Hjónabandssæla

Ingredients

Rhubarb jam

• 600 grhubarb, chopped
• 300 gsugar
• juice of 1 lemon
• or 350 g bought rhubarb jam

Oat base and top

• 200 gplain flour
• 150 grolled oats
• 150 gsoft brown sugar
• 200 gbutter, cold and cubed
• 1 teaspoonbaking powder
• 1 teaspoonvanilla
• 1/2 teaspoonground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoonsalt
• 1egg

To serve

• whipped cream
• coffee

Directions

1. Cut them off and discard them entirely. Never compost the leaves where animals can reach them. Steam escapes through it as it bakes. The jam must be thick rather than runny. Chop the rhubarb into short lengths. Put it in a pan with the sugar. Add the lemon juice to the pan. Let it sit for thirty minutes to draw out juice. Cooking the jam takes attention.
2. Bring it up to a steady simmer. Stir it regularly as it cooks. Give it about twenty full minutes. Cook it longer if it is still loose. Let it cool completely before using it.
3. Put the flour and oats in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar and baking powder. Add the cinnamon and the salt. Whisk them all together thoroughly. Add the cold cubed butter to the bowl. Rub it in with your fingertips. Lift the mixture as you rub it.
4. Keep going until it looks like coarse crumbs. Understanding why cold butter matters. Warm butter blends in and makes it dense. Work quickly and with cool hands.
5. Beat the egg with the vanilla. Add it to the crumb mixture now. Stir it through it with a fork. It should clump but stay crumbly. Line a square tin with baking paper. Tip about two thirds of the mixture in. Press it down firmly and evenly. Use the back of a spoon to level it.
6. Spread the cooled jam over the base. Leave a small clear border at the edges. Crumble the remaining mixture over the top. Do not press the top layer down at all.
7. Heat the oven to 180C before baking. Bake it for about thirty minutes. The top should be golden brown. Cover it loosely if it browns too fast. Let it cool completely in the tin. Give it at least two full hours. Lift it out using the baking paper. Cut it into squares with a sharp knife. Serve it with whipped cream alongside. It keeps five days in a covered tin.

Technique

• Rhubarb is not native to Iceland but thrives there, handling the short cool summer better than most fruit, which is why it appears in so many Icelandic bakes.
• Rhubarb leaves contain high levels of oxalic acid and are genuinely toxic, so cut them off and discard them entirely; only the stalks are used and they are perfectly safe.
• The jam must be thick enough to hold its shape, since runny jam soaks into the base and makes it soggy as well as bubbling out at the edges.

Substitutions

• Bought rhubarb jam works, though it may need reducing to thicken it first.
• Any thick tart jam can replace the rhubarb, including blackcurrant or plum.

Variations

• Some bakers add chopped nuts to the crumble topping.
• A version made with bilberry or crowberry jam is also baked.
• The proportion of base to topping varies between households.

History

An Icelandic home bake whose name means marital bliss, made with the country’s abundant rhubarb.

Frequently asked questions

What is Hjónabandssæla?

Hjónabandssæla is a dessert from Iceland: oat and rhubarb jam slice baked in a tin and cut into squares. An Icelandic home bake whose name means marital bliss, made with the country’s abundant rhubarb.

How long does Hjónabandssæla take to make?

Hjónabandssæla takes 25 minutes of preparation and 35 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes one tin, about 16 squares. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Hjónabandssæla?

Yes, within limits. Bought rhubarb jam works, though it may need reducing to thicken it first. Any thick tart jam can replace the rhubarb, including blackcurrant or plum.

What is the most important thing to get right in Hjónabandssæla?

Cut them off and discard them entirely. Never compost the leaves where animals can reach them. Steam escapes through it as it bakes. The jam must be thick rather than runny. Chop the rhubarb into short lengths. Put it in a pan with the sugar. Add the lemon juice to the pan. Let it sit for thirty minutes to draw out juice. Cooking the jam takes attention.