Kakor Chokladflarn or IKEA Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies #CreativeCookieExchange

Kakor Chokladflarn or IKEA chocolate oatmeal cookies are a special treat we usually buy at that famous Swedish superstore but they are really quite easy to make at home. The bonus, of course, is that you know exactly what is in these. (Read: no palm oil or odd additives.) These delectable delights are crispy thin oatmeal cookies with dark chocolate sandwiched between them. In my copycat version, I leave them single file. You get more dark chocolate with each bite that way. Which, in my humble opinion, is always a good thing.

When today’s Creative Cookie Exchange theme was announced as “copycat cookies” I asked friends and family which cookies they might like to eat if I recreated a store-bought favorite. Most people were very helpful.

My husband suggested his favorite McVitie’s Ginger Nuts while at the same time allowing that he doubted any remake could duplicate the original successfully.

Wow, man.

Ordinarily that would make me say, “Challenged Accepted!” but he is really, really picky about his gingersnaps. Only McVitie’s will do.

I was all set to bake homemade Hobnobs when it suddenly struck me. There is one cookie I love to the point that I hate to buy them because I will eat them all. And they come in a very big box! You’ll have guessed from the title of this post that I’m referring to Kakor Chokladflarn from IKEA. (Recently renamed Kakor Havreflarn, which is not nearly as magical a name.)

When I tried to translate Kakor Chokladflarn into English, Google Translate struggled. Kakor was easy: Cookies. Chokladflarn became Chocolate Flap. Clearly choklad must be chocolate so I separated that second word in two. My persistence was rewarded by the following translation: Cookies Chocolate Flake. According to the French IKEA site, the flakes in the cookie title – flarn -  refer to oat flakes, in other words, whole rolled oats.

Kakor Chokladflarn or IKEA Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

My jumping off point for these cookies were these two recipes on Not Quite Nigella and Cuisine de Fadila and a couple in Swedish that were most amusing once translated. As well as a few ingredient changes, I also simplified the method and was super pleased with the results.

This recipe makes 2 dozen+ (about 27) single cookies or 13+ sandwich cookies.

Ingredients
1/2 cup or 113g butter
1 1/2 cups or 125g wholegrain rolled oats
2/3 cup or 150g caster or superfine sugar
1/4 cup or 25g ground almonds
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
7oz or 200g dark chocolate (I used a French dark chocolate called noir corsé or full-bodied black)

Method
Preheat oven to 400°F or 200°C and line two baking pans with baking parchment or silicone liners.

Measure the rolled oats, ground almond, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Melt the butter in a saucepan or microwaveable vessel. I used a measuring pitcher. Pour the melted butter into the dry ingredients. Stir well to combine.

In another small bowl, whisk the egg and vanilla paste together. Stir them into mixture in the bowl until well combined.

Use a small scoop to portion the dough out onto the prepared baking pans. Leave at least an inch around them to allow room for spreading as the cookies bake. My cookie scoop holds 2 tablespoons so I filled it about half full.

Bake for 6-7 minutes or until golden. Keep an eye on them because when they start to brown, they turn golden on the edges very quickly.

Leave the cookies to cool on the parchment or silicone liner until they are set. then use a thin spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. If you try to move them too soon, they might break.

Heat the chocolate in a microwave in 10-15 second bursts, stirring well in between, until it is smooth and completely melted. (You can also use a double boiler.)

Use a pastry brush or a palette knife to add the chocolate to the bottoms of the cookies.

If you are leaving them single, as I did, place them chocolate side up on parchment or silicone liners until the chocolate sets. Or sandwich them together, chocolate side to chocolate side, if you want to make authentic kakor chokladflarn or IKEA Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. They are fabulous with a cold glass of milk, coffee or tea.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to this month's Creative Cookie Exchange host, Karen of Karen's Kitchen Stories. We are a small group this month. Just three tasty cookies. Check 'em out!

• Homemade Circus Animal Cookies from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Honey Jumbles from All That's Left Are the Crumbs
• Kakor Chokladflarn - IKEA Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies from Food Lust People Love

You can use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! If you are a blogger and want to join in the fun, contact Laura at thespicedlife AT gmail DOT com and she will get you added to our Facebook group, where we discuss our cookies and share links.

