I’ve previously written about the old classic Norwegian dessert “Tilslørte Bondepiker” loosely translated to “Vailed Farm Girls”. The traditional recipe contains apples in the form of applesauce, layered with breadcrumbs and whipped cream, and served in a nice transparent glass bowl or fancy drink glasses.

Where did this dessert and the interesting name come from?

One theory is that the dessert was discovered by Ivar Aasen, a Norwegian philologist, lexicographer, playwright, and poet. He is best known for having assembled one of the two official written versions of the Norwegian language, Nynorsk, from various dialects.

Rumors had it that he was in love with a girl who made this dessert. One day she invited him over to taste her sweets, but he got really disappointed when he realized she was talking about the dessert and not something else. He named the dessert “tilslørte bondepiker” and ever since this has become a traditional Norwegian dish that spread across the country.

Interestingly, versions of tilslørte bondepiker are not only served in Norway but also in Sweden where it goes by änglamat, or ‘food of the angels.’ In Denmark the dish is called bondepige med slør where it is served with rye bread crumbs. It can also be found in Finland and Germany.

Social scientist Annechen Bahr Bugge has an amazing book (in Norwegian) called “Fattigmenn, Tilslørte Bondepiker og Rike Riddere” where she details that the dessert originally arrived in Norway from the Danish kitchen and was considered a ‘finer’ dessert often enjoyed after Sunday dinner at the beginning of the 1900s.

You can read more and get the recipe for my original Tilslørte Bondepiker here.

Since strawberry season is coming up now in Norway and here in the northeastern United States, I wanted to do a variety of this classic by swapping out the apples for strawberries. Hence, the name gets slightly changed to Tilslørte Jordbærpiker (Veiled Strawberry Girls) to reflect the update.

This is the perfect dessert to make during warm summer days – simple, light, and refreshing with varying textures that make it an incredibly satisfying dish!

You can vary the nuts or omit nuts if you’re allergic, but I like the additional crunch and flavor the sliced almonds provide. Make sure the strawberry compote is completely chilled before you assemble the dessert, otherwise, the whipped cream will melt.

I made the whipped cream extra decadent by folding in some of my homemade vegan vanilla custard. However, store-bought instant pudding mixes are ok too (make sure it’s vegan!) or omit it altogether- it will be equally luxurious and tasty!

I have to say the vibrant red color against the white whipped cream looks stunning and this is such a summery dessert it makes me happy so I needed to share it with you all!

TILSLØRTE JORDBÆRPIKER

For the strawberry compote:
1 lb (450 g) strawberries, cleaned
1/3 cup (65 grams) tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For the biscuit mixture:
5 oz (150 grams) digestives, such as Graham Crackers or Biscoff crackers
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (50 grams) sliced almonds

For the whipped cream:
1 ¼ cups (3 dl vegan whippable cream (I like Violife or Country Crock)
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup (30 grams) powdered sugar (or more if you prefer a sweeter cream)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or paste

Garnish:
Additional sliced almonds
Grated dark chocolate (optional)
Fresh sliced strawberries

Start by making the strawberry compote first. Add the strawberries and sugar into a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer while constantly stirring.

In a small bowl make a slurry with the cornstarch and lemon juice and slowly stream into the mixture into the strawberries and cook for several minutes until the berries start thickening. Turn off the heat and transfer to a small sheet pan to cool down completely

Make the biscuit mixture next:

Crumble or crush the digestives.

Add the biscuits to a small sauté pan along with the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and almonds and heat up until butter and sugar is melted and completely incorporated and the biscuits and almonds are lightly toasted and the mixture starts to smell nice and fragrant. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Next, whip the cream in a stand mixer bowl with the cream of tartar, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract paste until soft peaks form.

Alternatively, you can also make a vanilla custard using this recipe
and chill it completely.

Carefully fold the vanilla custard into the whipped cream using a spatula.

Note: You can also “cheat” and use instant vanilla pudding and just swap regular cow milk for non-dairy milk. I usually use less plant-based milk than traditional milk by about ½-¾ cup.

To assemble the dessert:

In a glass or vessel of your choice, start layering the dessert by adding a spoonful of the biscuit mixture in the bottom, followed by a spoon of the chilled strawberry compote, then top with the whipped cream and repeat with the biscuits, strawberries and the cream. If you want, you can grate some high-quality dark chocolate on top and garnish with a couple of sliced strawberries.

The dessert is best when eaten straight away – and believe me, you won’t be able to wait to dig into this delicious treat!!