It seems like it was months ago when I pre-ordered
Scandilicious Baking by the lovely Signe Johansen. If you have been following my scandi mad posts over the last 9 months you will appreciate how excited I was for this new Scandinavian baking book to be released. What I did not anticipate was how long I was going to have to wait for it to be delivered, how it wasn't delivered on the release date, how I had to wait even longer than necessary because I was on holiday when the post office attempted first delivery, how I would only be able to collect it the day before my trip to Canada, how I was not going to leave it in Edinburgh so hauled it across the ocean with me...What I did anticipate, however, was how much I was going to love Scandilicious Baking.
Recipes for Musli Bread, Pumpkin, cheese and sage muffins, Cardamom almond twists, Greengage and elderflower muffins and an Upside-down blueberry and elderflower cake have made me positively giddy. In Canada I only managed one bake from my new book (there were so many other things to make), a Toscakaka Cake for a family meal at my Aunt Sandi's house. The cake was a deliciously moist sponge covered in an Almond Praline, it was salty and sweet and oh so yummy (and perfect with Skor/Daim bar ice cream).
I've been back in Edinburgh for a week now and although I have been itching to bake every day I managed to hold off until yesterday. I realise that might seem a bit cruel, but I wanted to make something for the weekend, something to last a few days.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that I could happily make and devour every recipe in this book. In fact I am mentally planning which recipes to make for which upcoming occasions. The hardest choice really was what to make first (well second...but first here at home). I knew I wanted to make something with berries since Scotland is finally enjoying summer weather...and I kinda knew I was leaning towards blueberries.
In the end it was the recipe for Spiced Blueberry Buns that won out. Described as being inspired by Eccles Cakes these are gorgeous little pockets bursting with flavour. Instead of the pastry casing of an Eccles Cake they are made with a cardamom dough, and then smeared with cinnamon sugar butter and filled with blueberries. I used a combination of stoneground spelt and plain wheat flour for my dough, leaving it with a slightly wholegrain texture.
I was in a bit of a rush, having woken up late and had arranged to meet a friend in the afternoon to take in some of the Fringe so I know that I didn't let the buns prove enough before whacking them into the oven...but I was banking on the fact that spelt tends to rise faster and it was blooming hot in the kitchen yesterday. I poked them, the indent remained and so into the oven they went.
They taste amazing. Even David, who hasn't been very enthusiastic about cardamom, devoured his bun. Some of have been frozen and the rest are sitting on the counter taunting me....must....not....devour....
