Recipe: Medals (Medaljer) – Denmark

MAKES 10–12

Remove the sweet shortcrust pastry from the refrigerator a while before using.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) Gas 6.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 2–3 mm thick. Cut out 20–24 circles using the round pastry/cookie cutter and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for about 6–8 minutes or until just a little bit browned. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

Whip the whipping cream with the icing/confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until stiff. Set aside.

To make the icing, mix the icing sugar with the cocoa powder, then add 2–3 tablespoons of hot water and stir. You may need to add more water, but do so slowly so that it does not get too runny. You want a thick yet spreadable icing that will harden up as it dries.

Spread around a teaspoon each of frosting on top of half of the pastry circles. Use the back of the spoon to neatly spread towards the edges. Before the frosting sets, add the sprinkles.

Put a large teaspoon of pastry cream in the middle of each remaining bare pastry circle. Spoon the whipped cream into the piping bag and pipe a neat circle of whipped cream around the pastry cream. Add the frosted top layer to each and decorate with another swirl of whipped cream and small fresh berries of your choice. Serve chilled and eat with a pastry fork.

If you can’t be bothered to make pastry cream, use a thick set custard mixed with a little bit of whipped cream. Or just use a nice jam.

You can use any sweet shortcrust pastry you fancy – but if you do make a full recipe, the remainder can be frozen for another day. Or make the lovely apple pie tomorrow because, oh so lovely.