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ysabetwordsmith ([personal profile] ysabetwordsmith) wrote in [community profile] books2024-06-12 03:45 am
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Review: Scandinavian from Scratch

Scandinavian from Scratch: A Love Letter to the Baking of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden [A Baking Book] Hardcover – October 3, 2023
by Nichole Accettola

We just finished reading this cookbook. It's an interesting introduction to Scandinavian cuisine, which is pretty different from most European food. It makes heavy use of rye, which is nice. The front matter includes A Baking Love Letter, Scandinavian Baking: An Overview, The Scandinavian Pantry, Useful Baking Equipment, Baking Best Practices, and the Table of Contents. The Index lists both ingredients and recipe titles. Also, our hardback edition has a red grosgrain ribbon in it for marking your place.


The recipe chapters are The Cookie Tin, Simple Cakes and Celebration Desserts, Let's Fika! (a type of bread dough), Rise and Shine, Rye Bread and Smørrebrød, and Winter Therapy. Most recipes have bilingual titles. We mostly skipped over the bread chapters, as they're a lot fussier than I tend to like. However, if you're bored with making ordinary bread and want to try some new techniques, definitely take a look at these chapters -- especially if you're a rye fan. We found a number of recipes worth marking, though. These include Finnish Almond Matchsticks, Black Currant Caves, Black Licorice Slices, Hazelnut Cookies, Cardamom-Scented Pear and Apple Snacking Cake, Rye and Beer Pancakes, Cinnamon Buttons, and Cardamom Hazelnut Matchsticks. Most recipes have a full-color photo. Some of the more complicated techniques have photos of the steps too.

This is a good choice if you want to explore Scandinavian baking, or if you've gone through typical American recipes and want something different. It's probably not ideal for beginners, although there are a few simple recipes, but it has plenty to interest intermediate to advanced bakers. Recommended.

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