Icelandic cooking, recipes and food

I got a request for this some weeks ago through the discussion forum, and now I have finally found a recipe. Mysuostur is a soft brown cheese made from whey (mysa), which is a side product of cheese-making. It is boiled down until it thickens and caramelizes, just like dulce de leche , except it is not as sweet. Cheeses of this kind are made all over Scandinavia. Icelanders use the whey that is produced when skyr is made. The soft, spreadable version is sold as Mysingur in Icelandic supermarkets. In Norway it is known as prim or myseprim . 5,75 liters (5750 ml) whey (if you can't get skyr-whey, use cheese whey) 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tbs butter 2 tbs cream Put the whey and salt into a wide-mouthed pan and cook, uncovered, until it has reduced by 2/3. Stir in the sugar, butter and cream. At full boil, stir constantly until the cheese thickens. Test by putting a little on a plate. If it begins to set, the cheese is ready. Remove from the heat and stir until cooled. Sto...

This is a lovely cheesecake, rich and smooth. It is commercially available in Iceland. I just love it, and I'm grateful for The Icelandic Dairy Produce Marketing Association for providing the recipe for the public. The cake is relatively cheap when you buy it ready-made, but I think making it yourself adds to the enjoyment of eating it. While this is not a Christmas recipe per se, it is so time consuming that I would only ever make it for special occasions like Christmas or a special birthday party. Serves 10-12 (or 6-8, depending on how much self-control you have :-) 1 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs 5 tbs sugar 5 tbs butter, soft 90 g lemon flavoured gelatine 1 cup boiling water 500 g cream cheese, unflavoured, softened at room temperature 1 tsp vanilla essence 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup cream, whipped (measure before you whip) 1 can (480 g) mandarin orange sections 1/2 cup juice from mandarin oranges 2 tbs lemon juice 2 tsp unflavoured gelatine powder OR 2 sheets unflavoured gelatine Mi...

The Viking settlers are believed to have brought the knowledge of how to make skyr with them from Norway, and may have developed it further after settlement. Since that time, the knowledge of skyr -making has been lost in Scandinavia. Skyr looks like thick yoghurt, and the taste is reminiscent of it. But skyr is actually a type of fresh cheese. Because it is made with skim milk, the fat content is very low, allowing it to be eaten with cream and sugar without too much guilt. It is also an excellent source of calcium. Making it takes time, but it's well worth the effort. Skyr is not widely available outside Iceland (it is sold in limited amounts in some speciality shops in the USA), which can make it hard to produce in other countries. The reason for this is that in order to make skyr , you need skyr . There is a special bacteria culture that gives skyr its taste and texture, and the best way of getting the bacteria into a new batch is by mixing a portion of prepared skyr into...