Today, February 5th, we are celebrating the birth of our national poet J.L. Runeberg. The tradition is to have Runeberg’s tarts. For the last seven years I have made them myself. So also this year. I think the best ones so far 😉
Finland’s national poet was born on the 5th of February in 1804. It is tradition to on this day have tarts, simply called Runeberg tarts. His wife Fredrika baked them, perhaps for his birthday.
For years we bought them but, for the last 6 or 7 years I have made them myself. Also this year. The recipe I use is for 6 tarts. I only decorated 3 and put the other 3 in the freezer.
Look, also this year I made Runberg’s tarts ! Because today we celebrate the birth of the national poet J. L. Runeberg.
Hmm, I think I should have let them stay a few more minutes in the oven.
Runeberg’s Day ! National poet of Finland. And of course Runeberg’s tarts. The kind of tart his wife made him. 
My homemade tarts.
On February 5th we celebrated the birth of Finland’s national poet J. L. Runeberg. Of course I would bake Runeberg’s tarts/cakes also this year. I made them last year and even the year before.
I should have made them already on Tuesday the 4th. Unfortunately I forgot to buy gingerbread. I didn’t want to make them without. When I cook or bake or anything for that matter I need to follow any recipe or any instructions to the dot. Yesterday I bought the gingerbread but forgot an other thing, raspberry jam for the topping. To my disappointment I had to use strawberry jam instead. Good thing we had it at home.
The recipe says mix the dry ingredients together. I measured all the dry ones into a mixing bowl. Then the recipe says whisk the sugar and the butter and add the eggs. What ? ! Oh no ! Where’s the sugar ? Oops, I had mixed it with all the other dry ingredients. Blaaah ! I was convinced the whole thing would turn out a disaster. I certainly could not add more sugar. What else was there to do than to add the butter and eggs into the bowl and knead it like you knead a dough.
To my surprise they turned out pretty good. After all, I’m going to make Runeberg’s cakes also next year.
Today is the day of the national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg. I made some Runeberg’s cakes or as we call them Runeberg’s tartes. Last year I used white icing which Leif thinks is not the right color so this year I used pink icing to make him happy 🙂
Last year I made a “Runeberg’s Cake”. This year I decided to bake some traditional Runeberg’s tarts. I surfed the net to find a nice recipe. I found one I liked on the blog “Bakformen”. Yesterday I bought a silicone baking mold for the purpose. The recipe required some punch but the liquor store had run out of the punch so I bought some rum instead.
Well, they are not as beautiful as those you buy. The smell is good. Not bad for my first ones ever, eh ?
We are going to have them for the afternoon coffee tomorrow when back from voting for a new president for our country.
J. L. Runeberg national poet of Finland born 1804 February 5
For as long as I can remember there has been the custom to on the February 5th have Runeberg’s tarts. Already when I went to school in the small town of Borgå/Porvoo where J. L. Runeberg also lived. His home is a museum and was not far away from our school. Across the street there was a cafeteria named after his wife Fredrika where we used to go after school. The Runeberg tart was made by J. L. Runebergs wife of bread crumbs. I read on Wikipedia the legend tells he had the tart for breakfast with some punch. Hmmm . . .
This a traditional Runeberg’s tart. There is a taste of liqueur, punch or rum. On the top there is raspberry jam and an icing of powder sugar. I have never made any of these myself. Always bought them.
This year there was a recipe in an magazine of an other version called Runeberg’s raspberry cake. Leif, my husband said why don’t you make one. Actually I had thought the same. I had all the ingredients at home except the liquor. The recipe said rum so that’s what I bought.
Here’s “my” cake !
If I may say it myself . . .yeah it was delicious. Just the right amount of the rum as well. My husband actually was a bit amazed about the result. Maybe I will try to make the traditional ones next year.
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