Baltic Christmas Day 3 - Rupjmaizes Kārtojums (sweet rye trifle)

On Day 3 of 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas, we are excited to welcome Andārte Phillips and the students of Krišjāņa Barona Latviešu Skola with their recipe for rupjmaizes kārtojums, also known as Latvian ambrosia or sweetened rye trifle! This iconic traditional Latvian dessert utilizes dark rye bread as part of its layered flavor combination, and is considered a classic treasure of Latvian national cuisine.

“Sveiks! Mani sauc Andārte Phillips un mani vecāki Līga un Laimonis Streipi uzaudzināja mani, manas māsas Žubīti un Katrīnu un brāli Kārli kā krietnus latviešus; mēs visi četri uzturam savu latvietību dēļ viņiem. Es jau otro reizi mācu Latvisko virtuvi Krišjāņa Barona Latviešu skolā kas man ir sirds darbs, jo es esmu izmācijusies gan ēdiena gatavošanas kursus gan arī esmu licensēta skolotāja un Čikāgas pirmsskolas Stariņš direktore. Man patīk mācīt KBLS bērniem klasiskos vecos Latviešu ēdienus gatavot kā šo rupmaizes kārtojumu kā gan arī aukstu biešu zupu vai debesmannā. Man ir arī liels prieks ar šo visu dalīties ar citiem!”

Sveiks! My name is Andārte Phillips. My sisters Žubīte & Katrīna, and brother Kārlis and I were raised by my parents Līga and Laimonis Streips as good Latvians, and all four of us maintain our Latvian heritage as a testament to them and our upbringing. This is my second year teaching Latvian cuisine at the Krišjāņa Barona Latvian School of Chicago, which combines my passions for cooking and teaching; I have trained as a prep, line & pastry chef, and am a licensed teacher and the principal of the Chicago preschool Stariņš. I like to teach the KBLS students how to prepare classic Latvian dishes such as this sweet rye trifle, or also cold beet soup (aukstā zupa) and Latvian cranberry mousse (debesmannā); I take great pleasure in sharing my passion with others!

SWEET RYE TRIFLE (RUPJMAIZES KĀRTOJUMS)

Ingredients

·         350g rupjmaize (dark rye bread*), somewhat dry with crust removed

·         250g mascarpone cheese

·         1 tsp (or to taste) vanilla sugar

·         1 cup cranberries, crushed with vanilla sugar to taste

·         3 Tbsp heavy cream

  

1. Grate the rye bread, by hand or with a food processor

2. In a non-stick frying pan, toast the breadcrumbs with the butter and sugar until fragrant and toasted (about 20 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.

Crushing the cranberries with sugar

3. Combine the mascarpone, vanilla sugar and cream

4. In a clear parfait glass or trifle dish, layer the dessert starting with the breadcrumbs, then the cheese/cream mixture, then the cranberries. Repeat until the glass is full, and top off with more breadcrumbs.

5. Refrigerate for 5-10 hours

6. Enjoy!

Laila: “Man ļoti patika gatavot un pat ja man negaršoja ļoti, mans mazais brālītis visu apēda!” (“I really enjoyed the preparation, and even though it wasn’t my favorite, my little brother ate it all!”

Līga especially liked to prepare the cranberries, and thought the trifle tasted great.

Emīls: “Man negaršoja bet mana vecmammīte apēda visu!” (“I didn’t like it, but my grandmother ate it all!”)

Jēkabs really enjoyed the preparation, but couldn’t be convinced to try it, as he doesn’t eat cream cheese. Luckily, his grandmother had just arrived from Latvia, and finished off the whole jar! She then explained that rupjmaizes kārtojums was grandfather's favorite delicacy, and was often ordered in Valmiera canteens. Jacob was happy to be able to please his grandmother.

Bruno immediately gifted his creation to his mother, and said “mammīt, es zinu, ka tev šitas garšos!” (“Mom, I know you’ll enjoy this!”) And she did!

Kārlis and Anī had fun making the dish, but weren’t fans of the result. However, the project was a success, as the rupjmaizes kārtojums did find a taker in each student’s home!

* While easy to find in Latvian stores and restaurants, an authentic version might be slightly harder to replicate elsewhere, as sourcing the dark rye bread can be tricky if you don’t bake your own. I have heard of pumpernickel being used in lieu of rye, although your best bet might be to search the European import stores or order the rupjmaize online.

A big paldies to the ‘Latvian kitchen’ (latviskā virtuve) students from Krišjāņa Barona Latvian School of Chicago, and to Andārte Phillips! I remember heading off to college with a folder of printed recipes from latviskā virtuve, the crinkled, stained pages of which now are the foundation of my often-used recipe collection. Many of my friends that have attended Latvian school have suggested the same – these lessons in Latvian baking create a lasting impression on students, allowing them to develop a love for our cuisine as well as give them some basic knowledge of our traditional foods and an appreciation for how much love (and effort!) goes into some of our favorite dishes.

You can find Krišjāņa Barona Latvian School of Chicago on Facebook and Instagram, and you can follow along with the ‘Latvian kitchen’ students’ adventures on the Facebook group Latvian Favourite Foods, where Andārte often posts the recipes with some photos of their culinary explorations.

Is sweet rye trifle on your holiday dessert menu? What is your favorite layer of Latvian ambrosia? We would love to see some photos of your rupjmaizes kārtojums creations, tag your photos #24DaysofaBalticChristmas or shoot us a message on our facebook page!  See you tomorrow on Day 4 of 24 Days of aBaltic Christmas, with a special guest from California....