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Steamed Apple Date Bread #BreadBakers

A quick bread cooked on the stovetop? Yes, it’s not only possible, but I highly recommend it! This steamed apple date bread is so easy to make and it is chock full of flavor with sticky dates, tart chopped apple and brown sugar.

This month my Bread Bakers event has an unusual theme: Catch up!  Our host Pavani from Cook’s Hideout proposed that we make a bread from a past Bread Bakers theme that we missed participating in.

This steamed apple date bread is my 52nd Bread Bakers recipe and, if you care to do the math that means I’ve only missed one event since I started the group in September 2014. I missed Steamed Breads in August 2017 because my daughters and I were making the cross-country trek from the Boston to Los Angeles. Truth be told though, I wasn’t that disappointed.

You see, I am not really a fan of steamed bread. It’s often pale and anemic looking and needs a filling to make it worth eating. If I wanted to participate this month, I decided that the ingredients needed to bring some color as well as flavor to my bread. Dates and brown sugar seemed like a good idea.

My neighbor and very good friend Sandra very kindly gave me some sweet dates from her date palms and she also shared her microwaveable date loaf recipe. (It’s fabulous and you’d never guess it was “baked” in the microwave!) I merged hers with one on the King Arthur website for a harvest bread steamed in a pudding bowl (the misleading accompanying photo aside), and the method for Boston brown bread steamed in coffee cans which does actually turn out cylindrical.

This bread is sooooo good! Just sweet enough with a tender crumb, great flavor and lovely color. I can now say that I like, nay LOVE, steamed bread.

Steamed Apple Date Bread

Enjoy these two loaves simply sliced, or toasted and buttered. Either way, they are perfect for breakfast, coffee breaks, snack or teatime. Without ever turning your oven on.

Ingredients
8 oz or 225g sweet ripe dates, pits removed, then chopped
1 cup, firmly packed, or 200g brown sugar
1 cup or 245g plain yogurt
1/4 cup or 60g butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups or 190g flour
1 1/2 cups or 180g wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces
2 eggs

Method
Place the chopped dates, brown sugar, yogurt and butter into a small pan and cook over a medium low heat until it starts to boil, about 4-5 minutes.

Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and stir in the baking soda. It will get very bubbly. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally to speed up the process. (I popped mine in the freezer for about 10 minutes as well.)

Grease the insides of two coffee cans with melted butter or non-stick baking spray. Bring a teakettle of water to a boil.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, salt and spices. Tip in the chopped apple and stir well to coat.

In another bowl, beat the eggs. Whisk in the cooled date mixture.

Fold your wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients until just mixed.

Divide your thick batter between the two greased coffee cans.

Cover the cans with a square of baking parchment, then hold it in place with a square of aluminum foil. Secure the foil with poultry string or silicone rubber bands.

Place the coffee cans in a deep stock pot on top of a vegetable steamer or some crumpled foil so they don’t touch the bottom.

The pan should be deep enough so its lid can cover top of the coffee cans. Fill the pan with boiling water two-thirds of the way up the coffee cans. You may have to boil another kettle of water if you are using a vegetable steamer, which will lift the cans quite high off the bottom of the pot.

Cover, bring the water back to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Steam the two coffee cans for about 2 hours, adding water to the pot if necessary.

Remove the cans from the pot and take off the foil and parchment paper.

Leave to cool for at least 30 minutes before turning the loaves out.

Enjoy!

Check out the rest of the wonderful bread recipes my Bread Bakers are sharing today. Many thanks to Pavani of Cook’s Hideout for hosting this month.

