Tebrødstenger med Syltetøy, a Traditional Cake from Østfold

Tebrødstenger, a traditional Norwegian cake

Tebrødstenger or tea bread is a long flat cake or pastry that seems to be for sale in all sorts of forms in the shops and bakeries in Norway. It's a firm cake filled with any jam or marmalade of your choice.

As great as it is to have the convenience of buying one, it's so much nicer to have something that you have made at home.

Tebrødstenger is great with a cup of coffee or tea

It's a super recipe to have in your repertoire as it goes perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee and you can utilise any jam or marmalade you have to hand at the time

This version is from Onsøy, on the east of Oslofjord not far from me, and is a traditional recipe from that region.

So let's bake!

Tebrødstenger, filled with jam

Tebrødstenger med Syltetøy (makes 2 x 25cm teabreads)

Ingredients

375g / 13oz butter or margarine

180g / 6.5oz sugar

3 eggs

650g / 1lb 2oz plain, all purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

Small jar of jam or marmalade

Icing or powdered sugar

Method

Beat together the butter or margarine and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix well together. You will have a fairly stiff dough at this point. If you feel it's a little sticky you can add a bit more flour, a small spoonful at a time. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or put it in a container with a lid and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 190C/380F

Line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof paper. Divide the dough into 2 even pieces and roll each piece into a sausage about 25cm long. Place on the baking sheet and flatten slightly with your hand. Make a dip all the way along the centre with the side of your hand and fill with the jam. Avoid the ends to that it doesn't spill out too much when you bake it. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 15 minutes until a light golden brown. Cool for about 15 minutes on the baking sheets before carefully transferring to a wire rack. Mix some icing sugar with either water or milk to make an icing that is not too runny. Once the teabreads are cold cover the dough with the icing you have made avoiding the jam. Cut into pieces and serve!

Vær så god!

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