Tobias' Kokos bollar, (coconut balls) vegan, gluten free, sugar free

 Kokos bollar are a wonderfully calorific treat from sweden that I have grown up with, they consist of butter, sugar, chocolate and a little bit of booze, basically all the naughty things that eventually contribute to a kardashian bottom, as if this little ball is not bad enough a bakery would usually serve this spherical treat with lashings of whipped double cream. Don't get me wrong I am not about to bad mouth one half of my culinary roots, it's naughty food sure, but every once in a while it can be a treat. 
 My current situation is that I am fighting an uphill battle against the bulge, even more unfortunate is that I live with two absolute freaks of nature who can pretty much each anything that they desire and never gain an ounce. It is a difficult thing to eat healthily in a house full of cake loving midnight scoffers, especially when I love food in all its guises, I live to eat not eat to live. 
I really felt like I need to come up with a little sweet treat containing only natural good foods, something that you would not require a lot of in order to appease a sweet craving, but something that is so delicious that even my sugar addicted family would also appreciate, ridding myself of all temptation and the dreaded kardashian bottom! I decided to adapt this Swedish recipe, making it vegan for a start, no dairy, no gluten, no sugar (sounds scrummy??) I have to say that everyone who has tried them so far has all said exactly the same thing, it tastes like a snickers bar, and it really does, now i'm not telling all you dieters out there to make these and eat a batch, but if you feel temptation is looming pop in one of these kokos bollar and you are good to go. Kids love them and even my cake-a-betic husband does too.

5 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter 

1.5 cups of rolled oats 

5 tbsp of agave nectar. This can be subbed with honey but it would not be vegan anymore.

a pinch of salt 

3 tbsp of cocoa powder

10 plump dates remove the pips please

1 tbsp of date syrup or you can substitute this with extra agave 

1 tbsp of left over black coffee 

1 cup of desiccated coconut 

Place all of the above ingredients into a food processor apart from the coconut and blitz until is looks like a dough, roll into small balls and then roll in desiccated coconut. Thats it!

The ultimate Swedish pancake

Serves 6 people

Makes 20 pancakes

For the pancakes

You will need:

3 large eggs

600ml of whole milk

1 tsp of salt

1 tbsp of caster sugar

1 tsp of vanilla extract

2 tablespoons of melted butter

275g of plain flour sieved.

Add all of the wet ingredients into a bowl and add the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl a bit at a time. Whisk until smooth.

In a pancake pan or non stick frying pan add a small knob of butter and a ladle full of the batter, cook on a medium heat. Flip the pancake when the underside is golden. Cook the other side for a further minute. Repeat until the batter has gone.

Normally in Sweden we would fill our pancakes with whipped cream and jam, but the english half of me always sticks to golden syrup.

Swedish fish gratäng (Swedish Fish Pie)

My very Swedish mother has had, and always will have a vendetta against all ready meals, she would swiftly walk past the frozen meal section uttering expletives under her breath, but bizarrely despite her huge hatred for all things pre-packaged she had a weakness, a chink in her scratch cooked armour.... Fisk Gratang, not just any Fisk Gratang, FINDUS fisk gratang. I know exactly what you are thinking, and believe me I questioned her motives many times, but even I have to say it is the one ready meal that is absolutely delicious. 
 Like I have mentioned before, as a child my mother would use me as her Swedish food mule, her suitcase would be filled with our clothes and my suitcase would be filled to the brim with Swedish food, you name it we had it, and believe me we always and I mean ALWAYS had fisk Gratang. So you can only imagine my mothers joy when in the late 90's her Swedish friend called to alert her that Findus had started to sell fisk Grantang in Sainsbury's supermarket, my mother hot wheeled the car so fast and literally filled up a trolley with every pack of the fisk gratang that the freezer could hold, she even asked if they had any more in the back. 
 Sadly the Fisk Gratang gravy train had to stop sometime, and despite my mothers efforts to double Findus's sales, narrowly bankrupting my father in the process, they stopped selling it, and my mother went back to muttering expletives in the frozen ready meal section. This is why I have spent a long time trying to re-create the exact Fisk Gratang just how my mother remembers it.
 This is a version of a fish pie, but it is much much lighter despite the copious amounts of double cream, it is easier to make than a British fish pie, and I'm sorry I have to say it, it is far far better. 
 Once you try this Swedish Fish Gratin I fear that you may actually turn your back on the humble British fish Pie, so don't Say I didn't tell you so!!! I recently cooked this recipe for my mother, I think I saw a tear in her eye when she tasted it, job well done I think.

