SEASON OF SWEET COLORS

In a Finnish calendar spring marks the season of parties; easter, vappu (=the 1.st May) and mother's day are all celebrated right after each other. The caracter of these celebrations vary, but spring sun connects them with it's bright shine. Snow is slowly melting away and giving finally space for tiny flowers. Bright colors are in fashion, it shows in everything Finns do, even in baking.

This is the season of sunlight, tea parties and bright colors.

EASTER CUPCAKES

cupcakes:
100 g butter
1 dl caster sugar
2 eggs
1/4 dl milk
1 1/2 dl flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanillasugar
red food color
100 g white chocolate dots

frosting:
200 g Mascarpone cream cheese
3 tablespoons icing sugar
1 tablespoon vanillasugar

to decorate:
small chocolate eggs

Beat with an electric mixer butter and sugar, until fluffy. Beat in eggs and milk. Mix baking powder with flour and add flour mixture into the bowl, beat until just combined. Color the mixture with red food color.

Divide batter evenly among lined muffin cups, filling each three-quarters full. Bake in a 200 degrees Celsius oven, until a cake tester inserted into centres comes out clean, 20 to25 minutes.

Season the Mascarpone cheese with icing sugar and vanilla sugar. Spread the frosting evenly on the cooled cupcakes. Decorate with small chocolate eggs.

MERINGUE SANDWICHES

2 egg whites
pinch of salt
caster sugar
red food color
fresh rasberries
whipped cream or mascarpone cheese

Beat egg whites and a pinch of salt in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; gradually add as much of sugar as your mouth wishes, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar dissolves between additions. Do not over-beat, the meringue is supposed to be stiff and clossy, not grain like. Color the mixture with food coloring. Place a tablespoon full of meringue a baking paper covered baking tray, and bake meringues in a 120 degrees (celsius) oven until the tue surface is crispy but the inside is still soft (about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes).

Spread whipped cream (or mascarpone cheese) on the cooled meringues, place berries on top of the cream and sandwich two meringues together. Continue the same way with the remaining meringues.

Store the meringue sandwiches in a room temperature, do not refrigerate, as they turn suggy in a fridge.

MERINGUE CAKE

The previous recipe turns easily to a meringue cake, as well. Just draw a circle an a sheet of non-stick baking paper and place on a baking tray. Place a large spoonnfuls of meringue mixture into the circle, and bake.

Top the crispy meringue rounds with whipped cream, ice cream and fresh berries. Drizzle with melted dark chocolate.

MINI SCONES

5 dl wheat (all-purpose) flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of sea salt
100 g butter
100 g matured emmental cheese
1 dl milk

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Grate the butter and cheese into the flour, rubbing with fingertips. Pour in the milk and combine with a fork. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and press into a ball.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle, fold in both ends so that they meet in the centre, and roll again into a rectangle, about 1 cm thick.

Cut rounds using the edge of a drinking cup. Push the scraps together and roll and cut as before until you have used all of the dough. Cover the baking tray with a nonstick baking paper and place the rounds on a tray. Bake for about 15 minutes in an 200 degrees Celsius oven.

Cut the scones in half, spread with butter or mustard, put a slice of ham and cheese on each bottom, then replace the tops.

BÉBÉ TARTLETS

bottom:
100 g butter
1 dl caster sugar
2 1/2 - 3 dl plain flour
1 egg

filling:
2 dl whipped cream
100 g butter (room temperature)
4 tablespoons caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanillasugar

frosting:
4 dl strawberry flavoured icing sugar
6-7 tablespoons water

to decorate:
colorful sprinkles

Blend butter and sugar with flour until combined. Add egg, process until ingredients just come together. Knead pastry on floured surface until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Press pastry around aluminium tins, Prick the base of the pastry case all over with a fork. Place tins on oven tray, and bake in a 175 degrees Celsius oven for about 15 minutes, until the edges brown lightly. Let cool.

Make the buttercream by first whipping the cream and then placing the butter and sugars into a bowl. Using electric beater, beat for 1 minute, until creamy. Mix the creamy butter and whipped cream to a smooth paste.

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, make a well in the centre. Add water and stir until the mixture is smooth.

Divide buttercream filling among cases, spread pink icing on tops and decorate with sprinkles. Store tarts in a fridge and serve cold.

LEMON CURD CHEESE CAKE

bottom:
250 g digestive biscuits
125 g butter, melted

cream cheese filling:
250 g cream cheese (for example Philadelphia)
110 g caster sugar
2 teaspoons of finely grated lemon rind
3 eggs

lemon curd topping:
45 g butter
1/2 dl sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Process biscuits until mixture resembles of fine breadcrumbs, add melted butter and process until just combines. Press biscuit mixture evenly over base and side of 22 cm springform tin. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Beat cheese, sugar and rind in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs, ne at a time.

Pour cheesecake mixture into tin, and bake in 200 degrees of Celsius oven about 1 hour or until set. Remove from oven and let cool in tin to room temperature.

Combine lemon curd ingredients in a heatproof bowl, place the bowl of simmering water, cook stirring constantly, about 20 minutes or until mixture coats the back of the spoon. Cool to room temperature and spread top of the cheesecake with lemon curd, then refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Remove the cake from the tin just before serving.