Lusikkaleipiä

This book has traveled with me since long before I became a chef

I want to introduce one of my cooking books which is quite well used. I got it as a present from my parents when I was a teenager. This book is called Kotiruoka which basically translates Hausmannskost or in English something like the homely/plain fare food. It contains many basic, traditional Finnish recipes. The first book was published back in 1908 so the whole thing is an old affair. My book is the 61st revison and that was back in 2001 so there is bound to be some newer revision. I maninly use this book for some baking stuff. Although many recipes don't work out perfect here in Switzerland I still use them as the basis. The most common thing I usually have to change is to add some more flour as the recipe calls. Something with the flour here is different than in Finland. All in all a pretty useful book but unfortunately it isn't available in English :(

It was first published in 1908

The following recipe is from the book kotiruoka. The other day I wanted to have some Lusikkaleipä (in plural Lusikkaleivät) which directly translated would mean "spoon bread" or "Löffelbrot". The name thanks itself for the form...one uses a spoon to form these cookies. After baking they are traditionally filled with apple or raspberry marmelade. I belong to the school of thought which supports the apple as the right filling. By the way, my granny makes the best Lusikkaleivät in the world :D

Lusikkaleivät

200g butter

140g sugar

2 tsp vanilla sugar

1 tsp soda (natron)

300g wheat flour

For filling:

Apple or raspberry puree or marmelade

I use Apfelmus/ apple puree

Boil/simmer the butter in a pot until it gets a nutty aroma and slighly brownish colour. Pour it into a bowl, add sugar and let cool down. Add the dry ingredients to the butter sugar mixture. You won't be needing a machine for this. By using a spoon form the dough into pieces. One should use a pretty deep spoon and press the dough flat so that one side of the piece is rounded and the other flat. Place the pieces with the rounded side on top on a baking sheet and bake at 175 Celsius for 12-15 minutes. Let cool down and fill. I like these the best a day after. First they will seem a bit hard but if you wait over night they will get softer and and they will stick together better. In my opinion the best place to store  these is a cookie tin. Before serving, top with icing sugar.

Lusikkaleipiä