Fellowship, fun and yummy treats were on the menu Saturday, Nov. 6, at the Northland Lutheran Church.
It was the first Norwegian baking class hosted by the Ladies of Northland Lutheran Church.
The baking class included hands-on instruction for making lefse, rosettes, krumkake, fattigmand and sandbakkels. All materials, tools and recipes were provided.
All who attended agreed that the classes were well-organized and provided invaluable tips. Some of the students had tried making the pastries and wanted better instructions, but most had never made the attempt.
The students were divided into groups of at least six at each of the five stations. They later had the chance to learn how to make another pastry or two.
The instructors made sure each student experienced the actual preparation and baking process. They also provided the following tips:
•When rolling lefse, the thinner, the better. Not many of us actually made perfectly round lefse, but neither did the instructors. It is a challenge to make perfectly round lefse! The taste and thinness are what really matters.
•When making rosettes, do not totally sumerge the rosette iron into the batter, but totally submerge it when dunking into the oil. Never store rosettes in a cardboard box or they will become soggy.
•When making krumkake, wrap immediately around the wooden cone.
Since 1915, the church has served an annual Norwegian supper with the food prepared according to Norwegian customs handed down from previous generations. Included are the Norwegian delicacies of lutefisk and lefse, plus Norwegian pastries.
The next baking class will be held in spring 2011.
For more information, visit www.lutefisk4lutherans.com, or visit the church nine miles north of Iola at N9880 State Highway 49.