LASKIAINEN

Today (March 2nd) we are celebrating Laskiainen = Shrovetide, and also on the up-coming Tuesday, Laskiaistiistai = Shrove Tuesday. Laskiainen is celebrated in the middle of winter (tho, this year the winter was and went). It used to be a religious celebration and it marked the beginning of the Easter fast that last for 40 days. Personally, I'm not a religious person, so I don't know much about the religious side of Shrovetide. All I know is that during those 40 days it was not allowed to eat dairy products. However, the Laskiaissunnuntai = Shrove Sunday was the last day to eat those things, which made it a delicious feast. 

When I was younger I used to go sliding down the snow covered hills with my family, and attend different kinds of events organized for young families. I really liked sliding down the hills with a speed that made my parents worried if I hit a tree or something... hahh.

Nowadays we (meaning my family and I) don't do anything that special on Laskiaissunnuntai or Laskiaistiistai. We just eat ''laskiaispulla'' = Shrovetide buns, which are normal buns filled with jam and lots of whipped cream.

Recipe for Shrovetide buns (for about 30 buns)

Ingredients: 

5 dl milk 

2 dl sugar

1 tablespoon cardamom

1 teaspoon salt 

50 g fresh yeast 

About 14 dl wheat flour 

175 g butter or margarine 

1 egg 

sugar crystals

whipping cream 

any jam you like

Warm up the milk until it's around +35°C, add yeast, sugar, cardamom and salt. Keep on mixing and add half or the flour, then the soft butter/margarine and rest of the flour. The dough is ready when it doesn't stick on the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a fabric (a kitchen towel or something) and leave it to rest in a warm place for an hour. 

Warm up the oven to +225°C Then take the dough on the table and make round buns. Put them on the baking tray and cover with a fabric. Let them rest for about 30 minutes. Then grease the top of the buns with egg and sprinkle sugar crystals on top. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10-15 minutes. 

Let them cool down. You may eat them like that, or make them into Shrovetide buns. Halve the buns and put the whipped cream and jam between the halves. Enjoy!

Have a nice Shrovetide!

As we Finns say "Liukasta Laskiaista!" = "Have a slippery sliding day !"


Annnd, do you celebrate Shrovetide? If so, please tell me how! :)