Kringla

Some friends of ours here in Kona host a monthly themed potluck. It's a grand affair on their porch in the mountains overlooking the sea, their verdant vegetable garden, and their crop of pin cushion proteas (one of my favorite tropical flowers). They have an outdoor Portuguese oven and everyone brings along bread to cook in the scalding 500 degree furnace. Shiny golden and black Roosters and chickens peck happily at the volcanic soil, cheerfully guarded by two tiny fearless mutts.

All that to say this past month was Scandinavian themed and I brought along my Grandmother's Kringla. There were no leftovers- always a compliment at a potluck! This is a nice cookie/tea cake to enjoy with a strong pot of cardamom laced coffee. It's quite subtle, but moist and shaped like a curly que. Let me know if you try it out.

Great Grandma Hertle's Kringla:

2 c sour cream

1/2 c buttermilk

1 1/2 c sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Flour to thicken (grandma doesn't specify, but I used about 6 cups of flour plus more for rolling out)

Add flour until thick enough to roll into logs and shape into figure eights. Bake at 350 degrees for 10- 12 minutes until lightly golden.