• Adjaruli Khachapuri from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Big Batch Dinner Rolls from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Breudher Cake from Passion Kneaded
• Coriander Garlic Pull apart Bread from Sara's Tasty Buds
• Cranberry English Muffins from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Eggless Oats Banana Bread from Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Fig Jam Friands from All That's Left Are the Crumbs
• Garlic Cheese and Herbs Pull Apart Bread from Ambrosia
• Herbed Wholewheat Garlic Knots from Sizzling Tastebuds
• Keema Naan from The Schizo Chef
• Peperoncini Focaccia Bread from Sneha's Recipe
• Savory Almond Meal Bread from Palatable Pastime
• Sourdough Cinnamon Buns from Baking Sense
• Steamed Apple Date Bread from Food Lust People Love
• Vegan Gluten-free Banana Bread from Cook's Hideout
• Whole Wheat Palak Naan from Cook with Renu
• Yeasted Lemon Bundt Cake from Anybody Can Bake

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

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Curried Coconut Citrus Cod #FishFridayFoodies

The richness of the coconut is complemented by the addition of lime and orange juice in this beautiful curried coconut citrus cod. The tender fish is poached in the flavorful sauce. Make it as spicy or as mild as you like.

When the theme for today’s Fish Friday Foodies was announced as Quite the Catch, in celebration of Valentines Day, I knew exactly which recipe I wanted to share. It comes from the great cookbook Orange Appeal by Jamie Schler (with gorgeous photos by Elva Beretta) that was released in August 2017

This first time I made this dish, I halved the ingredients list and cooked only two pieces of cod. Simple, elegant and full of flavor, yet super easy, curried coconut citrus cod would the perfect date night dinner. The problem was that we loved it so much that I kicked myself for not making enough for leftovers.

So despite this being a Valentines Day dinner suggestion, this time around, with permission from my friend, Jamie, I give you the whole fish recipe, which serves four. I skipped the recommended accompaniment of rice pilaf and served mine both times over steamed rice with sweet peas.

If you’d like a copy of Orange Appeal, move quickly, there are only seven left on Amazon! We are right in the middle of citrus season so this is the perfect time. I highly recommend it!

Curried Coconut Citrus Cod

Jamie called this dish Curried Cod Poached in Coconut Milk, Lime and Orange. Aside from shortening the name, I also substituted a hot pepper for her mild one and spicy curry powder, again instead of a milder mix. We like things spicy at our house! You do you.

Ingredients
1 fresh mild green pepper such as a guindilla, Basque fryer, Guernica, or Anaheim, stem removed (Or one small hot red pepper)
1/2 cup or 120 ml fresh lime juice (from about 3 juicy limes)
1/2 cup or 120 ml fresh orange juice (from about 1 1/2 -2 oranges)
1 2/3 cups or 400 ml thick coconut milk or coconut cream (I used cream)
1 tablespoon mild or medium curry powder (or hot!)
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (coriander), plus more for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 (6-ounce / 170 g) thick cod fillets
1 tablespoon butter

To serve: 4 portions of cooked rice – I also added some frozen sweet peas for color and nutrition right at the end of the rice cooking time.

Method
If you prefer non-spicy food, follow Jamie’s instructions to slice your mild pepper in half lengthwise and scrape out and discard the seeds, then slice each half into 2 lengthwise strips. If you are using a red chile pepper because you like spicy food, you can slice it into circles, leaving the seeds intact.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, orange juice, coconut milk, curry powder, cilantro, and with a light sprinkle of salt and a few good grinds of black pepper until blended.

Rinse the cod fillets and pat them dry with paper towels. Lightly salt and pepper each fillet on both sides.

Heat a wok or a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the butter. When the butter melts and begins to sizzle, add the pepper slices and gently slide in the cod fillets and cook to sear quickly for 1 minute; flip and cook the other side for 1 minute. I recommend a non-stick skillet to aid the turning of the fish.

Add the coconut milk mixture to the cod pan and bring it to a low boil. Little bubbles will start coming to the surface. Lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes or until the cod is cooked through. Add more salt, pepper or orange juice to taste. If your fillets aren't completely covered, spoon the hot sauce over the tops of them as they cook.

Serve over cooked rice or even pasta, with an extra sprinkle of chopped cilantro to garnish. The sauce is so flavorful that you’ll want to serve this in shallow bowls with spoons so you don’t miss a drop!

Enjoy!

Check out all the other "Quite the Catch" recipes we are sharing today! Many thanks to our host, Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla!

