I love this dessert – it is a breeze to make, and its flavor has the perfect combination of tart and sweet with a little bit of nutty rye and some vanilla thrown in. Probably even better than the other trad Finnish dessert, whipped semolina-lingonberry porridge, and definitely quicker to make. We get lingonberries from a dear friend whose mother-in-law is a great berry picker. I can’t stop wondering how brilliant lingonberries are: they keep extremely well in the fridge just lightly crushed in their own juice, no need to add sugar or any other preservatives!
If fresh lingonberries are hard to find, there are a number of other berries that would work as well – cranberries or red currants probably being closest taste-wise. Another option would be to use lingonberry jam instead of the fresh berries and the sugar.
Here’s what I used (serves 2):
- 2 dl boiling hot water
- 1/2 dl rye flour (or a bit more if you prefer it thicker)
- pinch of salt
- 1 and 1/2 dl crushed lingonberries
- 1/2 dl whole cane sugar (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla sugar
I poured the boiled water in a large mixing bowl, and plugged my electric whisk. Then I started whisking the water and sprinkled the rye flour in the bowl. I continued whisking for about 10 minutes, until the rye porridge had turned quite light in color and fluffy in consistency. Then I added the rest of the ingredients and whisked for a few more minutes until thoroughly combined.
This is best served with cold vegan milk or vanilla custard.
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