For the fish stock:
The prawn peelings from the 200g of north atlantic cooked prawns
1 tsp salt
187ml bottle white wine
300ml fish stock (water with two know fish stock pots)
A few fennel sprigs
1large shallot
10 white pepper corns

To finish the sauce:

300ml of the fish stock that we made earlier
50g butter, flour
200ml milk
225ml double cream
3/4 tsp salt
25g chopped dill
2tsp mustard
20 ml lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp mild paprika

Duchess potatoes:
3 very large potatoes
150g of butter
100ml of milk
100ml of double cream

1 tsp Maldon sea salt

4 egg yolks

1 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg

For the Filling:
500g cod loin
200g North atlantic prawns with the peel on

 Peel and cube the potatoes and boil them in well salted water until they are very tender.
 Meanwhile place all the stock items into a pot and reduce it down by a third, it is important that the peelings from the prawns including the heads are in the stock pot. Strain the stock through a sieve, you should have roughly 300ml of stock.
 In another pan start the sauce by melting the butter and flour together to create a rue, add the stock a little at a time, whisking as you go, it is just like making a white sauce, once the stock has been used up then add the milk and double cream, when the sauce is smooth add all of the other ingredients for the sauce, mustard, dill, lemon juice and zest, salt and paprika(for colour), whisk until smooth, set to one side.

 Next pass the potatoes through a potato ricer or mash them as finely as possible, place a pan on the heat and add the butter, milk and cream, then the potatoes, then the egg yolks one at a time, continue to mash or stir until the potatoes almost seem gluey. Finish with salt, pepper and the nutmeg. Place the potatoes into a large food piping bag with a large nozzle ready to decorate the pie.
 Butter a Medium sized pie dish, roughly 15cm by 20cm. Slice the Cod loin into inch thick slices and place the fish on one level, overlapping slightly, season with a little salt, then top with the peeled prawns, then the sauce.
Pipe the potato around the edges, making sure that a space in the middle is left uncovered.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes at 180 degrees c until golden and bubbling. 

Linda Lomelino's No Bake Strawberry cheesecake

I Love the Swedish way of life, always at one with nature and of course thinking practically. Swedes always have a simple solution to everything, whether it is organisation, kitchen gadgets, homewares etc, I always feel like they are one step ahead of us Brits. I remember my mother bringing home a cheese slicer from Sweden when I was just a tot because they simply did not sell them in England, now they are everywhere, I digress, the point I am trying to make is that style and practicality is a trait that comes naturally to Swedes. I love getting inspiration from fellow foodies but I have to admit that I am tough to please, I am always the worst critic, mainly because I am such a perfectionist when it comes to my own food, but sometimes I need to give respect where it is due and without a doubt Linda Lomelino is a true master. Her stunning cakes and desserts almost look too pretty to eat ALMOST! Each recipe she had created looks so effortless but always very chic, the decorations that she uses are always a natural visual enhancer to the concept of her recipes. 
 Incase you are wondering if it is style over substance I can assure you it is not, I first made her "No-bake cheesecake" exactly as the recipe stated, but if you are a regular reader you will know that I am always tweaking recipes but only very slightly, the original recipe called for a traditional cheesecake base of digestives and butter but I decided to use shortbread and substitute butter for White chocolate, strawberries and shortbread are a natural pairing and the white chocolate binds the biscuit crumbs whilst adding sweetness and vanillary goodness to the base. SUCCESS!! I urge you to look her up.
http://call-me-cupcake.blogspot.co.uk/

For the base:
Ingredients:
340g of short bread fingers
100g of green and blacks white chocolate (melted)
1 tsp of vanilla bean paste

For the filling:
400ml of double cream
300g of soft cream cheese
250g of mascarpone cheese
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
200g of fresh strawberries
190g of caster sugar
1 tbsp of runny honey
the zest of one lime
the juice of two limes

You will need an eight inch spring form cake tin, grease and line the bottom of the tin with greaseproof or baking parchment.
Crush the biscuits until they are crumbs, you can either do this in a food processor or place the biscuits in a plastic bag, tie the top of the bag so that the biscuits do not come out and lightly bash with a rolling pin until fine. 
 Place the biscuit crumbs in a bowl and add the melted chocolate and vanilla, mix well until all the crumbs are coated and then press it into the bottom of the cake tin until you have an even covering.

Next blend the strawberries, lime juice, zest and sugar in a food processor or with a hand blender until fully smooth. In a Large bowl mix the double cream, cream cheese, mascarpone, honey and vanilla in a bowl, whisk until light and fluffy then whisk in the strawberry puree mixture until fully incorporated. 

Pour the filling into the cake tin and place in the freezer for at least five hours or until fully set, remove from the freezer 20-30 minutes before serving. Decorate with seasonal fruits and flowers.

