Instructions: Please fill up the gaps below with appropriate options listed

It's not easy __________ a Finn living __________ the US to explain __________ her national poet's
birthday is celebrated __________ a jam-topped muffin. Our New York correspondent and her
friends take to the kitchen to re-create a taste __________ culture.

Whenever I mention Finland to Americans, the conversation tends to turn to our famously dark
winters. The bright, breezy summers __________ my childhood must have been wonderful, my
friends say, but how did I manage the winter months __________ Helsinki?

Finns pay a lot __________ attention to winter sports, the comforting glow __________ candles and
even therapeutic lamps, but to me, our seasonal pastries offer the greatest degree __________
psychological warmth. __________ ice cream stands and sun-ripened berries mark Finnish
summers, our winters are punctuated __________ holidays __________ each include a sweet,
culturally distinctive pastry.

__________ December we twist dough __________ Christmas stars __________ plum jam __________
the middle, __________ Shrovetide we fill sweet buns __________ almond paste and whipped cream,
and we feast __________ funnel cakes to celebrate May Day. __________ the birthday __________ our
national poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg (18041877), February 5, we serve small crumb cakes topped
__________ raspberry jam.

__________ its celebratory context, the Runeberg torte was __________ fact born __________ an
exercise __________ frugality. Money was often tight __________ the Runeberg household, and
faced __________ the added challenge __________ J.L.'s picky eating habits, his wife Fredrika
(18071879) took creative license __________ her recipes. __________ the poet demanded, she
flavoured his daily breakfast cakes __________ punch and topped them __________ homegrown
fruit, but incorporated crumbs __________ leftover bread and cakes __________ the dough itself.


Experimental baking
To this day, the recipe allows __________ flexibility, __________ the variety __________ alcohol to the
A poet and his pastry
Grammar Gap Fill Exercise
except | with | for | at | into | as | by | from | like | in | while | around | after | of | that | during | if | than | off |
on | despite | outside
Created By : Veronica-TLM
http://www.thelanguagemenu.com/tlm/tlm?cmd=lp&tool=ige page 1 of 4
kinds __________ crumbs used, and invites a casual baker to experiment even __________ he or
she lives __________ the other side __________ the globe. I thus decided to use this year's Runeberg
Day __________ an opportunity to introduce my friends to Finland's legacy __________ holiday
pastries.

I picked up eggs, wheat flour, sugar, butter, cream, almonds, cardamom and raspberry jam
__________ my local grocery store, and opted __________ crushed butter cookies __________ my
crumb __________ choice. I used all-American muffin moulds to give shape to the cakes.

The concept __________ smashing crumbs to make a fresh pastry encountered approving nods
__________ my three friends who had joined me __________ an afternoon __________ baking, but it
was the use __________ cardamom that triggered the strongest reactions. "This is __________
something you'd find __________ an Indian restaurant," one __________ my guests commented
__________ he helped me mix a spoonful __________ cardamom __________ the dough.


Start the morning right
"It tastes __________ an almond cookie, __________ it's more cakey," one noted. Another suggested
__________ I vary the recipe, perhaps __________ substituting cinnamon __________ cardamom or
replacing plain cookie crumbs __________ crushed chocolate chip cookies.

__________ we poured cups __________ tea and discussed the origin __________ Runeberg Day, we
were hard-pressed to find a similar tradition __________ the US. Not much time is devoted to
celebrating American poets, especially __________ __________ the classroom, and short __________
pumpkin pie __________ Thanksgiving, few holidays are associated __________ a traditional pastry.
It's even more difficult to find a popular pastry named __________ a historical figure.

__________ Fredrika Runeberg's fashion, I've started __________ each morning this week __________
a homemade pastry, thankful __________ I'm not asked to share them __________ a grouchy poet-
husband. And, __________ __________ my childhood __________ Finland, their mixture __________
crunchy almond bits, dry crumbs and tangy raspberry reminds me __________ early February, the
coldest time __________ the year, when the frosty sunlight shines just a bit brighter __________ the
month before.
Created By : Veronica-TLM
http://www.thelanguagemenu.com/tlm/tlm?cmd=lp&tool=ige page 2 of 4













It's not easy for a Finn living in the US to explain that her national poet's birthday is
celebrated with a jam-topped muffin. Our New York correspondent and her friends take to the
kitchen to re-create a taste of culture.

Whenever I mention Finland to Americans, the conversation tends to turn to our famously dark
winters. The bright, breezy summers of my childhood must have been wonderful, my friends
say, but how did I manage the winter months in Helsinki?

Finns pay a lot of attention to winter sports, the comforting glow of candles and even
therapeutic lamps, but to me, our seasonal pastries offer the greatest degree of psychological
warmth. while ice cream stands and sun-ripened berries mark Finnish summers, our winters
are punctuated by holidays that each include a sweet, culturally distinctive pastry.

in December we twist dough into Christmas stars with plum jam in the middle,
around Shrovetide we fill sweet buns with almond paste and whipped cream, and we feast
on funnel cakes to celebrate May Day. on the birthday of our national poet Johan Ludvig
Runeberg (18041877), February 5, we serve small crumb cakes topped with raspberry jam.

despite its celebratory context, the Runeberg torte was in fact born as an exercise in
frugality. Money was often tight in the Runeberg household, and faced with the added
challenge of J.L.'s picky eating habits, his wife Fredrika (18071879) took creative license with
her recipes. as the poet demanded, she flavoured his daily breakfast cakes with punch and
topped them with homegrown fruit, but incorporated crumbs from leftover bread and cakes
into the dough itself.


Experimental baking
To this day, the recipe allows for flexibility, from the variety of alcohol to the kinds of
crumbs used, and invites a casual baker to experiment even if he or she lives on the other
side of the globe. I thus decided to use this year's Runeberg Day as an opportunity to
introduce my friends to Finland's legacy of holiday pastries.

I picked up eggs, wheat flour, sugar, butter, cream, almonds, cardamom and raspberry jam from
my local grocery store, and opted for crushed butter cookies as my crumb of choice. I
used all-American muffin moulds to give shape to the cakes.

The concept of smashing crumbs to make a fresh pastry encountered approving nods from
my three friends who had joined me for an afternoon of baking, but it was the use of
cardamom that triggered the strongest reactions. "This is like something you'd find at an
Indian restaurant," one of my guests commented as he helped me mix a spoonful of
cardamom into the dough.

Answers
Grammar Gap Fill Exercise
Created By : Veronica-TLM
http://www.thelanguagemenu.com/tlm/tlm?cmd=lp&tool=ige page 3 of 4

Start the morning right
"It tastes like an almond cookie, except it's more cakey," one noted. Another suggested
that I vary the recipe, perhaps by substituting cinnamon for cardamom or replacing plain
cookie crumbs with crushed chocolate chip cookies.

as we poured cups of tea and discussed the origin of Runeberg Day, we were hard-
pressed to find a similar tradition in the US. Not much time is devoted to celebrating American
poets, especially outside of the classroom, and short of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving,
few holidays are associated with a traditional pastry. It's even more difficult to find a popular
pastry named after a historical figure.

in Fredrika Runeberg's fashion, I've started off each morning this week with a homemade
pastry, thankful that I'm not asked to share them with a grouchy poet-husband. And, as
during my childhood in Finland, their mixture of crunchy almond bits, dry crumbs and tangy
raspberry reminds me of early February, the coldest time of the year, when the frosty
sunlight shines just a bit brighter than the month before.
Created By : Veronica-TLM
http://www.thelanguagemenu.com/tlm/tlm?cmd=lp&tool=ige page 4 of 4