We're in the middle of a heatwave here in Estonia, and there's no end in sight. On the contrary, the weather forecast announces that the temperatures will soar even higher during the next few days. I'm not a hot weather person, and the heat has seriously affected my enthusiasm and ability to cook and stand by the stove. We've been eating sandwiches, tabbouleh, lots of hummus, and sugarsnap peas, carrots and radishes from our own garden. And this Danish dessert, koldskål. The traditional koldskål starts with an eggnog base that's topped with buttermilk, but modern versions often substitute raw egg yolks with thick yogurt. That's what I've done here as well. The traditional topping is kammerjunkere, but you can crumble some cantucci biscuits on top or use granola or müsli. I love the cardamom-scented "skorpor" you'll find at your nearest IKEA (those are the ones I've used here). Most of the recipes I've seen use lemon juice or vanilla extract for seasoning. I opted for elderflower cordial, as I've got fond memories of my host mum Kirsten using elderflower cordial to season lots of different desserts during my summer in Denmark back in 1993. I LOVE the floral notes elderflower cordial adds, and I think my host mum would approve :) A great dessert to enjoy during those hot summer days. (There aren't many blog posts about koldskål, but you can check out Gitte's recent post. My favourite Danish foodblogger Zarah Maria, has only briefly mentioned this wonderful dessert). Danish buttermilk soup (Külm petisupp marjade ja kuivikutega) Serves four 200 g thick yogurt or creme fraiche 4 Tbsp sugar 750 ml (3 cups) buttermilk 2 to 3 Tbsp elderflower cordial or lemon juice To serve: strawberries, raspberries or other soft fruit crispy biscuits or 'skorpor' couple of fresh mint or lemonbalm leaves Combine sugar and yogurt in a bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in the cordial and buttermilk, whisk until combined. If necessary, place to the fridge to cool. To serve, divide the koldskål into bowls, top with some biscuits and lots of strawberries. Garnish with mint or lemonbalm leaves and serve. D
