May Day May Day It's Snowing!!

Hauskaa Vappua!  Happy May Day! 

It's snowing here today and in Finland it's a beautiful spring May Day.  

My Mother almost always served sima as the drink with her Finnish meals for guests.  In Finland, her Mother only made it on  May Day.  My Dad made the sima a few days ago and I'm making the sugar dougnuts, something they used to make in her town as well.  See last year's blog post for the other pastry usually made in Finland. 

As I understand it, to make sima, my Mummo, would first wash and clean her milk bucket.  Second, she'd prepare the lemons and add the sugars and then pour the boiling water over it.  Next she'd let sit until it cooled enough to add the yeast.  After that, she'd cover the milk pail tightly and let it sit overnight.  In the morning, she'd strain out the lemon pulp and peel, and bottle it.  So, to make sima, you will want to make it 3-4 days before you want to drink it.  Here's my Mother's Sima recipe:

Sima 

1 lemon, (peel and pulp)

1 kettle of 4 quarts water

2 1/4 cups white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

Boil a few minutes. Cool.  Add 1/4 tsp. yeast (mixed in a little warm water).  Cover tightly.  Let stand overnight.  In the morning, strain.  Bottle, add a few raisins and cap.  Put in dark, cool cellar for 3-4 days.  Serve chilled. 

Note:  Much more yeast is used as you make it at sea level, as Finland is.  As my Mother experimented in the mountains, she had a few surprises:)

Pikamunkit -- Quick Sugar Doughnuts

2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cardamom
1 1/4 cups cream
2 eggs

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the cream and eggs. Mix into a smooth dough. Take small dabs of dough and drop them immediately into hot 350F oil . Cook until light brown, about 4-5 minutes. Roll in sugar while still warm and serve as soon as possible.