Adventures in Vinetarte
Giant vat o' prunes
As the descendant of almost entirely British Isles stock, I’ve always felt a bit, well, culture-less. The Christmas and New Year’s traditions of French-Canadians, the Passover rituals of Judaism, and the immense pride of anyone with an ounce of Scottish ancestry have been a source of fascination and, to be honest, envy for me.
While I love my own family’s unique traditions (a jar of olives in my Christmas stocking = awesome!), none of them particularly connect me to a greater cultural group, and this has always been a bit regrettable for me. That’s why I find it so enjoyable to participate in others’ traditions, and a couple weeks ago, I had just this opportunity!
Like all provinces, Manitoba has lots of ethnic and cultural groups, and the Icelandic are one of them. Lucky for me, my husband’s aunt happens to be Icelandic, and around this time every year, she rounds up whoever’s interested to have a vinetarte-making marathon. I don’t think I’d ever heard about this layered prune dessert until I moved to Manitoba, and if you’ve never heard of it, you’re probably thinking, “Hmmm, that sounds… appetizing.” Trust me, it tastes better than it sounds! Part of the appeal of the dessert is in the making: with five (or seven, depending on who you ask) thin layers of dough, these little cakes are simple to make but require time and patience. Vinetarte is not overly sweet, so you can eat a lot of it in one sitting. If that’s not the sign of a great dessert, I don’t know what is.
Rolling the dough
My sister-in-law and I arrived at Chez Vinetarte at 10am and spent the day mixing and rolling out the dough (getting the dough to the perfect consistency is a true art, I learned) and cutting out round layer after round layer. Our recipe was adapted from a Riverton Hnausa Lutheran Church cookbook that’s about two decades old. I learned lots of tips and tricks along the way (Costco is the best place to buy pitted prunes, and you have to poke the layers with a fork before they go into the oven or else they’ll bubble up like crazy) and am already looking forward to next year’s marathon.
By 5pm, our team of five had made almost 40 cakes, which would be divided up between us and stored in our freezers for the coming year. One will go home to Alberta with me at Christmas, to my mum who loves a good vinetarte and remembers them fondly from her Winnipeg days.
Like most ethnic specialties, vinetarte is not without its controversies. Five layers or seven? Iced, or not? Sprinkles on top of the icing, or not? No matter which options you go for, the result is delicious, and partaking of it is one of my favourite ways to enjoy another culture. (And hey, Winnipeg Cat loves it, too.)
Are you a vinetarte fan? Any recommendations on where people can buy one pre-made?
The saucepan lid as cutting device
Layers galore!
One layer prunified
The finished product
Neat post! I think Iceland is a fascinating place. My favourite fact about Iceland is that contemporary speakers of their language can still largely understand texts that are hundreds and hundreds of years old, as the language itself has been largely unchanged since that time.
This is also interesting information because the reputation of Icelandic cuisine is also, uhh… More foreign to us than some others. Layered prune desserts are nothing compared to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hákarl
Thanks for posting this! I’ve found that a lot of people get grossed out by Icelandic food before they’ve even tried it. (I’ve offered various food items to friends and been met with looks of extreme disgust!) You’ve definitely done the tastiness of vinetarte justice and made the process seem less intimidating. For people who still find the task too daunting, you can purchase cookie-sized vinetartes called “Vienna Tortes” from Dessert Sinsations on St. Mary’s Avenue near the Bay Downtown. I’ve never tried them, but they look pretty good.
As for the icing debate, I’m fond of un-iced vinetarte if it’s coming straight out of the deep freeze and you’re eating it cold. If you’re eating it at room temperature, I think a thin layer of almond icing (with a fairly solid consistency) is a nice touch. As you can tell, I’m a bit of a vinetarte snob.
BTW, I’ve heard that vinetarte is an Icelandic-Canadian thing as opposed to a true Icelandic tradition. Does anyone know?
With some Swedish heritage in me, XMas vinetarte is always part of it, so perhaps its Scandanavian-Canadian?
There’s a lovely guy named Kyle who sells vinetarte at the St. Norbert Farmers’ market. He uses whatever fruit is seasonal, and he sometimes has gluten-free versions as well.
We’re already looking forward to seeing him next year.
Vinetarte is a delicious part of Icelandic culture. My sister informed me that she bought one at the Forks, probably at the Prairie Grains bakery (I think?)
I have to learn how to make it. I’m craving it right now.
These look fantastic. My great Aunt makes them and they are definitely one of my favorites! mmm…