“Norwegian food specialties Featured by Brye sisters” from the November 9, 1967 Door County Advocate
LEFSE was being made here as Molly Brye in the foreground rolled them out with a special rolling pin and Ruth in the background baked them on an electric lefse griddle. —Harmann
Norwegian food specialties Featured by Brye sisters
By FRANCES BADTKE
Norwegian food specialties are featured often at the trim white house with blue shutters on Memorial drive where the Misses Ruth and Amalia (Molly) Brye, both retired nurses, make their home.
Their Norwegian heritage is still strong and both have made several trips to their native land and still speak the Norwegian language. They also both have costumes from the “old country” although they are from different sections. Ruth’s is from the Hardanger section and Molly’s from Gudbransdalen.
Their home is filled with mementoes each has brought back from European excursions and regardless if you visit Ruth downstairs or Molly’s apartment upstairs, their Scandinavian background is evident.
Their grandparents came to this country from Hollingdal and Edisvoll. The names roll off their tongues with familiarity and they are acquainted with their European cousins.
Their grandmother was married in Norway and came to the United States two weeks later. She came first to Milwaukee and then went to Coon valley. To get to the western part of the state she put her worldly possessions on her back and started on a three week trek on foot across the primitive trails.
There she and her husband bought land from the government at $I.25 per acre and their grandfather worked in the lumber camp during winters to help pay for the farm. The couple raised four boys and four girls.
The Brye girls’ mother was one of these four girls and they still have the silver fruit tray that was one of her wedding presents.
Molly has made three trips to Norway to visit relatives and Ruth two. Molly spent three months there last year. She left Sturgeon Bay first and spent two weeks in Paris before going on to Oslo. Her sister Ruth joined her there later and spent 2 1/2 months in Norway with her visiting relatives.
Ruth made her first trip in 1929 with a Lutheran European tour of 200 people. It was then she purchased her first authentic Norwegian costume. That one she wore out. She now has her second one which she enjoys wearing on special occasions.
Molly made her first trip in 1947 and the second in 1953. After the first trip they had a 100th anniversary at Coon Valley of the family at the original place where the Bryes had settled. The two sisters made their latest trip in 1966 when they spent more time.
Molly bought her Norwegian costume in Oslo. There she was measured and then the hand embroidering started. It took one year to make and is beautifully designed and executed.
Both have brought back many souvenirs of Norway and have been in demand by local clubs to speak and show their slides taken while there.
Among the special things they have to remind them of their “homeland” are a special sardine fork, a Viking ship used as a salt dish, a Viking horn which holds pepper, many special serving pieces, woven draperies, and some beautiful examples of Hardanger embroidery, a special intricately worked type done in white thread on white material, counting threads and pulling some sections of threads out.
Molly has a lovely set of dinnerware with a rosemaling design, one which she has promised to see that a niece will get some day.
They still correspond with relatives and friends and have also been called upon to translate letters written in Norwegian which others have received and could not read.
For the first time last year they attended the annual Scandinavian Festival on Washington Island and wore their costumes. Talking to Arni Richter at the Bank of Sturgeon Bay’s annual Smorgasbord at the Bay View Lutheran church, he urged them to don their costumes and come and enjoy the festival.
Ruth had often worked at immunization clinics on the Island and so the sisters accepted the invitation and enjoyed themselves immensely.
One of the special treasures brought back is a very large and complete cookbook written in Norwegian. Just looking at the pictures alone is enough to make the mouth of any Norwegian food-lover water.
It is called the Byldendals Store Kokebook, which translated means the Big Cookbook. It is a treasury of Smorgasbord and Scandinavian cookery recipes and ideas, even showing how to fold napkins in intricate patterns and designs.
Not that either of the Brye sisters needs a big cookbook, or even a small one for that matter. They love the favorite Norwegian foods and make them often.
“Whenever we get hungry for some of them, we just make some,” Molly explained.
Sandbakkels, Krumkake and Rosettes are practically household words at the Brye home and the making of Lefse has become quite commonplace. They freeze part of them for whenever they want some in a hurry.
Recipes are given here for the four special favorites that the Misses Ruth and Molly Brye make regularly. Of course, they have that special touch, but they claim that anyone can follow the recipes here and get perfect results.
You don’t need a Norwegian accent or a costume, they claim, just a kitchen and a love for Norwegian foods.
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KRUMKAKE, SWEET AND CRISP, were being baked on a special iron by Molly as she carefully dropped just a teaspoonful of the batter onto the hot grids. —Harmann
ROSETTES are made with a special iron dipped in batter and then into hot oil. Ruth Brye demonstrates her technique of removing them from the iron. At the left is a plate of Sandbakkels which are formed over fancy molds. Recipes for these Norwegian foods are given below. —Harmann
KRUMKAKE
3 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla (or cardamom)
½ cup melted butter
1 cup plus 2 T. flour
Beat eggs until thick and add sugar gradually, then add vanilla (or cardamom). Add butter and flour alternately, ending with the flour.
Put one teaspoon of batter on hot iron. When slightly browned on edges, remove from iron with table knife and roll on a wooden spoon handle. Cool before removing.
Some Norwegians like these filled with whipped, sweetened cream or jam, but the Bryes like them just as they are.
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SANDBAKKELS
1¼ cup sugar
1 cup butter
½ cup shredded coconut
1 egg
2¾ cups flour
½ tsp. (hartshorn) baking ammonia (Can be obtained at drug store.)
Cream sugar and butter well together. Add rest of ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Pat ball of dough the size of a walnut into small fluted Sandbakkel tins.
Bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes.
Cool in tins. Remove from fluted tins and store in covered container.
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LEFSE
4 cups mashed potatoes
2 T. shortening
1 tsp. sugar
1½ tsp. salt
Mash the hot boiled potatoes until very smooth. Add shortening and sugar. Refrigerate over night.
In the morning add ½ cup flour, mix well. Take approximately ⅓ cup of dough; add small amount of flour (just I enough to handle dough.) Roll thin on well floured board.
Bake on lefse grill, turning to brown on both sides. Fold in half and place between towels until cooled.
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ROSETTES
2 eggs
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup flour
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup milk
Beat eggs slightly and add sugar and salt. Add milk and flour and beat until smooth.
Heat Rosette iron in very hot corn oil and dip into batter, being careful not to let batter run over the top of the iron, but just to the edge. Otherwise they will be just about impossible to remove without breaking.
Dip iron with batter on it into the hot corn oil until Rosette is nicely browned. Remove from fat and drain on paper toweling.
When serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Makes 40 Rosettes.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
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