Runeberg's tarts

Today, the 5th of February, we celebrate our national poet's, Johan Ludvig Runeberg's birthday. He was a Finnish Swedish-speaking poet, writer and a journalist, whose production was very patriotic. Her wife, Frederika Runeberg was a great writer too.

These tarts we bake and eat every year have a story. J.L. Runeberg had a sweet tooth, so he often asked his wife to bake him something. But they didn't have any special ingredients, and that's why Frederika decided to use those she could find in her cupborad: wheat flour, biscuit crumbs and almonds. The result was a delicious tart, which is named after Runeberg. The story tells that Runeberg loved to have these tarts when eating breakfast, and that he enjoyed these with punch.

I love Runeberg's tarts, and it's a must thing to bake these every year. So step inside to the history of Finland and enjoy one of these fabulous tarts!

Ingredients:

makes about 18

300g butter

4 dl dark muscovado sugar

4 eggs

5 dl wheat flour

1 dl minced almonds

16 crushed digestive cookies

3 tsp baking powder

2 dl cream

2 tsp cardamom

2 drops bitteralmond extract

For the decoration:

raspberry jam or marmalade

water

powdered sugar

1. Heat the oven to 200°C.

2. Beat the sugar with melted butter into a foam, add eggs individually.

3. Mix together the dry ingredients, add cream and combine with the sugar-egg-butter mixture. Add bitteralmond extratct, mix well.

4. Divide into about 18 muffin cups or use silicone moulds like I did. Fill 2/3 of the cups, so the dough doesn't rise over the edges.

5. Bake in the oven for about 15-18 minutes, try with a stick if the tarts are ready. Remove from the oven.

6. Let the tarts cool down, remove from the mould and turn over, put on a plate. Decorate the tarts with raspberry jam and icing made from powdered sugar and water. ENJOY!