Discover Trønderrose - a baked wreath with a secret ingredient

I’ve always been a sucker for baked goods, more particularly yeasty ones from Scandinavia. Our fluffy, aromatic cardamom buns, cinnamon and almond cakes and our version of crescents filled with ham and cheese, come to mind as food I could eat every day!  I was looking around in my cookbooks and found a recipe for Trønderrose – a fluffy wreath that is filled with cinnamon, sugar, butter raisins and almonds, then twisted together into a round or oval ring and it ends up looking almost like a rose. I will admit that I’ve never tried making this until now although I’ve enjoyed eating it in cafes in Norway, but here is what it’s supposed to look like:

Image source: tine.no

The name of this tasty dish stems from the word “trønder” ;  trønder is a person who comes from the counties of Sør-Trøndelag or Nord-Trøndelag.  “Trøndersk” is also the name for the dialect spoken in this region, and I think it sounds lovely!  The “rose” part of the name, is exactly that, a rose.  The name came about because in the flag of the city of Trondheim (located in Sør-Trøndelag)  there is a rose, and you also find it on the city’s Middle Age seal.  The rose, with its eight petals is a symbol of the city and the city’s name “Nidarrosen”  or “Trondheimsrosen”.  Nidaros was the medieval name of Trondheim.  Trondheim is the 3rd largest city in Norway with about 107,000 inhabitants, and borders my own county of Møre og Romsdal.   The city is known for its University of Science and Technology – in fact, my brother attended this school for a year before he decided engineering was not for him and switched to business school.  When we went to visit him in college, this was my first encounter of this beautiful city and I’ve been in love ever since.   Trondheim was actually the capital of Norway during the Viking age until 1217 and has a lot of history and much to see and discover. Definitely make it a stop during your trip to Norway!

The city also has a beautiful cathedral, called “Nidarosdomen” and is the traditional location for the consecration of the King of Norway.  This is a majestic building that was built in 1070.  It was ravaged by several fires since, however there are still some old parts in existence from the 12th century.  Impressive building, don’t you agree?

What makes the trønderrose so delicious, is the addition of the secret ingredient: lemon zest. Refreshing and flavorful,  the lemon gives it a little extra something. Separating it from other similar baked goods and adds a somewhat savory note, which, depending on how you look at it could be good or bad, because you’ll want to reach for another piece, then another piece… without it getting too sweet!   While it may take me a few tries to get it esthetically perfect, it still tastes amazing, and to others, it will look like an impressive piece.  When I baked my trønderrose earlier today, the kitchen smelled so wonderfully of cinnamon, yeast and lemon, even the neighbor stopped by and asked me what I was making (the window was open), and nearly invited himself in. Who am I to say no?   Baking this wreath is a good way to stay on your neighbor’s good side, and make new friends indeed

Here’s an easy recipe for you to try out – trønderrose is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon, and a great offering when having guests over!

TRØNDERROSE

1 cup milk

1 1/2 packet dry instant yeast

2 eggs

120g /4 oz granulated sugar

2 tsp lemon zest

1 stick (113g) butter, unsalted

500g/1.1 lb all purpose flour

Filling:

100g/3.5 oz butter, room temperature

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

100g/3.5 oz granulated sugar

1 cup raisins, plumped up in hot water and drained

1 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

Melt the butter in a small sauce pot, add the milk and mix together. It should reach a temperature of about 37 degrees Celsius/98 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix in the yeast, and the egg.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, granulated sugar and lemon zest.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry and knead for a couple of minutes (do not over-knead) until a round, smooth dough forms.

Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 2 hours or until doubled in size (depends on the temperature of your kitchen).

Preheat the oven to 400F/200C.

Roll out the dough until about 1 m/40 inch long link and 25 cm/10 inches wide.  Combine the butter, sugar, cinnamon for the filling in a small bowl and smear evenly on top of the dough surface and sprinkle with raisins and almonds.

Roll together into a thick sausage starting from the longest side closest to you,  and divide in two lengthwise, then braid the two links carefully together with the cut side up, and shape into a circle.

Place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and let rise for another 30 minutes, covered by a towel.

Brush the wreath with some egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tbsp water) and sprinkle with a few more sliced almonds.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown, remove from oven and let it cool before slicing into it and ENJOY!!

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