Runeberg’s muffins (Runebergin tortut)

The birthday of Finland’s national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804–1877), February 5 is celebrated by eating Runeberg’s muffins. There isn’t just one right way to make these, because Fredrika Runeberg would have made muffins for her sweet tooth husband from whatever she had available. More about muffins and the poet: http://finland.fi/life-society/a-poet-and-his-pastry/

Attribution Link

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: for four – five persons

Prep Time: -   Cook Time: 15 minutes  

Ingredients

Ingredients: – 7.05 oz/200 g margarine or butter
• 0.85 cups/ 2 dl sugar
• 2 eggs
• 0.85 cups/ 2 dl wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 0.85 cups/ 2 dl sweet bread crumbs (e.g. crumbled biscuits)
• 0.85 cups/ 2 dl ground almonds (appr. 80 g)
• 0.42 cups/ 1 dl single cream
• solid raspberry jam
To moisten:
• 0.85 cups/ 2 dl water
• 0.42 cups/ 1 dl sugar
• 2-3 tbsp arrack liqueur or rum
Topping:
• solid raspberry jam or marmelade
Icing:
• 0.42 cups/ 1 dl icing sugar
• 2 tsp water or lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 390°F/200°C.
Grind the almonds and combine them with the bread crumbs. Cream the butter or margarine and sugar together. Add one egg at a time, beating the mixture well after each egg. Combine the flour and baking powder and stir into the mixture.
Add the cardemom, bread crumbs and almonds and finally the cream. Mix lightly but do not unnecessarily stir the mixture. Grease a muffin mould and put a equal amount of the mixture into the hollows. Leave room for the mixture to raise in the hollows. Using a floured fingertip, press a hole in the middle of each muffin. Place about half a teaspoonful of jam or marmelade on each muffin. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes.
Boil the water and melt the sugar in it. Flavour with the alcohol. Moisten the baked muffins with the liquid. When the muffins are still hot, add another half a teaspoonful of jam in the middle. Let the muffins cool.
Combine the icing sugar and water or lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour the liquid icing around the jam.

Categories: Muffins

Tags: Finnish, Runeberg

Submitted by: minna on February 15, 2016