the authentic nut

 Loaded Oatmeal Cookies Adapted from here 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 1 3/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 egg  1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup coconut 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1/2 cup butterscotch chips 2/3 cup walnut pieces 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In a large bowl mix together oats, flour, baking powder, and baking soda. 3. In another large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Blend egg and vanilla.  4. Blend flour mixture into butter mixture and then fold in coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and walnut pieces. 5. Scoop heaped tablespoon fulls onto baking sheet, spaced about 3” apart, and then flatten slightly. 6. Bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Let sit on pan for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. Serve & enjoy! Makes 35-40 cookies.

Pastry Cream Whether I’m in need of a quick filling for a cake or tart, or whipping up some Eclairs, Profiteroles, Bee Sting Cake or Skolebrød, this is my go-to pastry cream recipe! Adapted from Joy of Baking 3 egg yolks* 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 1/4 cups milk (whole or 2%) 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup whipped cream (optional) 1. In a heatproof bowl mix together sugar and egg yolks. Sift together the flour and cornstarch and add to the egg mixture, mixing until a smooth paste forms. 2. In a saucepan bring the milk just to a boil, until it’s foamy. Remove from heat and slowly drizzle into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. 3. Place the mixture back over medium heat and cook until boiling and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Transfer pastry cream into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, touching the surface of the cream. 4. Cool mixture to room temperature and then keep refrigerated until needed, up to 3 days. Stir before using to break up any clumps. For a lighter pastry cream fold in 1/2 cup whipped cream to cooled pastry cream. *Freeze the egg whites for a later date! Info here.

Fastelavnsboller (Cream Bun) Sweet Dough: 1 package quick rise yeast 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4 cup warm water (110°F) 1 cup warm milk (110°F) 50 grams butter, softened 40 grams sugar Pinch salt 2 eggs 550 grams flour Filling: 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 3 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding powder 1/3 cup icing sugar Topping: icing sugar 1. In a small bowl combine the yeast with 1 teaspoon sugar and warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 5-10 minutes. 2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix warm milk, butter, sugar and pinch salt, until the sugar has dissolved. Add eggs and yeast mixture, combining well.  3. Add the flour and mix well. The dough will be very sticky. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30-40 minutes. 4. Deflate dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Knead a few minutes and add flour as needed. Divide into 16 pieces, weighing 2 ounces each. Using floured hands, round each piece into a ball. 5. Place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, space at least 2” apart, about 8 per pan. Cover with damp towels and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. 6. Preheat oven to 375°F and brush tops of dough with eggwash. Bake sweet rolls until golden brown on top and browned on the bottom, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely before filling. 7. Using a stand or hand mixer, whip cream until soft peaks form. Add pudding powder followed by icing sugar, and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Place into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. 8. Cut buns in half using a serrated knife and pipe whipped cream filling in the middle. Place the top back on and dust with icing sugar. Serve & enjoy! Makes 16.

Custard Tarts Adapted from All Recipes 450 grams puff pastry 6 egg yolks 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon vanilla 1. Preheat oven to 375°F and grease regular muffin pan. Roll out puff pastry until about 1/4” thick, use a 4.5” round cookie cutter to cut out pieces of pastry to fit in the muffin cavities. 2. In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together milk, whipping cream, sugar, and cornstarch. Stir constantly until mixture is hot to the touch. 3. Slowly drizzle half of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks to temper them, whisk constantly. Slowly pour the egg yolk mixture back into the hot milk mixture and place saucepan back over the heat.  4. Cook and stir the custard until thickened, about 5 minutes. Drop custard by tablespoonfuls into the puff pastry cases. Bake 20 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and custard is lightly browned. 5. Cool tarts completely and then, if desired, chill for about 2 hours before serving. Serve and enjoy! Makes 1 dozen.

Bee Sting Cake (Bienenstich) I followed the recipe by Smitten Kitchen. Instead of baking one 9” round I bake my cakes in a jumbo muffin pan, giving me 6 cakes all together, although I probably could have made 8. I also added some whipped cream stabilized with instant vanilla pudding powder to my pastry cream. This cake is delicious and freezes well!

Butterscotch Bundt Cake 1 box yellow or vanilla cake mix 1 small* instant vanilla pudding 1 small instant butterscotch pudding 1/2 cup canola oil 1 1/4 cups water 4 eggs 1/2 cup butterscotch chips Ganache: 1 cup butterscotch chips 1 tablespoon butter, softened 1/3 cup whipping cream Topping: drizzle of caramel sauce whipped cream butterscotch chips 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 10” bundt pan.  2. In a large bowl whisk together cake mix, pudding mixes, canola oil, water, and eggs. Stir in butterscotch chips. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. 3. Bake cake 55-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cake cool for about 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. 4. Place butterscotch chips and butter in small mixing bowl. Heat cream in a small sauce pan until it comes to a boil. Pour over butterscotch chips and let sit 3 minutes. Whisk until smooth and let cool to thicken. 5. Top cake with ganache, a drizzle of caramel sauce, and sprinkle over a few butterscotch chips. Serve & enjoy! For mini bundt cakes, fill molds half full with batter and bake 20 minutes.*3.4 ounces, four 1/2 cup portions.