All content copyright Katrina Hall 2008 through 2025

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

a winter breakfast: Finnish fruit soup



Ah - a lovely brisk walk on snowshoes this morning - which ended when I dropped the camera in the snow. The sun was up, the temperature was perfect (15 degrees), and making the Finnish fruit soup reminded me to dust off my snowshoes and get out into winter.


This recipe was given to me by an amazing Finnish woman in West Barnstable who ran a summer bakery/cafe. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw their website and her name! Mama Ojala, I'm sending you a big hug many years later from your former kitchen helper and dishwasher.


Although fruit soup is a delightful winter dessert, usually served room temperature or slightly chilled, I do like it for breakfast, warmed and topped with a spoonful of yogurt. Because you usually have dried fruits in your pantry(you do, don't you?), it's quick to make, and definitely healthier than chocolate cake! The light syrup that results from simmering apricots, prunes, and currants is infused with a spicy flavor from the cardomom, lemon, and cinnamon sticks.


How to make about 4-6 servings:


1/2 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup dried, pitted whole prunes

3 T. dried currants

3 T. golden or dark raisins

3 cups water

2 cardomom pods, crushed with the side of a knife

2 T. red currant jelly (optional)

1 T. finely diced crystallized ginger (optional)

1 slice of fresh orange

2 cinnamon sticks, crushed or broken

2 T. fresh lemon juice

1/2 apple, peeled , cored, and thinly sliced

1 T. cornstarch

1/4 cup water


In a saucepan, combine the apricots, currants, prunes, raisins, 3 cups water, cinnamon sticks and cardomom pods, and the lemon juice, currant jelly, and orange slice.

Bring to a boil, then turn off heat, cover and let sit 1/2 hour.

Add the apple, bring to a simmer, and cook about 10 minutes, making sure you have enough liquid so the fruit doesn't scorch.

Strain the juices into another saucepan, then mix the cornstarch with the water.

Add the cornstarch mixture to the strained juices, and bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 to ten minutes.

Gently add the cooked fruits , heat a little longer, then remove from heat.

Store in a covered bowl in the fridge .




8 comments:

Barb said...

Hi Katrina! I just noticed that you changed the photo in your masthead - still you and so adorable!! Did you just change it or am I just slow to notice? (I've been busy looking at your other photos on 365! Love those, too!)

My Mom makes a fruit soup, served cold- very tasty! Your recipe seems perfect for a cold morning! Yum!

katrina said...

Hi Barb! I just changed it last night!. Took the bull by the horns, as they say, and tried to do what minor changes I could understand on Blogger. Whew. That was hard work - I kept thinking my whole blog was going to disappear.
Your Mom makes fruit soup? Is she Scandinavian?

LetMeEatCake Eat With Me! said...

Fruit soup! What a tasty concept! And yes I do have some dried fruits laying around =)I can't wait to give this recipe a try.

katrina said...

Thanks, LeMeEatCake! I thought so - EVERYONE has dried fruits in the pantry. It is tasty, and I'm delighted you enjoyed!

Kimberly Aardal said...

What a nice change from oatmeal for a yummy winter breakfast. I'll try this out and some other recipes I noticed on your blog too.

katrina said...

Thanks for dropping by, Kimberly! It's funny about oatmeal - as soon as I eat it for breakfast, I'm starving again within 15 minutes . So I stick to omelets with a side of fruit - or fruit soup. Your Colorado pics are beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Mmm, I just tried this, and I think I found my new traditional Christmas morning breakfast.

katrina said...

Anonymous - I am so happy! This is a recipe dear to my heart, but very few people were excited about it - so delighted you were! Thanks you for getting back to me!