Smiles

 These ladies put a smile on my face whenever I see them!

My taste buds smile just thinking of skolebrød! 

They are pretty much a staple in Norway, and can be purchased at almost all corner gas stations and bakeries. I had never personally made them, but I supervised the making of them, on the A-team, so I knew the recipe was good! I was inspired to make them for Easter and they turned out ah-mazing and were a huge hit with the family, especially with those who have had them before! I needed a break from job hunting and posting resumes, so it was a good excuse to post this recipe, which several people asked me for, instead (way more fun)!! :D It's after a long day on the computer that I am reminded why I don't have an office job. I don't have the temperament for it, even though I sometimes try to convince myself that I could actually do it! Give me a long day in the kitchen any day!! These rolls are not for the faint of heart, calorie conscious souls, and really are a treat! (I am on a restricted calorie diet, so I just drank in the aroma, and tucked one away in the freezer for later!)

Skolebrød  (Coconut cream rolls)

as taken from my "Norwegian Cooking For Everyone" cookbook (with a few adjustments)

 12 - 14 rolls

Dough

1 1/2 cups milk

1 Tbsp yeast

4 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cardamom

4 cups flour (more or less, as needed)

1 portion egg cream

1 portion glaze

1 cup finely shredded coconut

Heat the milk to 98 F and place in large mixing bowl. (to test temperature without a thermometer, this is about bath water temperature when swirled with your pinkie finger - should not be hot) Add the yeast to the warm milk and let it rest for 5 minutes. Add softened (not hot) butter, sugar and cardamom. With a dough hook, beat in half of the floor and mix until smooth. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well between additions. (I honestly don't know how much flour I used, but I think it was more than the recipe called for. I just kept adding a little just until it pulled away from the bowl and was soft and elastic, but didn't stick to my fingers when I pinched it.) Cover the dough, and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, usually about an hour. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray and set to the side. Divide dough into 12 - 14 equal portions. Roll each into a smooth ball. Flatten each into a disk and place on baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between rolls. Press a 1 1/2 inch round indentation in the middle of each disk (this will get filling before baking) and let rise in a warm place until doubled and very puffy. Preheat the oven to 450. While the rolls are rising, prepare the egg cream. Before filling the rolls with the cream, press the indentation down again, to make more room for the cream. Divide the cream between the rolls and bake immediately, for 10 - 12 minutes. (My first rolls were browned at 10 minutes, but still slightly gooey in the center, so I turned the temperature down to 435 and baked them for 12 minutes and they were perfect!) Let cool slightly on a rack and spread the top half (not the cream center) with glaze. Sprinkle immediately with coconut. Serve slightly warm.

Egg cream

3 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 1/2 cup milk

4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp butter

In a saucepan, mix together sugar and cornstarch. Add milk and mix well. Bring mixture to a low boil and remove from heat. Whisk 1/4 cup of the hot milk into the egg yolks, 1 Tbsp at a time. Work quickly so the egg yolks don't curdle. Whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan with milk, and mix well. Return to heat and bring back to a low boil. Stir until thickened. Stir in the vanilla extract and butter. Cool slightly before filling.

Powdered sugar glaze

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

3 Tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Beat together to make a smooth  glaze.