Dammsugare! No, I did not just cuss you on the sly. I also did not just announce my purchase of a vacuum cleaner (dammsugare is the Swedish word for vacuum). I’m talking about Authentic Darn Good Dammsugare Pastries. This traditional Swedish dessert is not only fun to say and pretty to look at, they’re delicious, too. Dammsugare are made from leftover chocolate cake crumbs, buttercream, marzipan and chocolate. What’s not to love?
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Authentic Darn Good Dammsugare Pastries – a smart dessert
I’ve been working on getting ready to post a few old favorites, including my Chocolate Gateau Nicole – a cake named after a dear friend. This cake is simple, but elegant. Almond buttercream -a variation of my Easy Basic Buttercream – is nestled between chocolate cake layers and finished in a chocolate ganache glaze. It’s a little slice of chocolate heaven. When I crave a chocolate cake, this is my go-to every time.
By now, you know I subscribe to the “waste not, want not” school of thought when it comes to food. One of the reasons I love these colorful little treats so much is because they can be made from cake scraps and leftover buttercream – which is exactly what I did here.
The number of steps in this recipe does make it a little fussy; however, they don’t have to be done all at the same time. You can save up your cake crumbs or leftover buttercream until you are ready. You can even color your marzipan a few days in advance of making the filling and assembling the rolls. When the steps are broken down, it’s quite easy and it’s even a fun recipe to make with kids.
Swedish Punsch
Traditional Dammsugare are made with Swedish Punsch Liqueur (pronounced punch) and butter instead of buttercream as specified in this recipe. You may also find these little bites of heaven by another name – often called Punsch rolls or Arrack rolls in parts of Europe.
Swedish Punsch is a spiced Arrack native to Sweden and Finland. However, it’s not a “punch” as we typically think of punch in the states. This beverage is a mixture of spirits (typically arrack, brandy or rum) with tea, sugar and water. The resulting flavor is sweet and beautifully spiced with citrus notes. It’s absolute heaven to sip.
It’s also nearly impossible to get my hands on as it’s not available in Michigan currently. Kronan Swedish Punsch is my go-to brand of choice. Unless I make a special trip out of state to stock up, I don’t have an easy way of getting it, so I tend to be judicious in my use of the punch. I know a guy who has a couple bottles of it stored away in his grotto, but he tends to ask a lot of questions when I want to use a little for a recipe. Husbands can be funny that way.
Still, if it’s offered in your home state or you can find it on your travels, it’s definitely worth picking up a bottle or two or three. And it’s my first choice for making these Authentic Darn Good Dammsugare Pastries.
However, if you can’t find Swedish Punsch, you can still use a good quality rum. In this recipe, I call for using Stroh Rum 160. The vanilla and butterscotch notes lend themselves beautifully to the flavors of almond and chocolate in this recipe. At 160 proof, it also gives this dessert a nice little boozy kick. You can leave out the alcohol all together if you’d prefer. Although still good, you do lose a beautiful layer of flavor that the rum lends to this dessert.
Authentic Darn Good Dammsugare Pastries
Course: DessertsCuisine: NordicDifficulty: Intermediate20
servings1
hourRolls of chocolate cake and buttercream sandwiched in marzipan and dipped in chocolate.
Ingredients
- For the chocolate cake filling
2 cups chocolate cake crumbs, dried and ground fine like breadcrumbs in a food processor.
1/2 cup almond butter cream (see recipe below or alternative in the notes section)
2 Tbsp. Dutch Processed cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. Swedish Punsch Liqueur or Stroh Rum 160 (alternatively)
1 Tbsp. water
- For the almond buttercream
1 1/4 cups toasted almonds, ground fine like breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. almond extract in place of the rum that is called for in the Easy Basic Buttercream recipe.
- For the Marzipan
8 oz. marzipan
Green food coloring. You can go as bright as your wish.
Powdered sugar for rolling out the marzipan
- For dipping the ends of the Dammsugare
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted in the microwave
1/2 tsp. cocoa butter or vegetable shortening.
Directions
- Prepare the Marzipan
- On a non-stick surface, knead the marzipan with your hands until it becomes soft.
- Add the green food coloring a little at a time until it reaches the desired color.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the cake filling.
- For the chocolate cake crumb filling
- In a medium-size bowl, combine the cake crumbs, buttercream, cocoa powder, alcohol (Swedish Punsch or Stroh rum) and water.
- Using the back of a spoon, begin to press and combine the ingredients until they come together to resemble a smooth fudge. When it’s ready, the mixture will easily hold its shape when squeezed in your hand.
- Divide the chocolate cake crumb filling into four even sections.
- Roll each section into a log that is 9 inches long and roughly 1/2 inch in diameter. Transfer to a cookie sheet and chill in the freezer until you have finished rolling out the marzipan.
- Rolling out the marzipan
- Remove the marzipan from the refrigerator. Generously dust a clean work surface with powdered sugar to prevent sticking while rolling.
- Using a rolling pin, gently roll the marzipan out to a square that measures slightly over 9 inches by 9 inches. Make sure to check the bottom of the marzipan frequently and dust with extra powdered sugar to keep it from sticking.
- Trim the edges so all four sides of the square are neat and even. You should have a neat 9 in. v 9 in. square sheet of green marzipan to work with.
- Starting at the bottom of the square, use a ruler to measure 2 1/4 inches up one side of the marzipan. Mark it as a reference point with the tip of a knife. Continue moving up the side of the marzipan sheet and mark again at 2 14 inches. Repeat this process two more times. You should have four markings each spaces 2 1/4 inches apart as your guide for rolling.
- Lay one chocolate cake log across the bottom of the marzipan sheet. Gently fold the marzipan over the top of the log and roll it to the first 2 1/4 inch mark. Using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the marzipan in a straight line across and completely seal the chocolate cake log
- Gently roll the marzipan covered log a couple times over your work surface to smooth it out. Transfer to a cutting board and repeat the process thee more times.
- Dust off any excess powdered sugar and return the four marzipan wrapped logs to the refrigerator to chill while you melt the chocolate for dipping.
- Prepping the chocolate for dipping
- In a shallow microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and the shortening or cocoa butter for 15 seconds. Stir between each 15 second interval to ensure the chocolate does not burn. The added oil will give the chocolate a little added shine.
- Remove the marzipan logs from the refrigerator. Cut the logs into 2 inch pieces. Sometimes in the rolling process the logs will stretch a little. Each log will yield 4-5 pieces for a total of 16-20 Dammsugare.
- Using a nonstick mat or a piece of parchment paper, dip each end of the Dammsugare in the melted chocolate and lay on the mat or paper to harden.
- Once the chocolate in set, the Dammsugare can be transferred to an airtight container. Dammsugare will keep stored at room temperature for 2-3 days and can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- If you choose to leave out the alcohol all together, simply substitute 2 additional Tbsp. of water for the punsch or rum. You will have a total of 3 Tbsp. of water.
- 2 Tbsp. of toasted ground almonds can be substituted in any plain vanilla buttercream for this recipe. The flavor will be a little different, but it will still be good. For an optimum experience, try the almond buttercream. You can always freeze it for cakes, cupcakes or another dessert down the road.