• Braised Cod Peperonata for Two by Karen at Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Curried Coconut Citrus Cod by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
• Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Shrimp) by Caroline at Caroline's Cooking
• Heart Salmon Cakes For A Romantic Meal by Sneha at Sneha's Recipe
• Lobster Thermidor by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Miyagi Oysters with Pomegranate Mignonette by Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Would you like to join Fish Friday Foodies? We post and share new seafood/fish recipes on the third Friday of the month. To join our group please email Wendy at wendyklik1517 (at) gmail.com. Visit our Facebook page and Pinterest page for more wonderful fish and seafood recipe ideas.

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Jansson’s Frestelse - Creamy Anchovy Potato Bake #FoodieExtravaganza

Frestelse means temptation in Swedish so this wonderful dish is aptly named. It looks and smells SO GOOD. Made with potatoes, sliced onions, salty anchovies and a very generous amount of rich cream, Jansson’s Frestelse - what I am also calling Creamy Anchovy Potato Bake - is a traditional casserole that is a must-have at Christmas in its native Sweden, but it’s also eaten year round there. Try it and you’ll see why. It’s too good to eat just once a year!

If you are a fan of Dauphinoise potatoes, you are going to love their Swedish cousin. According to Sweden.se,  Jansson’s Frestelse is named after opera singer and actor Per Adolf “Pelle” Janzon (1844-1889) who was apparently not just a talented comedic actor but also a lover of good food.

The Time/Life book, The Cooking of Scandinavia attributes the name to Erik Janson, (1808-1850) a 19th century Swedish religious zealot and self-appointed prophet. He lived an ascetic life, abstaining from fleshly pleasures, but apparently he was so tempted by this potato dish that he gave in, hence the name.

Whatever the source, this one’s a winner!

I baked mine in four little baking dishes because I thought they’d be pretty, but you can make your Creamy Anchovy Potato Bake in one big casserole. This dish is so rich that, as a side dish, we couldn’t finish our portions and ate the leftovers the next day. As a main dish, with just a fresh side salad, they are the perfect amount.

Jansson's Frestelse - Creamy Anchovy Potato Bake

For all the anchovy naysayers out there who are still with me, let me say, thanks for reading thus far. I can promise you that this dish is not fishy at all. The anchovies add a subtle flavor that is enhanced by the cream and onions. It all melds together with the potatoes creating a savory temptation topped by crunchy buttery breadcrumbs.

Ingredients for 4 as a main, 6­-8 as a side
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for topping
2 lbs or 910g potatoes
1 can (2 oz or 56g) anchovies in oil
1 3⁄4 cups or 414ml heavy whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3⁄4 cup or 45g fresh breadcrumbs

Method
Drain the can of anchovies, reserving the oil. Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your casserole dish by brushing the bottom and sides with the reserved oil.

Peel and slice the onions thinly. Sauté them gently in a pan with the butter, until they soften. Be careful not to let them brown.

Fill a large bowl with cold water. Peel the potatoes and cut them into strips, adding them to the bowl as you go. This will stop them from oxidizing or turning brown.

Drain the potatoes and use one third to line the bottom your greased baking dish. Spread half of the sautéed onions and half of the drained anchovies on top.

Top with another third of the potatoes, then the remaining onions and anchovies. Finish with the rest of the potatoes. Sprinkle with some salt and a few good grinds of black pepper. Pour in the cream.

Sprinkle the top with the fresh breadcrumbs and put a few little slices of butter on them.

Tip: In case the Creamy Anchovy Potato Bake bubbles over, I suggest using a baking pan or some heavy duty foil under the casserole dish. This will make cleanup so much easier.

Bake for about 45 minutes for smaller casserole dishes and as much as an hour for one big one, or until the potatoes are tender. Test them with a fork. If they are browning fast but the potatoes aren’t cooked through yet, you can cover them with some foil.

When the casserole is done, remove it from the oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Today I am joining my fellow bloggers to celebration National Potato Lovers Day. Many thanks to our host, Anne from Simple and Savory. Check out all the great potato dishes we are sharing!

