LET’S HYGGE AUGUST 2024
[definition of hygge]
a quality of cosiness and comfortable living that engenders a feeling of contentment and well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).
Add a little hygge to each month
Hello, I hope this greeting finds you well. I am in Denmark, combining work and holiday. It’s SO good to be back. The sounds of birds singing, the smell of linden trees, and the long, bright nights – all of it feels familiar and “hyggeligt.” I feel at home, experiencing deep joy reconnecting with family and friends. Good conversations and simply being together is invaluable. I refuel on my morning walks, exploring new parts of the city and revisiting old favorites. As Copenhagen is full of wildflowers, I have made it a habit to pick some flowers on my walks. Below, I’ll share my love for creating bouquets of wildflowers and a traditional Danish cake filled with strawberries and whipped cream. This is used for birthdays and special occasions. Also I share with you an entertaining Danish serie, a wonderful Danish trilogy and a Danish song, which is so very iconic.
I wish you a wonderful August filled with hygge, cake and wildflowers!
BOUQUET OF WILDFLOWERS
I love creating bouquets and foraging for flowers on my walks. This bouquet was picked on one of my morning walks along the beach. Denmark has left many grassy areas and paths along the road not mowed to create habitat for endangered insects. This has resulted in a wonderful abundance of flowering weeds. I picked a selection of white wildflowers combined with some grasses. To make the bouquet last longer, remove all leaves from the stems that touch the water and change the water occasionally. I always keep scissors in the car in case I pass by some wonderful flowers along the road.
CLASSIC DANISH BIRTHDAY CAKE
This birthday cake is create by my dear friend Anette Eckmann. I was lucky to be able to celebrate her birthday here in Copenhagen. She has had this every year for her birthday, first created by her mother, as a child and since by herself, as an adult. It’s light and delicious filled with strawberries and whipped cream with seeds from a vanilla pod. You can use any berries in season. To make even more delicious, Anette had drizzled the base with Vin Santo! Yum…
ALL YOU NEED
SPONGE CAKE
4 eggs
150 g sugar
60 g flour
80 g potato flour
1 tsp baking powder
FILLING
400 ml whipping cream
500 g strawberries (keep a few berries for decoration)
1 vanilla pod
DECORATION
Editable flowers for decoration
METHOD
SPONGE CAKE Beat the eggs until light and foamy with the sugar. Sift the two types of flour and the baking powder and carefully folded into the egg mass. The dough is poured into a well-greased springform cake pan and bake for 20-30 min. at 200 degrees. Loosen the springform cake pan and let the cake cool. When it is completely cold, slice it very carefully into two equally thick slices with a sharp bread knife. If you want the cake extra refined you can drizzle the sponge cakes with Vin Santo, Sherry or other spirits!
FILLING Whip the cream until frothy and flavour with the seed from a vanilla pod. Clean the strawberries, pat them dry, keep a few whole ones from decoration and cut the rest into small cubes. Carefully fold them into the whipped cream.
DECORATION Place one slice of the sponge cake on a plate. Spread half of the filling and place the next slice on top. Add the rest of the filling and decorate the cake as you wish. In Denmark, Danish flags are a must for every birthday!
In Sydney, I am a member of a Danish book club that reads only Scandinavian literature. We are a group of Danish women who meet once a month, taking turns cooking and hosting. It’s a joyful community where we discuss the books we’ve read, often leading to wonderful discussions about our childhoods and upbringings in Denmark. The books spark fantastic conversations, so engaging that I often find it hard to sleep afterwards, overwhelmed with delightful input.
This trilogy by the renowned Danish author Tove Ditlevsen was a wonderful read. We had all read her books in high school, but it was interesting to revisit her work with the perspectives and ages we have now. Tove Ditlevsen is celebrated as one of the most important and unique voices in twentieth-century Danish literature. The Copenhagen Trilogy (1969-71) is her acknowledged masterpiece. The New York Times named it one of the 10 best books of 2021 for its “stunning clarity, humor, and candidness.” You can find it here in English and here in Danish.
I have immensely enjoyed watching the Danish comedy “The Orchestra”. It features characteristic Danish sarcasm, which I find very funny, though it may not be for everyone. The theme revolves around #MeToo, woke culture and political correctness. I found it very entertaining. See if it is something for you – on SBS in Australia or DR in Denmark!
Do you want to catch up on some of the previous months? Please head to my Journal here: https://lindbjerggraphic.com.au/journal/
Feel free to share “let’s hygge” with a friend…
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let’s hygge july 2024
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Danish 
English 