THE GLIMTARI NISSE BAKE OFF

Madam Ember’s Honey Cake Crown

THE SCENT FROM THE HUMAN HOUSE

The home economics room beneath the Great Oak was warm enough that the windowpanes had steamed up. Copper pots hung over the long hearth, flour sacks stood along the wall, and on the eleven worktables lay Danish apples, hazelnuts, honey, butter, eggs, cream and both wheat and rye flour.

Madam Ember stood in the middle of it all. Her apron was as red as the embers in the oven, and her grey hair was gathered in a bun with a wooden spoon stuck through it.

'Today,' she said, lifting a cloth from a tall, curved cake, 'you are going to bake a honey cake crown.'

The cake consisted of six curved pieces of honey cake gathered around apple compote and whipped cream. On top lay toasted hazelnuts, dried apple slices and red lingonberries like little jewels.

'It must be able to stand, it must be able to be sliced, and most important of all, it must taste good.'

Madam Ember turned to the blackboard, where she had written Honey Cake Crown in big chalk letters.

'First you make the dough,' she said, pointing. 'Warm one hundred grams of honey with one hundred grams of butter and seventy five grams of sugar, until it has just melted. Let it cool a little, and stir in one egg.'

The chalk continued down the board: Two hundred and fifty grams of wheat flour. Fifty grams of fine rye flour. Half a teaspoon of baking soda. A small pinch of salt.

'The dry ingredients are folded into the honey mixture. The dough should be soft, but able to let go of your fingers. If it is too firm, add a spoonful of milk. If it is too wet, let it rest. You are not to simply pour in more flour because you are getting impatient.'

Bella, who already had her hand close to the flour sack, slowly drew it back.

'Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Shape them as arches, about as long as your hand from wrist to fingertip, and no thicker than your little finger. Bake them at one hundred and eighty degrees until they are golden and still give a little when you press gently on them. About ten minutes.'

On the lower half of the board was the filling: Three Danish apples, cut into small cubes, two tablespoons of honey and two tablespoons of water. Simmer gently until the apples are tender but not mush. Cool. Lightly whip two decilitres of cream.

'When the arches are cold, you assemble them around the apples with a little whipped cream as support. Decorate with toasted hazelnuts, dried apple, lingonberries or whatever you think belongs. It is important that the parts are completely cooled, otherwise the crown will slide apart.'