• Air Fried Potato Chips by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Baked Rosti with Spiralized Potatoes by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Colcannon Potatoes by Simply Inspired Meals
• Creamy Cheeseburger & Veggie Hot Dish by Faith, Hope Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Healthy Twice Baked Potatoes by Simple and Savory
• Jansson's Frestelse - Creamy Anchovy Potato Bake by Food Lust People Love
• Krumplileves (Hungarian Potato Soup) by Tara's Multicultural Table
• Potato Hearts by Sneha's Recipe
• Sausage Stuffed Red Potatoes by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Schwabischer Kartoffelsalat (German Potato Salad) by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Scottish Macaroon Bars by Pandemonium Noshery
• Wet Breakfast Burrito by Palatable Pastime
• Waffled Hash Browns by Reviews, Chews & How-Tos

Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays by posting delicious recipes your family will love. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a home cook looking for tasty recipes, check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

Pin this Jansson’s Frestelse - 

Creamy Anchovy Potato Bake!

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Cheddar Ham Chive Muffins #MuffinMonday

Loads of extra mature sharp cheddar cheese, smoked ham and chives make these cheddar ham chive muffins the perfect accompaniment to your favorite soup, or as a stand alone treat for breakfast and snack time.

This past week I had the absolute pleasure of visiting a dear friend in Northern Wales. The weather flip-flopped from cold and clear to cold and snowy and back again with just a little rain and tiny hail from time to time to make things interesting. It was an ideal time to turn the oven on and bake!

Since Jane and I have similar tastes - salty over sweet every time - I decided that savory muffins were the way to go. As a bonus, Jane's parents were kind enough to let me use their back garden to take the muffin photos since it was rather dark inside. Check out the gorgeous sea view they enjoy! I could have looked at it all day if the temperatures hadn't been so cold! Yes, that is still SNOW on the ground.

The Irish Sea

Of course, I shared the muffins with them as well. They said they'd never had a savory muffin so I was pleased to be the baker and bearer of a first for them.

I had a similar experience when I baked Brie and Bacon Muffins for Scottish friends we were visiting in Paris. Despite my saying that the muffins were made with Brie and bacon, there were surprised faces at the breakfast table when they bit into (what??!!) savory muffins. What part of Brie and bacon made you think they would be sweet muffins! I exclaimed.

Cheddar Ham Chive Muffins

Use whatever cheese you have on hand for these wonderful muffins. I prefer an extra mature sharp cheddar but seriously, any semi-hard or hard cheese would do.

Ingredients
5 1/3 oz or 150g thick cut smoked ham
7 oz or 200g extra sharp mature cheddar cheese
2 chives or green onions (about 20g)
2 cups or 250g flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional but highly recommended)
1 cup or 240ml milk
1/4 cup or 60ml vegetable oil
2 eggs

Method
Preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C and generously grease your muffin pan or use silicone muffin cups.  If you don't have silicone liners, I would suggest putting the batter into a greased pan rather than paper muffin cups because the cheese in these makes them bake up lovely and browned and crunchy all over. It would stick to a paper liner.

Cut your ham into small squares. Grate half of the cheese with a large hole grater and cut the other half into small cubes. Finely chop the chives.

Separate out just a little of each to top the muffins before baking.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cayenne, if using. Stir in the grated cheddar cheese and the ham.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and oil together. Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until  they are just combined.

Gently fold in the cheddar cubes. 

Spoon the batter into your very well greased muffin pan or silicone liners. Top each filled cup of batter with the reserved ham, grated cheese and chopped chives.

Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until they are looking browned and crispy and delicious and you can't wait another second to eat them.

Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes then use a non-pointy knife to loosen/remove them and the melted cheese from the muffin pan. You don't want to scratch your pan!

Enjoy!

Check out all the other lovely muffins my Muffin Monday bakers are sharing today:

• Cheddar Ham Chive Muffins from Food Lust People Love
• Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins from Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Orange Chia Seed Muffins from Passion Kneaded
• Pineapple Macadamia Nut Muffins from Palatable Pastime
• Triple Chocolate Muffins from Karen's Kitchen Stories

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

Pin these Cheddar Ham Chive Muffins!

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