Swedish meatballs

 This is one post I could not resist to share with you, Swedish meatballs, especially since Tonight the Euro vision song contest is not only held in Sweden but is held in Malmo where all my family are from.

I have wanted to share my very very old family recipe for Swedish meatballs for quite sometime but thought that this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

 In Sweden it is not only a family favourite but also a fast food.   Meatballs are served as fast food in kiosks all over the country, after a heavy night out you may be tucking into a greasy burger or kebab whilst Swedes munch on this spherical goodness and are always served in the same format, meatballs, mash, gravy and lingon berry sauce, NOT CHIPS!!!! Sorry to ruin the illusion that the famous furniture flat packer has bestowed upon you but meatballs and mash belong together. Do not think in anyway shape or form that these are any thing like Ikea meatballs, for one thing they are packed with far more flavour and are totally horse free, I kid of course. The thing is about meatballs is that they are not only a celebratory dish or a home cooked meal, they are served cold in sandwiches. It is fair to say that in Sweden the meatball is King. 

 I grew up knowing that as least once or twice a week I would have meatballs and mash for my supper. Such a love has developed for the spherical meaty goodness that the English side of my family demand meatballs must be served alongside the turkey on Christmas day, that’s right my friends, such is the power of the ball that it has found its way onto our table and into our hearts. 

 This recipe is the genuine article, this was my great grandmother’s recipe that has been passed from generation to generation until finally the meaty torch has been passed to me. Fortunately for you I cannot keep a secret. Each person who has come into contact with the holy grail of meatballs has put their own twist on it to make the recipe their own. For instance my mother uses half pork and half beef, my grandmother would sometimes use veal mince, but I prefer all beef and lots of chopped dill, also the way that I make the meatballs is a little less complicated. I do think that this is the quintessential Swedish recipe and is synonymous with Sweden, as well as beautiful blond women, Abba, and naughty videos.  There is absolutely no point in making a small batch, this is a dish to be shared with family and friends and always served with lingon berry sauce.

You will need:

For the meat balls:

1.25kg of beef mince (not lean because you need the fat)

150g of fresh white breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp of all spice

325g of  white onions blended in the food processor 

5 tbsp of freshly chopped dill

2 large eggs

4 tsp of swedish piffi Krydda or 3 tsp of all purpose seasoning

50g of butter

1 tsp of cracked black pepper

1 tsp of dijon mustard

Firstly preheat the oven to 180 degrees c and line a couple of baking trays with foil. Blend the white onions in the food processor until it is almost a paste, place half of the paste into a bowl, and the other half into a frying pan with the butter. Fry the onions in a frying pan with the butter and 5 tbsp of chopped dill, fry until the onions are soft and are starting to colour, set aside to cool. In a very large bowl mix the minced beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, raw onion paste, all spice, black pepper, piffi krydda or all purpose seasoning, dijon and the cooled onion and dill paste, mix by hand until throughly combined.

Roll the meatballs into ping pong sized balls and place onto the prepared baking trays leaving a little space between them. I have found this is the easiest way to cook them whilst retaining all of the flavour. My mother usually fries the meatballs in butter in batches, I find this very time consuming and makes the balls fattier than they have to be. Bake the meat balls for twenty minutes until throughly cooked through. When they are cooked place them to one side.

For the Sauce:

500ml of beef stock (you can use gel stock pots)

300ml of double cream

50g of butter

50g of flour

1 tbsp of worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp of chopped dill

2 tsp of piffi krydda or all purpose seasoning

2 heaped tsp of  white sugar

1 tbsp of honey dijon

maldon sea salt to taste

cracked black pepper to taste

The cooking juice from the meatballs

 On a medium heat melt the butter in a large sauce pan and add the flour, stir it until is becomes a paste and the flour is cooked out and then add the beef stock little by little whisking as you go to create a smooth sauce. When the sauce is smooth add the cream, honey dijon, piffi krydda, sugar, worcestershire sauce, and the cooking juice from the meatballs, whisk together until the sauce is slightly thick and can coat the back of a spoon. Add the dill and then taste the sauce for seasoning, I would at this point season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked meatballs to the large sauce pan and heat through. Simply perfect.

