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Caption: more than having a coffee FIKA
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Caption: Fika
Swedes prefer not to translate the word fika. They don’t want it to lose significance and become a mere coffee break. It is one of the first words you will learn when visiting Sweden, right after tack (thank you) and hej (hello).
Fika is much more than having a coffee. It is a social phenomenon, a legitimate reason to set aside a moment for quality time. Fika can happen at any time, morning as well as evening. It can be savoured at home, at work or in a café. It can be with colleagues, family, friends, or someone you are trying to get to know.
It is a tradition observed frequently, preferably several times a day. Accompanying sweets are crucial. Cinnamon buns, cakes, cookies, even open-faced sandwiches pass as acceptable fika fare. It comes as no surprise that Swedes are among the top consumers of coffee and sweets in the world – or that Swedes appreciate the good things in life.
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Caption: Semlor
Lenten buns
The Lenten buns known as semlor are historically tied to Shrove Tuesday, as the semla was the last festive food before Lent. Today even secular Swedes make a religion of eating these delicious buns in the month or so leading up to Easter.
About 15 large or 25 small buns
100 g butter
300 ml milk, 3%
50 g fresh yeast (for sweet dough)
1 tsp crushed cardamom or the grated peel of 1 orange
½ tsp salt
85 g sugar
about 500–550 g plain flour
1 beaten egg for brushing
Filling
200 g marzipan
bun centres
100 ml milk
300 ml whipping cream
Decoration
icing sugar for dusting
1. Melt the butter and add the milk. Heat to 37°C.
2. Crumble the yeast in a bowl and add the cardamom or the orange peel.
3. Add the milky liquid and stir until the yeast has melted. Stir in the salt, the sugar and most of the flour, but save a little flour for later.
4. Work the dough in a food processor/dough mixer for about 15 minutes.
5. Let it rise to twice its size in the bowl, about 40 minutes.
6. Place the dough on a floured pastry board and cut into pieces. Roll into buns and place on oven paper or greased baking sheet. Let the buns rise to twice their size, about one hour.
7. Brush the buns with egg. Bake in the lower part of the oven, at 225°C for around 8–10 minutes for large buns and 250°C for 5–7 minutes for small. Leave to cool on wire racks.
8. Cut off the bun tops. Scoop out the centre of each bun (about 2 tsp) and crumble in a bowl.
9. Rough grate the marzipan and mix it with the crumbs and milk into a creamy mass.
10. Fill the hollow buns with this mixture.
11. Whip the cream and squirt or spoon it over the filling. Place the top on the bun and dust with icing sugar.
12. Serve alone with coffee or in the form of a hetvägg in a deep bowl with warm milk and ground cinnamon.
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Caption: Take a Break Fika is a must in the Swedish workplace, providing colleagues with an opportunity to catch up and unwind. It’s sort of like a pleasant version of Scrum, with good coffee and cinnamon buns.
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Caption: Kanelbullar
Cinnamon buns
The cinnamon bun has a day dedicated to it in the Swedish calendar – 4 October. That does not stop Swedes from eating them regularly throughout the year.
45–50 buns
150 g butter
500 ml milk, 3%
50 g fresh yeast
1 tsp salt
85 g white sugar
2 tsp crushed cardamom seeds
900 g plain flour
Filling
100 g butter, room temperature
85 g white sugar
3–4 tbsp ground cinnamon
Decoration
1 egg, beaten
3–4 tbsp pearl sugar or almond flakes
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the milk. Heat to 37°C.
2. Crumble the yeast in a mixing bowl, pour in the liquid and stir until the yeast dissolves.
3. Add salt, sugar and the crushed cardamom seeds, and almost all the flour. Save a little flour for later.
4. Knead the dough until it is smooth and stretchy and no longer sticks to the edge of the bowl. Let rise under a clean cloth for about 30 minutes.
5. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and cut in two. Roll out into two rectangular shapes about ½ cm thick.
6. Spread on the butter and sprinkle over sugar and cinnamon.
7. From the long side, roll up into two sausages. Cut each roll into chunks so that you get some 45–50 buns altogether, and place them, cut face up, in paper muffin cases on baking sheets. Cover with cloths and leave to rise for a further 30 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 225°C. Brush the buns with the egg wash and garnish with pearl sugar or almond flakes.
9. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 8–10 minutes. Leave to cool on wire racks.
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Caption: Recipes: Liselotte Forslin
Photos: Susanne Walström, Stina Stafrèn, Lena Granefelt
Texts: Rikard Lagerberg
#stellerfood #recipe #sweden