Espoo Magazine 3/2021

Celebrate like
gentlefolk
Up until the early 20th century, the gentry spent
many happy summers in Espoo’s manor houses and
numerous villas. Espoo’s lakesides and seashores
were sought-after sites for villas, and many families
living in the capital moved to theirs for the whole
summer. Gradually, these villa areas became villages
and then suburbs.
Summer activities included parties and leisurely
afternoons drinking coffee. Summer parties were a
frequent occurrence in such villa communities. By
the end of the 19th century, wheat was available
widely enough that baking cakes and other delicacies
became popular.
One such delicacy favoured at summer parties was
Herrasväen Wienerleivät, or the Gentlefolk’s Danish
Pastries. You can find a recipe for them in Finnish in
the book Keittiömuistoja ja ruokaohjeita Espoosta,
published by Espoon Perinneseura (Espoo Heritage
Society). It seems that the recipe has been passed
from one generation of local families to the next for
decades.
“These Danish pastries are reminiscent of brioche.
They probably originated in Southern Europe where
many of the delicacies enjoyed by the gentry have
come from,” says Tarja Rae from the Heritage Society
who has compiled the recipe book.
A colleague gave her the recipe for the Gentlefolk’s
Danish Pastries in 1975.
“They are fairly easy to make. Every cook at home
will be able to make them in their own kitchen and
pack them in their Espoo Day picnic basket.”
Timo Porthan
”
These pastries were
chosen as a special
Espoo Day treat
because they
are fairly easy
to make.
Once cooled,
serve with good
coffee and great
company on
Espoo Day.
Gentlefolk’s Danish Pastries (25 pcs)
Dough:
Filling:
150g butter 100g butter
2 tbsp sugar 100g icing sugar
2 eggs 3 tsp vanilla sugar
40 g yeast (almond paste,
400 g plain flour raisins)
100 ml milk
Also one egg for brushing the pastries and ground
and flaked almonds for decoration.
Instructions: Add the yeast to the lukewarm milk
and let it dissolve. Break the eggs into the milk and
mix well. Add the soft butter, sugar and flour and
knead into an even dough. Roll the dough into a sheet
about 5 mm thick. To make the filling, beat the butter
and sugar together until thick and spread on top
of the sheet of dough. Roll up the sheet and cut it
into roughly 3 cm wide slices. Put the rolls in muffin
cases and let them rise for about an hour. Brush the
pastries with egg, decorate with ground and flaked
almonds and bake for 12–15 minutes at 225 °C.
22 A magazine for Espoo residents