Have you ever been to Copenhagen? I was there on vacation this summer and loved the entire experience in the design-savvy chilled-out happiest city on earth. A few fun factoids that I learned while I was there:
1) People from Denmark are Danish, not Dutch, and generally speaking are a beautiful bunch with fabulous cheekbones
2) Danish folks tend to go organic, ride bikes instead of driving cars, and enjoy Carlsberg beer. Also home of Lego, Vikings, and the Danish royal family.
3) Copenhagan has amazing food, including the world’s greatest restaurant Noma, new Nordic cuisine, hot dogs, open-faced sandwiches, and of course Danishes (the pastry)…………………………………………….
I’ve been making mushroom toasts appetizers for years, originally created as a mushroom bruschetta – they’re my go-to starter. If you’ve ever come to my house for dinner, I’ve probably served these to you. I happened to see something similar, a Danish version, on a few menus while on my trip. These open-faced sandwiches are called ‘smorrebrod’, Danish for ‘butter’ and ‘bread’, and can be found in all kinds of variations. With generous amounts of butter and served atop rye toast, these beautiful savoury sandwiches were a staple on many menus in Copenhagen, usually topped with fried fish, roast beef, eggs, shrimps, deli meat, and/or cheese. I took lots of pictures of smorrebrod in Copenhagen and other delicious eats. And yes, I take lots of pictures of food when I travel. I’m totally THAT person in a restaurant...
My take is a bit healthier, where the mushrooms are lightly coated in olive oil instead of butter and cheese toppings are optional too (I usually opt for goat or brie). A little truffle oil drizzled on top really takes the flavour to the next level and of course, gluten-free bread is great substitution for rye bread. Perfect for entertaining or bringing a little bit of Scandinavia to your home.
Mushroom Toasts
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms (thinly sliced)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 gluten-free baguette (cut into 3/4" slices or 6 slices gluten-free bread, cut diagonally)
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil or melted vegan butter
- 12 slices brie cheese or 3 ounces goat cheese
- Truffle oil (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine mushrooms, parsley and 2 tablespoons olive oil until mushrooms are evenly coated with oil.
- Combine garlic and remaining olive oil in a small bowl. Add one teaspoon of garlic oil mixture to slice of bread to coat. Layer mushroom slices on toasts, so all pieces have equal amounts of mushrooms. Top mushrooms with cheese.
- Place toasts on baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned. To serve, drizzle toasts with a few drops of truffle oil if using.
Please could you identify, in the group of 6 photos, the coconut covered creamy item, and the last one, which looks like a Danish pastry? Thanks so much. I enjoyed the post.
Thanks Leah! The Coconut covered one is called a “flødeboller” and was from Lagkagehuset bakery near Tivoli in Copenhagen. It had a light goey marshmallow filling and was SOOO good. I was told it’s a kids dessert. I think the last one is a Spandauer, but I’m not as sure about that one.