When I was a kid, THE main event of the year was the annual ski trip. It was the one I looked forward to the rest of the year, and my family’s favorite place for skiing was (and still is) Åre, a picturesque little mountain village situated in Jämtland right in the middle of Sweden. Now, to me, grown up with the perspective that Stockholm was the belly button of Sweden (and the world), it wasn’t even close to the middle. To me, Åre was almost unthinkably far north, and very exotic.

So many things were different there, and on the road to Åre we’d drive by fields with wandering reindeer and moose. Strange, beautiful animals that I had only seen on tv and at the zoo before. And there were Sami people, the indigenous ethnic group of the region. From my narrow city perspective, they were a fairytale people with their colorful robes, strange language and exciting customs.

Even the food was exotic. In restaurants across the village we were confronted with an abundance of meat from game. Reindeer, elk, grouse and many others. The food was powerful, and even if some of the compositions reminded me of what I had tried at home, the wild flavors were completely new and exhilarating to me.

But it wasn’t the meat that thrilled me the most. Instead, the number one exciting flavor I encountered in Åre came from berries. Cloudberries, to be precise. As I remember it, these divine berries were very rare in the Stockholm area back then. They grew in the wild far up north, and were extremely exclusive. Mysterious. Almost secret. Now I know that they do actually grow more or less all over the country, but back then they were a magical symbol of the exotic Northern Sweden (which was actually Middle Sweden) to me. I am still enchanted by the flavor of Cloudberries, and I eat them with everything from Croissants to pancakes.

Here they are served in one of the most traditional Swedish manners – hot Cloudberry Jam together with a smooth homemade vanilla ice cream.
Still magical.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and Warm Cloudberry Jam

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Author: Kalle Bergman
Total Time: 70 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

Experience the enchanting taste of Northern Sweden with this homemade vanilla ice cream topped with warm cloudberry jam, a traditional and delightful combination.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 1/2 lb cloudberries
3/4 lb sugar
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks from free-range eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 vanilla pod, split and scraped

Instructions

Rinse and clean the cloudberries thoroughly. Place them in a large saucepan with 3/4 lb of sugar. Shake the pan lightly every now and then, but do not stir. Leave the pan in a cool place for 2 hours to allow the berries to macerate.
After 2 hours, slowly heat the saucepan over low heat. Cook the berries and sugar mixture for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the jam thickens and the berries have broken down. Set aside and keep warm.
For the vanilla ice cream, in a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of heavy cream. Add the split and scraped vanilla pod. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and let it steep for 15 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 4 egg yolks and 3/4 cup of sugar until the mixture is pale and thick.
Slowly pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon, about 8-10 minutes. Do not let it boil.
Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the ice cream to a container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
Serve the homemade vanilla ice cream with warm cloudberry jam on top.

Notes

Cloudberry jam can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. If cloudberries are unavailable, substitute with raspberries or blackberries for a different but delicious flavor. The ice cream base can be prepared a day in advance to save time. Serve the ice cream immediately after adding the warm jam for the best contrast in temperatures.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: Scandinavian