Schwarzwaldtårta

For years now my Mother has told me all about the legendary Schwarzwald cake, she has raved to the point of near exhaustion (my exhaustion that is) about how this is the cake of all Swedish cakes, but when I asked her what the recipe was for this culinary spectacular she simply said "I don't know, I've never made it". WHAT? I have spent the best part of my adult life being told about this cake only to be told that there is no recipe? This is when the real mission began. I gathered as much information from Swedish recipe books and from my mother to find out what it is that makes this cake so damn amazing!
 My Swedish grandmother who is a fantastic cook and gives my mum a serious run for her money, said that this was her favourite cake, that is very very big talk coming from the two heavy weight cooks in my family, so that was it, I had not make it. This cake literally is pure praline, and is a hazelnut lovers delight, irresistible to squirrels, and of course my Cake-a-betic Husband! Hazelnut meringue, praline filling and chocolate ganache, I ask you could there be anything better? The short answer would be NO!

You will need (for the 4 meringues)
200g ground hazelnuts
275g caster sugar
6 egg whites




(for the praline filling)
300ml of double cream
250g of nutella

(for the ganache)
300ml of single cream
200g of dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids
1/4 tsp of maldon salt
4 tbsp of golden syrup

You will also need a small handful of whole hazelnuts
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees
Melt all of the ganache ingredients together on a low heat and set aside

Start by drawing four eight inch circles onto parchment paper (draw around a cake tin), then turn the parchment over so the biro will not transfer onto the meringues. Whisk the egg whites until they start to come to a firm peak, add the sugar little by little until you are left with a glossy meringue mixture, fold in the ground hazelnuts until just combined. Spread each parchment disc with the meringue mixture, it looks like it will not get there but it will and it does not matter that it is thin as they will puff up. Place the meringues onto a baking tray and then bake for 15-20 minutes until they are golden and crisp.

For the filling whip up the double cream and nutella together until it reaches firm peak stage.

When the meringues are cooled remove the parchment paper. On a cake platter place two sheets of greaseproof paper so the edges meet in the middle of the platter (this will make the platter easier to clean once decorated) place the first meringue onto the platter and on top of the greaseproof, spread a third of the filling onto the meringue and then place the next meringue on top. Top with another third of the filling and then place the third meringue on top, spread the last third of the filling to the edges of the third layer and then top with the final meringue.

 Pour the ganache over the meringue sandwich and let it drip down the sides, place into a fridge for an hour until it had set. Slowly pull the two pieces of greaseproof from under the cake to reveal a clean platter, TAH DAH!! Finally chop a small amount of whole hazelnuts and scatter them on top of the ganache. SUBLIME!!!

Nutty Heaven

Husbands crack

Didn't last two minutes

Tosca Kaka

 Tosca Kaka is another classic from the Swedish Bageriet, and a childhood classic for me. It consists of a light fluffy vanilla sponge topped with caramelised flaked almonds that sets to create a crunchy topping. Most Tosca cakes are usually served as is, but my mother would always dip the edges in chocolate which is shamefully good. I have to admit that when I was younger I would often bite off the chocolate and almonds and leave the cake, it was my moment to experience a true sugar rush without getting into trouble for it. 

Bizarrely my mother would never allow me to have sweets or too much chocolate, it was a once weekly ration for me, though she did not mind me eating the odd cake, as long as it was Swedish and baked by her of course. I think that baking is truly a skill and lightness of touch is a natural gift, my mother has this in spades full, despite my mothers clapped out oven that always cooked quicker on one side than the other she always managed to turn out the most spectacular cakes, as light as a cloud. I hope I did her cake justice, the best part about this cake is that it is eaten with your hands, there is no side that does not stick to your fingers, what's not to like about chocolaty caramely nutty fingers? No manners required for a Tosca cake!!

You will need:

for the cake

100g of cooled melted butter

150g of caster sugar

3 eggs

175g of self raising flour

60ml of double cream

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp of vanilla extract

For the topping:

150g of caster sugar

100g of butter

2 tbsp of plain flour

2 tbsp of milk

100g of flaked almonds

100g of milk or dark chocolate melted

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees c and butter and line a 9 inch spring form cake pan. In a bowl whisk the eggs and the sugar until they are voluminous and are at ribbon stage (they leave a trail when you hold up the whisk) fold in half the sifted flour and baking powder, then the butter, vanilla and double cream and then the other half of the flour and baking powder, mix until just combined as you do not want to over work the batter. Decant the batter into the lined baking tin and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.

In a small saucepan add all the topping ingredients apart from the chocolate and cook on a low heat until the mixture becomes thick and all the ingredients have cohered together. Remove the cake from the oven, working quickly and lightly spread the almond mixture on the top of the cake and return back to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes until the topping in brown and toasted. 

Remove from the oven and leave the cake to cool entirely. Remove the cake from the pan and using a pastry brush paint the edges with the melted chocolate, you may have to go over it a few times. If you wish you can drizzle melted chocolate over the top too for extra chocolaty flavour.