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500 g ground almonds
350 g icing sugar
3 tbsp (flat!) white flour
4 egg whites

Please make sure all your equipment is clean ( - including your hands)

Mix everything thoroughly

Any respectable Norwegian cake maker would be in possesion of a set of ‘ring-tins’ that would help shaping the cake - all though with a bit of extra care you can achieve perfect results without the tins. Even though the most common way to present the cake is as the picture illustrates - you can do it whichever way you desire.

Roll the dough out to a diameter of half an inch - and cut them to the required lenght. Use Icing Sugar as you roll out the dough (if you use tins DONT grease them - use only the Icing Sugar.

The next trick is to pay close attention as they are in the oven.
Every oven is different, but as a guide use 210 degrees (gasmark 7) for 10-12 minutes.
Place your tray in the middle of the oven.

If you leave them too short the cakes will be soggy - and too long leaves them dry.
Look for them to go a nice golden brown.

Most people put the cakes straight into a fridge from the oven as their trick to get soft-centered but crunchy perfect.
Take out to defrost and decorate as and when you intend to serve.

Mix Icing Sugar with Egg whites for the decoration (try adding a few drops of lemon juice)

200 g Sugar
100 m1 Single Cream
450 g white Flour
1/2 ts Cloves
1/2 ts Cinnamon
1/2 ts Ginger
1 ts Baking Powder
150 g Butter
100 ml Syrup

Mix together the Butter, Syrup in a pot.
Heat, while stirring, until the sugar melts.
Let mixture cool down.

Add the Cream, Spices, Baking Powder and most of the flour.
Mix thouroughly until it is all smooth.
Leave cold over night.

Roll the dough to a thickness of 3 millimeters.
Cut out whichever shapes you want (or just turn a glass upside down to make round shapes.

Put in the oven at 175 degrees for 10 mins.

800 g Fillet of Cod, steamed with a bit of salt
6 Potatoes, boiled
200 g Butter
2 small Onions, coarsley chopped
4 Spring Onions, coarsley chopped
Chives
Milk
Salt og pepper

Melt some butter in a caserole and and the Onions and Spring Onions to let it get ’shiny and soft’ - don’t let it go brown.
Squeeze the boiled potatoes (using your hands or any other means possible) and add them to the onions.
Stir - add half the butter and some Milk (or Cream)Cut the fish into inch cubes and add to the Onions and Potatoes mix.Stir - add the rest of the Butter and some more Milk/CreamSalt and Pepper to taste.

Serve with a dash of Chives on the top - and my own favourite is to have some pieces of bacon on the side…

Pinnekjøtt is salted, dried and sometimes smoked lamb’s ribs which are rehydrated, usually 12-24 hours in pure water
and then steamed, usually, but not necessarily, over birch branches, and served with potato and mashed swede.
Estimate 500 grams per serving.

Cut the ribs to separate them into individual ribs.

Let lie in cold water for 24 – 30 hours.
In a big casserole leave wire rack or twigs of birch (remove bark!) at the bottom and fill water to the height of the rack (or twigs).
Let it steam for about two - three hours. You might need to keep topping up with water as you don’t want it to run dry.
Some Norwegians would now brown the meat under a grill for a few minutes whilst others (most people) will just serve it with boiled potatoes, mashed swede, juice from the cooking.
Beer and aquavit usually accompany this traditional Norwegian dish.

In Norway you just go into a shop and buy pinnekjøtt - but you can make it yourself.

Curing pinnekjøtt is fairly easy easy. Find a decent box (like a picnic box) and pour in water to fill half of it. Add about 2kg of salt.
Now lay the rack of ribs in the water. You might need to weigh it down as it will float. Leave in a cool place for 3 -5 days.

Remove it from the water and hang the rib cage somewhere cool with some air movement (like a garage, loft or even veranda).
Obviously guard it form birds, insects or other unwanted guests

Hang for about 6 – 7 weeks.

1 liter thick cream
1.5 cups flour
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
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In a heavy saucepan heat cream until it starts to boil.
Then sift in 1 cup of the flour and mix using a wire whisk.

Keep whisking (gently) until the butter starts coming out of the cream. Remove from the heat.
Using a ladle and remove the butter, and place in separate bowl. Keep whisking until there is no more butter appearing.

Place milk in another pan and heat to boiling.

Sift 1/2 cup flour into the milk while beating until mixture is thick like pudding. Remove it from the heat and mix into the cream mixture, and beat with a wire whisk until well blended and smooth.

Serve in a soup bowl. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar on top and add a nob of butter in the centre.

6 cups white flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup margarine
50g yeast
2 cups lukewarm milk
2 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp sugar
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Mix the Flour, Sugar, Margarine and Yeast - then add the milk. Blend it all and let it rise 1 hour.
Mix the sugar and cinnamon together.

Halve the dough, then roll each piece to 40cm x 40cm squares (approx). Spread the sugar/cinnamon mixture on top.
Roll up both square and slice off 12 pieces. Shape into rolls.
Let rise for bit a pan. Then brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 320 degrees for approx 17 minutes until they are golden.

2 kilo ham (or any salted meat)
Boil (gently) until tender - cover with lid
When done - keep the broth

The dumplings will take about an hour to make.
5 cups peeled raw potatoes, grated
6 cups flour 9 tbsp (flat) baking powder
Add a little more salt to the broth if not salty. (yes - you have to taste it)
Mix flour, baking powder and salt together.
Add mixture to the potatoes. Mix ingredients until doughie.
Take some of the dough, about the size of a tennis ball, roll in flour to absorb some of the stickiness, shape into round dumplings with your hands- drop into boiling ham broth.
Boil very gently (with lid) for 1 hour, turning dumplings for more even cooking.
Serve with ham broth poured over the dumplings on plate along with the ham.
Serve dumplings with butter - or cream

225 g Lamb, sliced
1 Cabbage, cored and sliced
475 ml Water
18 Black Peppercorns, whole
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Put a layer of sliced Lamb in the bottom of a caserole.
Add the next layer of cabbage. Repeat layering.
Add Peppercorns.
Pour the water over all, and cover with a lid.
Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
Add Salt to taste.
(serve with boiled potatos and carrots)

three cups packed with fresh leaves:
1 cup Basil
1 cup Parsley
1 cup Mint
2 Garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup Pine nuts, roasted and cooled down
1/2 cup Parmesan, fresh and grated
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
3/4 cup Olive Oil

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In a blender or food processor, start with the Garlic on its own and, finely chop the garlic, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula if necessary. Add Herbs, Pine nuts, Parmesan, Salt, Pepper and Olive Oil and blend until smooth.
Pesto will keep stored in a airtight container and refrigerated for up to one week. Pesto can also be frozen and stored for up to one month.

1 Cauliflower, medium, in pieces
1 Onion, chopped
450 ml Stock (vegetable or chicken)
450 ml Milk
1 handfull Walnut, pieces
Salt and Pepper

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In saucepan put the Cauliflower, Onion and Stock. Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Add Walnus and Milk and run through food processor (or blender) until smooth.
Season with Salt and Pepper.
Serve with sprinkled ground Paprika and Walnut pieces