Growing up, we used to spend most of our summer breaks back in Denmark. And in our minds, nothing quite compares to a summer spent by the water up in the northwestern part of Sjælland, where we grew up. If there are any other Danes reading this, they may heartily disagree with that, because summer isn’t always nice in Denmark. It’s often raining and most people are trying to escape to Spain or Italy where nice weather is more of a guarantee. But personally, we love it, because when the weather is nice, we Danes really know how to make the most of it! And we’re also used to swimming in freezing cold water and having a great time anyway.
Now this recipe we’re sharing today is a real summer recipe. It’s definitely a Danish classic, but if you haven’t heard of it before, you may find it a bit strange. Basically, it’s a cold and lightly sweetened buttermilk soup, served with crushed-up crispy cookies called kammerjunker. You can eat it for dessert or even as a light dinner, especially on a particularly hot day. Many people in Denmark buy koldskål in cartons at the store, which we do too when we’re back there. In fact, it’s so popular in Denmark that when there’s a summer heatwave, koldskål sales shoot up. But since living in the US, we have had to start making it from scratch! Luckily, it’s not too difficult, and the refreshing lemon and vanilla flavors are so delicious that any small effort makes it completely worth it!
The Recipe
To make the koldskål, it’s rather straightforward. You simply mix together egg yolks and sugar to start, then add the rest of the ingredients slowly so that nothing curdles or gets lumpy. You should buy pasteurized egg yolks or pasteurize your own to be safe! We don’t always do so, but we would definitely recommend it. 🙂 To make the kammerjunker, crumble the butter into the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients. Once you have a dough, refrigerate for a bit. Then shape into balls and bake for a short 12 minutes. You will then cut the cookies in half and bake again until they are super crispy. This is one of our absolute favorite summer dishes, and we hope you try it!
Koldskål & Kammerjunker (Buttermilk Dessert)
Ingredients
KOLDSKÅL
- 3 pasteurized egg yolks (you can also leave them out)
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 1 liter (4 cups) buttermilk
- 140 grams (1/2 cup) sour cream or yoghurt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
KAMMERJUNKER
- 50 grams (about 1/3 cup) whole wheat flour (can just be replaced with all-purpose if you don't have it!)
- 200 grams (about 1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 70 grams (about 1/3 cup) sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 113 grams (1 stick) cold butter
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 50 ml (1/4 cup) milk
Instructions
KOLDSKÅL
- Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until light in color and a bit fluffy. They don't need to really increase too much in size or anything but you want most of the sugar to dissolve.
- Add the vanilla and sour cream and whisk together.
- Next, slowly add the buttermilk, making sure to continuously whisk so there are no lumps.
- Finally, add the lemon zest and slowly pour in the lemon juice while whisking so the mixture doesn’t curdle.
- Place this in the fridge for an hour or two so that the koldskål flavors really come together.
KAMMERJUNKER
- Combine the dry ingredients – flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, cardamom, and lemon zest – in a large bowl.
- Then, cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the dry mixture until it breaks up into smaller pieces and the mixture resembles sand.
- Next mix together the egg, vanilla, and milk in a separate small bowl. Add this to the dry mixture and combine until it forms a dough. Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Shape the dough into balls and put on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until a light golden color (but still a bit soft!).
- Remove them from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 200 F (95 C).
- Cut the cookies in half while they are soft and place back on the baking sheet with the cut sides facing up. Bake for 60 more minutes or until the cookies are completely crispy.
- To serve, simply ladle some koldskål into a bowl and top with fresh fruit (if you like) and kammerjunker (either whole or crushed up). Enjoy!
