First Thoughts
- No need for random sticky notes or impromptu page savers, the book has an integrated pink ribbon bookmark. So practical to save your place—why is it not a cookbook standard?
- I was immediately drawn to the ‘Let’s Fika’ chapter to find all about the pastries and cookies that accompany Swedish coffee breaks called fika.
- The Cake Person is a fun Danish birthday tradition! Choux pastry is piped in the form of a miniature person, topped with royal icing, and decorated with candy for full whimsical effect.
The Review
The title ‘Scandinavian from Scratch’ comes from the motto of Nichole Accettola’s restaurant, Kantine, in San Francisco but the cookbook goes well beyond their specialties of rye bread and sandwiches. Accettola brings her experience as a CIA-trained chef working in Denmark and the United States to share successful recipes for cookies, pastries and more.
You can feel how much Accettola fell in love with Denmark—and Scandinavian treats—after living in the country for 10 years. Recipes of Strawberry Cake and Buttermilk “Soup” Cardamom Rusks capture the short, fleeting summers when locals bike everywhere and attend midsummer parties. The pastries and cakes also share insight into fika coffee break culture and how important it is to enjoy a moment—or two—each day. The cookbook photography is simple but aesthetically pleasing. There is no distraction of bright colors and heavy ceramicware; the supporting props are light and melt into the background to keep the focus on the food.
The author accurately summarizes that Scandinavian baked goods don’t taste unfamiliar but are somehow a little new. The usual cinnamon rolls morph in shape into kanelbullar, cinnamon knots with cardamom and pearled sugar. Or, instead of classic crunchy gingerbread, there are crackly, chewy caramel slice cookies. The cookbook highlights cookies, cakes and celebration desserts, fika (buns, semlor, danish, etc), breakfast pastries, and smørrebrød. A section on ‘Winter Therapy’ extends the Scandinavian concept of embracing winter activities to baking. The book is the perfect winter reference with comforting and spicy flavors of cardamom, chocolate, licorice, and almond throughout. Accettola also includes recipes and rules to making open-faced Scandinavian sandwiches, called smørrebrød, with plenty of inspiration for a quick lunch that is tasty and beautiful.
Recipe Test Results
I made the Cardamom Wreath (Kardemommekrans), Lemon Curd and Cream Buns, and the Coconut Dream Cake (Drømmekage).
The Cardamom Wreath (Kardemommekrans) takes the concept of cardamom buns and expands it into a big showstopper centerpiece. I took the author’s suggestion to use freshly ground cardamom. This meant I had to painstakingly separate the tiny cardamom seeds from the pod, but it definitely provided extra flavor punch. The filling that oozed out of the pastry turned into a lacy, spicy caramel. The wreath was perfection fresh out of the oven, but next day was a little drier and better suited for dunking in a cup of coffee.
The Lemon Curd and Cream Buns are a twist on the classic Swedish semla bun. Mixing whipped cream with lemon curd for the bun filling is brilliant. The creamy texture contrasts with the somewhat dry bun but captures the bright lemon flavor you can only get from lemon curd.
The Coconut Dream Cake (Drømmekage) is a common potluck dish in Denmark. I wish we were so lucky to have that tradition here in the United States so I could eat this cake more often. Really, this is my dream coffee cake with a moist cake layer and just enough sweetness and crunch from the coconut topping.
Overall Score: 4.0/5.0
‘Scandinavian from Scratch’ is Nichole Accettola’s love letter to Scandinavian baking. There is obvious care that went into the cookbook design and recipe development to ensure the book will be a frequent reference. Most importantly, there is plenty of inspiration from Scandinavian culture to take a break and enjoy a fresh baked good, no matter what season you are in.
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