Blueberry Skyr Muffins

In the events of Sweden advertising and selling Icelandic Skyr, I made some SUPER HEALTHY Blueberry muffins. NO white flour, NO sugar, NO butter......sound awful!! Actually they were pretty good, high in protein and only slow carbs.

Makes 12 muffins

100 g spelt flour

100 g rolled oats

100 g whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

150 ml yogurt

250 g skyr (if you don´t have skyr then just use yogurt)

200 ml sunflower oil

2 large eggs

150 ml agave syrup

100 g blueberries

1. Set oven to 180C

2. Mix the dry ingredients well together in a bowl.

3. Mix the yogurt, skyr, oil, eggs and agave syrup in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix, as usual with muffins do not over mix.

4. Add the frozen blueberries to the batter and fold 3 - 4 times. If you fold too many times the batter turns purple.

5. Spoon the batter evenly into a muffins mould and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Vanilla Custard & Rhubarb Soufflé

When I want to impress I bring put the Big Guns!! ...no not my biceps, I mean my absolute favorite desserts. Don´t be scared of souffles, this recipe is very easy and all you have to do is be well prepared. The special thing about this recipe is that when you take a spoon full of soufflé you all kinds of different flavors and texture. You have the hot creamy vanilla soufflé, cold custard, crunchy biscuit and sweet and sour rhubarb all at the same time!

Serves 6

400 g rhubarb, cut into small chunks

100 g caster sugar

25 g butter, softened

6 gingerbread biscuits, smashed to fine crumbs

150 g readymade vanilla custard, plus extra for serving

1 large egg yolk, plus 4 egg whites

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp plain flour

pinch of sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Put the rhubarb into the saucepan with the 100g sugar. Put the lid on and let it simmer on a medium-low heat for about 10 - 15 minutes, or untill the rhubarb is soft. Set it aside and let it cool down.

2. Butter the inside of 6 ramekin dishes and dust the inside with the smashed gingerbread biscuits. Then shake out the excess crumbs. Then put one tablespoon of the cooled rhubarb on the bottom of the ramekins.

3. Mix the rest of the stewed rhubarb with the custard, egg yolk and flour in a bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg whites, salt and granulated sugar until you have soft peaks.

4. Working very gently, fold 2 spoonfuls of the stiff egg whites into the rhubarb mixture. Then tip this into the bowl containing the rest of the egg whites and fold together very carefully.

5. Divide the mixture between the ramekins and level the tops. Bake the souffles in the preheated oven for 18 - 20 minutes, or until the souffles are lovely golden and have risen nicely.

6. Remove from the oven and directly make a hole in the middle of the soufflé with a spoon and dollop two or three tsp of vanilla custard into the hole. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve!

Oatmeal Crumble Muffins

I love having newly baked muffins on a sunday mourning but I think it is important that they are at least semi healthy, just so your blood sugars don't go on a roller coaster ride. These muffins are a bit custerd-y when hot but firm and soft when cooled. Although the muffins have sugar in them they are not at all to sweet, but the crumble adds the slightly sweet and buttery taste which is crucial I think.

Makes 12 large muffins

Crumble Topping

80 gr whole wheat flour

40 gr rolled oats

50gr sugar

pinch of salt

60gr butter, cold

1. Add everything into a bowl and work together with your fingers, pinching the flour and butter together until a sandy texture. But the topping into the freezer until you make the muffins.

100 gr rolled oats

100 gr whole wheat flour

100 gr all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

200 gr butter, melted

70 gr cane sugar or brown sugar

350 ml plain yogurt

2 large eggs, whisked

1. Set oven to 180 C and butter a 12 muffin mould.

2. Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl.

3. Melt the butter in a pan, then add the sugar and let it dissolve in the warm butter. Add the whisked eggs and yogurt and mix together.

4. Add the whet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir. Do not overmix!

5. Pour the batter into the muffins mould and sprinkle the frozen crumble topping on top. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes depending on your oven. Let the muffins cool down before you remove them from the mould.

Lemon-Banana Cake

This is such an easy cake to make, and I love how you just mix the dry, the whet ingredients together and your done. We Icelanders traditionally make the banana bread more like bread that you eat with butter but I actually like this twist on it. Quick and easy...thats how I do it!

120 gr all-purpose flour

140 gr whole wheat flour

125 gr brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

100 gr dark chocolate

80 ml olive oil/sunflower oil

2 large eggs, beaten

3 large bananas

60 ml yogurt, 3%

1 tsp vanilla extract

zest of one lemon

For the glaze

80 gr brown sugar

50 gr powdered sugar

juice of one lemon

To make the glaze: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and let it sit for at least 45 minutes.

1. Set oven to 180 C

2. Mix the dry ingredients well together in a large bowl.

3. Mix the whet ingredients well together in a another bowl.

4. Pour the whet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a spatula. Do not over-mix!

5. Bake for approx. 60 min. Its better not to overcook the cake as you want that soft middle. Let it cool before you pour on the glaze.

Mascarpone and Espresso Mousse

A dessert to impress with tomorrow night at the new year party. This combo of chocolate and mascarpone with the coffee works really well and is the perfect ending to a new years feast!

For 4 greedy people

100 gr dark chocolate, 70%

125 gr mascarpone cheese, room temperature

2 tbsp powdered sugar

4 tbsp espresso, cooled

1 1/2 dl cream

decoration

4 tbsp cream, whipped

chopped dark chocolate

2 macaroons

1. Melt the chocolate over a bain marie (waterbath). Whip the mascarpone and the sugar together in a bowl. Add the espresso coffee and melted chocolate and mix well with a spatula. Whip the cream and then fold it together with the cheese and chocolate mixture. Pour into serving moulds and cool over night in the fridge.

2. Decorate with the whipped cream, chocolate and macaroons before serving.

Portobello Starter

This is a great little amuse bouche or starter on some thinly sliced sourdough bread for the new years party.

For 4 -6

3 - 4 large portobello mushromms, sliced

50gr butter

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

150ml cream

zest from 1 lemon

handful of chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Start of sauté-ing the mushrooms in the butter and garlic in a pan and season well with salt and pepper. Make sure not burn the garlic!

Add the cream and let it come up to the boil. Take of the heat and let it cool slightly until the cream has thickened. You may need to add a little cream depending on how much sauce you want.

Chop the parsley and zest together and sprinkle over just before you serve.

I am back in the Kitchen!

Hi Friends!

Hope you missed me :)

I will start Food-Bloggi´n again and hope you will follow me here on the icelandic amateur chef.

All the best and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Gudmundur Palmason