It’s been an insanely busy fall (I put out a collection of knitwear patterns) and an insanely busy holiday season (we had friends staying with us all week last week) so my Scandinavian baking skills have been lying somewhat dormant. I baked a couple of apple pies around Thanksgiving, as I’ve been getting really into heirloom apple varieties and my local farmer’s market sells some wonderful ones, but otherwise there hasn’t been a ton of time for baking.

In need of some last minute gifts and some alone time in the kitchen, I pulled Scandinavian Christmas by Trine Hahnemann down off the shelf. The book was a Christmas gift from my folks last year, but once Christmas is over, you feel a bit silly doing anything remotely Christmas-themed, so I hadn’t had a chance to try out any of the recipes. One of the sections in the book focuses on gifts from the kitchen, and I’d been itching to make some of the lingonberry compote. And so I did!

It’s hard to think of anything simpler. Assuming you can get a hold of lingonberries (you can find frozen berries in Seattle, fortunately), it’s a recipe for instant gratification. The process is basically just creating a reduction out of berries, water, and sugar, and it takes less than half an hour. Sometimes the simplest things are the most satisfying.

I made several jars this Christmas which I doled out to family and friends with glee. We’ve got one tucked in our own fridge for when we get back from traveling (it’s New Year’s in Norway once again). Back to our regularly (if sparsely) scheduled program when I get back. I’m determined to do some good baking this winter, and I’ve got rye flour in the freezer just waiting to become buns…

A very happy new year to you all. x