flipMultekrem — Cloudberry Cream
Multekrem — Cloudberry Cream
Why this dish? Multekrem is THE festive sweet of Norwegian celebrations, served at Christmas and special occasions. For a Norwegian like Liv Ullmann, it is the taste of celebration and of summers spent picking cloudberries in the northern bogs.
Cloudberries, both tart and fragrant, simply crushed into lightly sweetened whipped cream. A dessert of rare elegance, amber in color.
The multe, the cloudberry of the bogs, cannot be cultivated: you must search for it, sink into the damp northern moss, and pick it one by one. That is why, in our home, we only bring it out on feast days, mixed with whipped cream, barely sweetened so as not to betray its wild tartness. As a little girl, I awaited this moment more than the gifts. Serving it is offering a bit of Norwegian summer in the middle of winter — and there is no finer gift.
- •Cloudberries (multer) — a good bowlful (signature fruit)
- •Heavy cream — equal parts to berries (creaminess)
- •Sugar — according to berry tartness (balance)
Multekrem — Cloudberry Cream
Cloudberries, both tart and fragrant, simply crushed into lightly sweetened whipped cream. A dessert of rare elegance, amber in color.
Why this dish? Multekrem is THE festive sweet of Norwegian celebrations, served at Christmas and special occasions. For a Norwegian like Liv Ullmann, it is the taste of celebration and of summers spent picking cloudberries in the northern bogs.
The multe, the cloudberry of the bogs, cannot be cultivated: you must search for it, sink into the damp northern moss, and pick it one by one. That is why, in our home, we only bring it out on feast days, mixed with whipped cream, barely sweetened so as not to betray its wild tartness. As a little girl, I awaited this moment more than the gifts. Serving it is offering a bit of Norwegian summer in the middle of winter — and there is no finer gift.
Ingredients (period version)
- Cloudberries (multer) — a good bowlful (signature fruit)
- Heavy cream — equal parts to berries (creaminess)
- Sugar — according to berry tartness (balance)
Ingredients
- Cloudberries (fresh or jarred, drained) — 300 g (signature fruit)
- Heavy cream, well chilled — 300 ml (creaminess)
- Powdered sugar — 2 to 3 tbsp (balance)
- Vanilla sugar — 1 packet (optional) (aroma)
Method
- Whip the well-chilled cream into soft peaks, sweeten lightly.
- Reserve a few nice berries for decoration.
- Roughly mash the remaining berries with a fork.
- Gently fold the mashed berries into the cream, keeping some marbling.
- Divide into glasses, decorate with whole berries, serve immediately well chilled.
How it was made : Cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus), rich in vitamin C, were so precious that they were traded and their picking regulated in the far North. Before refined sugar, they were preserved in their own natural acidity, which protects them from mold.
The contemporary twist : Add a few shards of butter biscuit (crumbled krumkake) between layers for a crunchy contrast, and serve in tall verrines.
Liv Ullmann · Charactorium
