In Search For The (Almost...) Perfect Danish

 I've been on a Danish kick lately, and I'm not talking about the pastry. Last week I met up with some of my Danish missionaries. Christmastime takes me back to the country as well. And when I see fireworks on New Year Eve at midnight, I remember watching a bunch of drunk Danes almost blow off various body parts on New Years Eve in Copenhagen as they lit incredibly dangerous fireworks off as they rang in the new year.

But, this post is about food, specifically Danish pastry..sometimes called danish.

It's funny. After we returned from living in Denmark, you never look at pastry the same. Yes, there's some excellent desserts in America, but it's sort of like thinking about good American cars and comparing them to what they make in Germany. Except it's Denmark not Germany and pastry not cars.

When we used to get together in the years after our time in Denmark, we'd talk about how much we missed the food. Sometimes someone would chime in about a bakery somewhere that had good Danish pastry. The follow up response was always, "it's good, but not ægte." We were good at spotting non-genuine attempts.

My friend and fellow Danish missionary posted on social media today about a place in Salt Lake that is trying to create delicious food for all of us. There's a Denmark connection as well. The owner was married to another former Danish missionary, a friend who passed away during covid. It's called Deliciously Flaked...great name. You can find out more about the company by clicking on their website: HERE. I've recommended products and books I haven't tried before. I feel good doing it for this business because it will help out a friend's family.

I know many of us had our own pastry favorites, but one that eludes bakeries here is something called a Trekant. It's basically a big triangle pastry covered with chocolate and filled with cream. You almost never see them over here. Deliciously Flaked sells them. Next time I'm down south, I'm going to give it a try.

Always in search for the (almost...) perfect Danish.

When Your--Danish--Friends Bring Treats...

 We had guests earlier this week...

And they brought gifts.

The gifts were in the form of a box of treats, but not just any treats...Danish treats.

Like us, another family left the congested roads and gunky air and migrated north, to the land of open fields and happy people. They contacted us and we invited them over. They brought deliciousness.

Funny thing about the times in which we live. I had actually never met these new residents of our county, even though we had known of each other since the advent of social media. That's when I got to know one person, someone who came from Denmark and who moved to America around the same time I left that country to come home.

Man, I miss Denmark, especially at Christmas. These homemade Danish goodies took me back.

We use the word, "Danish" to describe not only a language, but also a food. There's a reason Denmark is famous for its pastry. The treats in the box did the Danish people proud. Holiday food is just one type of delicious food the Scandinavians enjoy. Red cabbage, Danish meatballs, rice pudding...it's all great.

I've loved being able to connect with the Danish culture, even though I'm not 100% Danish...my tests show me having 8% Scandinavian DNA. And it's fun meeting and enjoying the company of new neighbors. Thanks for the goodies! We'll have to make it up to you sometime soon.

Ever Had A Danish Kringle...?

I have great in-laws. I'm kind of lucky, in that regard. And to prove my point, I present the gift our family was given for Christmas this year by my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Pam and John. The gift came all the way from Wisconsin.

And it was a Danish Kringle.

I've never been to Wisconsin. I'm sure it's beautiful. I'm sure it's also cold in the winter. It would most likely remind me of another place that's beautiful and cold in the winter, Denmark, home of Danish pastry. It's been a while since I've walked upon the rolling hills of my fatherland, almost twenty-five years...much too long. I told my wife that when I get my book published, we'd go over--even more incentive to get that thing in print.

The best compliment you can give any baker in America making Danish pastry is that their pastry is close. OH Danish Bakery is close. Don't get me wrong, it's delicious, but there's something about eating desserts in the country named after those desserts. Maybe it's the Danish air that brings in daily storms that blow across the countryside. Maybe the natural cheerfulness of the people is somehow infused within their confections. Maybe it's a secret that only they know and the rest of the world will only hopefully one day understand. All I know, is I don't believe I've ever tasted anything as good.

I spent two years in Denmark and I ate a lot of pastry. Back then I had to work my butt off to keep any weight on. Funny how life likes to change its mind. Now if I lived there and ate as I once did, I wouldn't last two months. Good thing I'm in America.

Thank you Pam and John for all the deliciousness, and for everything else!