When you think of December, you think of Christmas.
No matter how old I get, I still feel excited.
Christmas is a special day, and I look forward to the presents, delicious treats and sweets.
This time we will introduce some Christmas-themed sweets.
It would be boring to just introduce it, so let's make it ourselves and introduce it!
And that's what came to mind.
However, I was wondering what to do when I came across a workshop.
I contacted them immediately and made a reservation.
The contents of the workshop
"Making Joulutorttu, a traditional Finnish Christmas cake"
The place we visited was "Keitto Ruokala"
First of all, what is youlturttu?
It's an unfamiliar sound, isn't it?
Joulutorttu
Joulu means Christmas, and torttu means pie or tart
It's a straightforward name: Christmas pie.
The interior of the store is a cozy space bathed in soft light, and the staff are cheerful, creating a homely atmosphere.
All the customers were smiling and seemed to be having fun.
Shortly after we sat down, the workshop began.
The instructor is Taliya from Finland.
He worked as a baker at the famous Finnish cafe, Cafe Esplanadi.
To be honest, although I participated on impulse, I was full of anxiety about whether I, being clumsy, would be able to do it.
Once we started, we were relieved to find that the base pie dough was already prepared.
The dough is based on strong flour and is filled with plenty of butter.
Apparently, making this pie dough is difficult, and it's hard to work with it while keeping it chilled so the butter doesn't melt.
This time, you will experience the process of making cuts in the dough, creating a shape, and topping it with jam.
Even I, who am not very handy, was able to complete this step without any difficulty.
The standard shape of a youluttut is something like a shuriken or a windmill.
This shape is a star, resembling the star that is placed on top of a Christmas tree.
Fold the cuts towards the centre and place the jam in the centre.
(Compared to the others, my greedy youlutorttu has way too much jam...)
Then just put it in the oven and wait for it to cook.
This is Taliyah's example. It would be more fun if there were other shapes besides stars.
While waiting for the cakes to finish baking, I asked Taliya about youlturttu.
It is often made in households around Christmas time, and it is common to use frozen pie dough when making it at home.
The jam on top will vary depending on each household and personal preference, and while prune, apricot, and apple are all delicious, be careful as regular jams can burn in the oven and change color.
This time, I used plum jam, which Taliyah recommended. It's oven-safe and won't burn easily.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200-230°C for around 10 minutes, adjusting the time as you go.
While waiting for the food to be cooked, we had a light meal.
(I came for a workshop, but ended up spending most of my time talking and eating.)
Homemade bread, salad, burdock potage, meatballs, and stewed beef cheeks.
Everything I ate was very delicious.
Taliyah is cheerful and charming, and she answers all your questions with great enthusiasm.
While waiting for the food to be cooked, we had a great time chatting and asking questions.
Meanwhile, the youltorttu was done.
Finish with a little powdered sugar.
It looks like it came out really nicely, doesn't it? Maybe it's because of the lovely plate?
It smells good from the moment you put it in front of you.
The sweet aroma wafted through the air. I couldn't resist it so I ate it right away.
The outside has a crispy pie texture, while the inside is moist and chewy.
The aroma of butter fills your mouth. Happiness.
The slightly sour yet refreshingly sweet jam is layered together, making it seem like you could eat as many as you wanted.
Finally, we had coffee and the workshop came to an end.
I had so much fun that my original purpose almost faded into the back of my mind.
Finally, we asked Taliya what is delicious in Finland?
"I recommend the salmon and cinnamon rolls. And the reindeer!"
Reindeer... Finland seems to have a lot more to offer.
The restaurant we visited this time, Keitto Ruokala, is a restaurant where you can relax and enjoy delicious, healthy food inspired by the lifestyles of people in Northern Europe.
There are a variety of workshops held regularly that look like a lot of fun.
The store will close temporarily on December 26th and is scheduled to reopen in March 2021 in a larger scale in Daito City, Osaka Prefecture.
Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, Chuo Ward, Hiranomachi 3-3-5-1F
Tel: 06-6121-6871
