Recipe Weekend: Cooking with Finlandia Takes YOUR Recipes Above and Beyond!

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received the Dairy Delight kit, free of charge,from Finlandia,for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about the products, all opinions are my own,

Did you know June is National Dairy Month?

I didn't either!

If you've taken a look at professional cooking magazines, or looked at the wrappers on some cooking shows, you might have seen the logo above, but not known too much about it.

What it stands for is some of the BEST tasting butter and cheese EVER!

 Meticulous attention to detail is at the heart of the Finlandia’s cheese and butter making process. From the initial selection of the freshest milk, to the final cutting of each cheese from the heart of the block – each step in the process is conscientiously performed to celebrate the time-honored tradition of European craftsmanship that Finlandia has been known for, for more than a 100 years! Those of you in the Northeast may known Finalndia cheeses from your deli counter! Yup, the best cheese for sandwich making comes from Finalndia!

We recently got to check out not only a pack of Finlandia Swiss Cheese Slices, but their new imported butter (more on that after we talk about the cheese). And let me just say, there is NO Swiss Cheese like Finlandia!

Finlandia's Swiss Cheese is the gold standard with its nutty rich flavor, which makes sense as they use only the best, purest milk (no hormones of additives, thank you, AND it is NATURALLY lactose free!!!), and age their cheese for 100 days. Yup- the cheese has TIME to mature and come to its full flavor! And with ONLY 3 ingredients, it is a cheese you will WANT to give your family!

Just LOOK at all the ooey goodness on a traditional ham and cheese melt! How can you say NO to that? You can't!

Need a closer look?

Too close?

Better? Look at that stretchy melty goodness!

Just like how a good Swiss SHOULD be, on a proper melted sandwich!

Even the kid, aka the "I hate Swiss Cheese" monster, declared it he best, most yumiest cheese around! High praise indeed- she ate her sandwich and then tried to take what was left of mine! LOL This is some seriously great tasting, great melting cheese!

Finlandia cheese (they have 12 other varieties, besides Swiss, including Cheddar, Havarti, American and Jack) is not available everywhere though (BAWL), so be sure to check out their Product Locator to see if it's available near you. Otherwise, you might just need to be making a road trip. I know when we travel for Miss Grace's dance competitions, I'll be hunting it down and bringing a bunch back in the cooler, along with multiple blocks of their amazing BUTTER! 

Oh their butter....I could write poems and odes about it.

Seriously.

This is DA bomb. 

You have NOT tasted butter, until you have tasted Finlandia's Imported butter! 

This is the butter that our elders talk about that is gone from our modern tables. This is the butter that is SO rich and amazing, that one bite makes you stop and sigh.

Crafted from pure milk from family owned farms in Finland, it has NO artificial ingredients or hormones either, It's even Kosher. It is just what it is- sweet cream and a bit of salt. Plus it is available in salted and unsalted versions, for whatever your baking needs. I haven't baked croissants with it yet, but that is on my agenda, as I know when I do, I will be transported to the heavenly bakeries of France, as I know this butter will elevate the croissants to that level! And it should, as many French bakeries now use it! 

But to test the butter in a recipe, I decided to pull one of my Grandmother's old recipes out, and see if the butter could bring back the taste of the cake make with farm butter! Plus it is SUCH an easy recipe that Miss Grace was able to make it up! Yeah for Summer boredom busting!  

Grandma's Peanut Butter Cake Loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (the commercial stuff, not natural)
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
Optional: semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Move your oven rack to the LOWER THIRD of your oven. I know this seems odd, but it is the secret to this cake! Then preheat your oven 350 degrees. 

2. Lightly butter and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan  (you'll notice I used a 9x9 pan, our 2 loaf pans were AWOL, and naturally we found them (not where they are supposed to be) the day after I made the cake. Naturally. You can substitute to the different pan, if you are using the cake as a base for say ice cream, or for making smaller sandwiches for picnics and snacks).

3.  Cream together the butter and sugar,  until very light and fluffy, about two minutes with my electric mixer. Doesn't that just look SO yummy you just want to stick a spoon in it and eat it? Yup, I know, but try to resist!

4.  Add the peanut butter and beat until well-combined, remembering to scrape your sides, to get all that yumminess mixed in! 

5. Beat in the eggs one at a time, and yes you DO need 5 eggs. I have tried it with 4, and you don't get the same texture, beating well after each is added

6. Next blend in the flour, at a low speed (duh, otherwise you will be wearing the flour, right?) in two additions. 

7. Spread the batter into your prepared pan, and top with chocolate chips, pressing them down, or covering slightly with the batter. If you are insane for chips, then you can stir them in before adding the batter to the pan, to have them all through the cake. Grandma just used to always at them at the top for me, as they formed a surprise, just under the top crust! 

8. Bake your cake for about 60-70 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. It will depend on your oven, as to which time is right. 

9. Let cake cool in the pan, then slice and serve with warm Finlandia butter on top, or with your favorite jelly. This 'cake' is also sturdy enough to be lightly toasted and served for breakfast- it packs a LOT of protein in a small slice!  You can also slice thin and coat with your favorite chocolate nut spread, and another cake layer, making for some yummy snack sandwiches! 

I was quite happy to see how well the cake loaf turned out- Miss Grace declared it amazing and ate 2 slices while still warm, with butter. It also made a great base for vanilla ice cream and some homemade chocolate sauce, It's also a great sub for shortcake with strawberries (another use Grandma made made it for!!)

I was so amazed at how the Finalndia butter has worked in both cooking and baking this past week! It really elevates the TASTE of your food SO much. It's weird to think something as simple as a different type of butter can do so, but it can! 

Be sure to check out Finlndia's recipes too, they have some amazing ones on their website! Once you try their products, you won't want anything else, trust me! So check and see if they are in your area, so you can taste the best of the best!