Runeberg's muffins: recipe and history bites

Let's celebrate Finland's national poet with these succulent muffins that are easy and fun to make! 

Runeberg's Muffins / Tarts 

Dough for 6 muffins

150 g (5.3 oz) butter (room temperature)

1 1/2 dl (0.5 cups) sugar

2 eggs

1 dl (0.4 cups) ground almonds

1 1/2 dl (0.5 cups) wheat flour

1 1/2 dl (0.5 cups) breadcrumbs, or gingerbread crumbs

1 tl (ts) baking powder

1/2 dl (0.2 cups) cream

wetting:

punch or almond liquor

or

sour almond flavoring mixed with water and sugar,

- according to taste

(if you have none of these, apple or apricot juice will do)

decoration:

1 dl (0.2 cups) powdered sugar

n.1/2 rkl (Tbs) water

raspberry jam or marmalade

1. Whisk the butter into white foam. Add eggs one by one while whisking. Add cream.

2. Combine the rest of the dry ingredients and mix quickly.

3. Butter muffin trays or molds and spoon the mix in them.

4. Bake 15 min in 200 C (400F)

5. Let the baked muffins cool down and firm-up while you prepare the wetting. Dip each muffin quickly in the wetting (at both ends) and set on a tray.

6. Mix powdered sugar and water together. Place a spoonful of jam or marmalade on top of each muffin, and frame with the watered sugar.

These only get better in time, and preserve in the fridge for a week, if you used alcohol based wetting. Although, I cannot guarantee they survive for that long untouched…

History bites

Johan Ludvig Runeberg is the national Poet of Finland. Finns celebrate him on the 5^th of February, by eating these delish muffins. Some may even read or listen to some of his poems. The most famous works of Runeberg are “Our Land” which is the unofficial finnish anthem, and “The Tales of Ensign Stål”, a collection of war poetry. You may hear me read a sample from tales of Ensign Stål on my video feed, here.

Runeberg was known to have a real sweet-tooth. His wife, Fredrika Runeberg, baked these muffins for his husband for breakfast. Some sources claim that Fredrika is responsible for the recipe, but it is more likely that the credit belongs to konditorei Lars Astenius, who sold the muffins near Runeberg’s house, in the city of Pori. Fredrika likely sneaked the recipe into her own cookbook from the konditorei’s selection.

J.L.Runeberg with his wife Fredrika, 1863. Not sure who the young man is.

Runeberg was a celebrity of his time in Finland, and his favorite muffins became famous. The muffin is very fitting for a national delicacy, considering that it is very simple, yet festive. It is good to remember, that in those days in most of Finland, people ate bark for bread.