You can buy that in the store, or alternatively make it yourself with the ingredients above. Peel the apples, remove the cores, then slice into cubes. Add the apple cubes in a cooking pot with the sugar and the water. Boil until the apples are tender and start mushing up. Cool before use.

To prepare the breadcrumbs, melt the butter and the sugar in a pan. Add the breadcrumbs and sizzle well until crunchy (but be careful not to burn it). Sprinkle with cinnamon, stir, and set aside to cool.

To serve, whip the cream until nice and fluffy. Either use individual small bowls/glasses or one huge serving bowl. Add layers of apple mash, caramelized crumbs and whipped cream. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of crumbs, alternatively add some sliced almonds on the top for good measure. If you want something green, add a leaf or two of lemon balm.

Serve more or less immediately. If you wait too long after layering up, the crumbs will lose their crispy crunch. It'll still taste good, though!

Picture from: Opplysningskontoret for brød og korn