This Book Is Making Me Hungry! — Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble

It has been a while since I have had a book that not only entertained, but made me really, really hungry while reading it. Beneath Copper Falls by Colleen Coble was such a book. With lots of suspense, this novel kept the pages flying as I raced along with the characters to find out just whodunit. The characters had to have fuel while investigating, and they sampled cuisine that relied heavily on the community’s Finnish heritage. Alas, I had to vicariously savor the local flavors; not a lot of Finns here in middle Georgia. But . . . I did find some recipes on the internet. You get not just 1, but 3! Check out this great book and the food that made me hungry!

As a 911 dispatcher, Dana Newell takes pride in being calm in tough circumstances. In addition to her emotionally-charged career, she’s faced enough emergencies in her own life. She recently escaped her abusive fiancé to move to tranquil Rock Harbor where she hopes life will be more peaceful.

But the idyllic town hides more danger and secrets than it first appeared. Dana is continually drawn to her new friend Boone, who has scars inside and out. Then she answers a call at her job only to hear a friend’s desperate screams on the other end. Soon the pain in her past collides with the mysteries of her new home — and threatens to keep her from the future she’s always wanted.

From therecipecritic.com

First up is Pannakakku (Finnish Pancakes) from The Recipe Critic.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 Tablespoons butter

1. Preheat the oven to 400.  Place the butter in a 9×13 and put into the oven to melt and become slightly bubbly.
2. Whisk together (I do this in my kitchenaid) the 4 eggs until combined.
3. Add the flour, milk, salt, and sugar.  Blend together until batter is thin.
4. Pull the pan out of the oven with the melted butter that is slightly bubbly.
5.  Gently and slowly, pour the batter on top of the melted butter.
6.  Cook for 30 minutes.  When it is done, it will be golden brown around the edges and bubble up especially over the sides.
7.  Serve with fresh fruit, whipped cream, or syrup.

From jocooks.com

Next from Jo Cooks, comes Pullu (Finnish Cardamom Rolls).

Ingredients:
1 cup milk lukewarm
1/2 cup sugar
4 tsp active dry yeast
2 eggs
8 tbsp butter unsalted, softened
1 tbsp cardamom
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

Toppings:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter softened
1 egg for egg wash
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling over the rolls, or regular sugar

1.  In a small bowl combine the milk, 1/2 cup of and the yeast and stir. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast dissolves and starts to bubble.
2.  In the bowl of your mixer add the eggs, butter, cardamom, salt and using the paddle attachment, mix everything together. Add the yeast mixture and continue mixing until well combined. Change to the dough hook and add a cup of flour at a time and mix until you add all the flour. If the dough is too sticky add a bit more flour, but continue mixing until the dough separates from the bowl and forms a ball.
3.  In a large bowl add a bit of oil, about a tbsp and place the dough in the bowl, rolling it around so that it gets oil all over, this way it won’t get dry. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. You need to let the dough rise for a couple hours until doubled in size. You can also do my trick where I turn the oven on for about 1 to 2 minutes just until it’s warm in there, and place the bowl in the oven, close the door, make sure you turned off the oven and in about half an hour the dough would have doubled in size.
4.  In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon together for the topping. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
5.  Add a bit of flour on your work surface. Punch the dough gently and place it on your work surface. Cut the dough in 4 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, cover the other rolls so that they don’t dry out. Roll each piece about as thin as you can, should be about 12 inches by 18 inches. With a brush or a knife smear some butter onto it. Make sure it’s nicely buttered. Sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar over the entire surface, as much as you want. Roll it into a tight log starting from the narrower side. Line up the dough log in front of you and cut it slightly on the diagonal, alternating up and down, so that the slices are fat ‘v’ shapes, with the point of the ‘v’ about 2 cm (3/4 inch) and the base about 5 cm (2 inches). Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
6.  Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
7.  Let the rolls sit for about 30 minutes to rise. Brush the rolls with egg wash and then sprinkle with Turbinado sugar or plain sugar. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.

From Finnish Food Girl

And last, but not least, Squeaky Cheese comes from Finnish Food Girl. This one looks a bit daunting. I may have to wait to try it in a restaurant in the UP of Michigan.

Ingredients:
2.5 gallons raw milk or pasteurized milk
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablet of Hanson’s Rennet (you may have to do some searching around for this at a specialty store, although I’ve heard it is available at some drug stores)

1.  In a double boiler, set between 85-90 degrees, heat up milk.
2.  Crush the rennet tablet and dissolve it into 1 tablespoon of cool water. Once dissolved, set aside.
3.  In a small bowl, mix the salt, cornstarch, and sugar. Then mix the dry ingredients with a small amount of the warmed milk.
4.  Add this mixture to the rest of the milk.
5.  Mix the dissolved rennet tablet with the milk as well.
6.  Set the boiler aside, removing from heat.
7.  Allow mixture to gel. It normally takes around 35-45 minutes to achieve optimal gelification into a solid.
8.  Test with a wooden spoon. Once completely gelled, a spoon inserted should come out clean.
9.  After jelled, break the curds into 1 inch chunks. Let the chunks set for 10 minutes until they separate from the curds.
10. Prepare a 9 inch cake pan with a wet cloth draped over it. Pour jelled mixture onto cloth; gather all corners and squeeze out as much whey as possible. Remove the cloth and firmly press mass into pan.
11. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.
12. Turn over halfway through until both sides get golden brown.
13. Cool on rack and let dry for around 2 hours.
14. Refrigerate overnight until chilled.
15. Serve with rye bread and Cloudberry jam.

Notes
The unique taste and texture of Finnish Squeaky Cheese is something everyone should try at least once!

Tags: Colleen Coble, romantic suspense fiction