Fika: The Art of The Swedish Coffee Break, with Recipes for Pastries, Breads, and Other Treats (11 page)

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Authors: Anna Brones,Johanna Kindvall

BOOK: Fika: The Art of The Swedish Coffee Break, with Recipes for Pastries, Breads, and Other Treats
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To prepare the topping, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, or in a clean heatproof bowl placed in a saucepan of barely simmering water. Carefully dip each cookie into the chocolate so that the buttercream filling is covered and set aside on the counter or on a plate until the topping hardens.
kokostoppar
COCONUT PEAKS
makes 25 to 30 cookies
Kokostoppar
are the Swedish version of a classic coconut macaroon and most certainly a staple on the fika cookie platter. This is a recipe that works well with many variations. For a twist, try adding a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger or dipping the tips in dark chocolate. These are also gluten-free.
3½ tablespoons (1.75 ounces, 50 grams) unsalted butter
2 eggs
⅔ cup (4.67 ounces, 132 grams) natural cane sugar
2¼ cups (6.75 ounces, 191 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
In a saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a bowl, lightly whisk together the eggs and sugar. Fold in the coconut and salt and the slightly cooled butter. Let the batter sit for about 15 minutes.
Scoop tablespoon-size portions of the batter onto the baking sheet and shape them into peaked mounds.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are a light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Store in an airtight container.
chokladbollar
CHOCOLATE BALLS
makes 20 to 25 balls
In the Swedish kitchen you can never be afraid of butter. This recipe is all about butter … and a little chocolate. Although they are served at most Swedish cafés, chokladbollar are very popular for making at home because they are so easy. Because they’re so commonplace, you can almost judge an entire café based on the quality of their chokladbollar; a good one has a creamy chocolate texture, offset by the chewiness of the oats. Made with oats, they’re also gluten-free.
2 cups (7 ounces, 198 grams) rolled oats
½ cup (4 ounces, 113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup (1.75 ounces, 50 grams) natural cane sugar
¼ cup (.75 ounce, 21 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
About ½ cup (1.5 ounces, 42 grams) shredded coconut
In a food processor, pulse the oats into a coarse meal. You want just a little bit of texture, so don’t grind them all the way. If you don’t have a food processor, use the smallest oats you can find, as they are better for the final texture of the chocolate balls.
In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla and cream together until well blended; then add the oats and the salt. Using your hands, mix all of the ingredients together.
Roll the mixture into small balls, about a tablespoon for each one. Roll each ball in the shredded coconut until fully coated.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or in the freezer for longer periods.
kladdkaka
STICKY CHOCOLATE CAKE
makes one 9-inch (23-centimeter) cake
The direct translation for “kladdkaka” is “sticky cake.” You don’t need much more of a descriptor than that. Kladdkaka is one of the basics of Swedish home baking, the kind of recipe that you memorize and can make at the drop of a hat. In college it serves to fuel all-nighters; on a birthday or other special occasion, you might serve it with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. A variation on the classic recipe, this one uses ground almonds instead of flour, giving it a chewier texture than the original version, and perfect for serving to gluten-free friends.
½ cup (2.5 ounces, 71 grams) blanched almonds
½ cup (4 ounces, 113 grams) unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 cup (7 ounces, 198 grams) natural cane sugar
⅓ cup (1 ounce, 28 grams) plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
3 to 4 teaspoons poppy seeds (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch (23-centimeter) springform pan or round baking dish.
Grind the almonds in a food processor until almost finely ground.
In a saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Sift in the cocoa powder, add the salt, and stir together. Add the almonds, followed by the slightly cooled butter; stir until you get a smooth batter.
Pour the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the poppy seeds evenly on top.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The cake is done when it is set on top but still sticky on the inside. You can check this by carefully lifting one side of the cake pan; if the cake still appears runny, it needs to bake longer; if it doesn’t move, it’s done.
Let the cake cool before serving.
hastbullar
QUICK BUNS
makes 12 to 15 buns
While nowadays we often like to use long and complicated names for dishes, the titles of many classic Swedish baked goods are incredibly simple; a short and sweet name that tells you everything. Such is the case with hastbullar. Bullar, which means “bun,” is a common fika offering, albeit in many different forms and flavors. But while other bullar recipes are a little more involved (like
Vetebullar
), this one is made for the person who just invited some friends over for fika and doesn’t have a whole lot of time to prepare.
Hast
in Swedish means “hurry” or “haste”; in other words, the kind of thing you can whip up when you’re pressed for time. The original version is fairly simple, but this one adds dried figs and toasted hazelnuts for a little twist.
dough
2 cups (10 ounces, 284 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons whole cardamom seeds, crushed
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup (1.75 ounces, 50 grams) natural cane sugar
7 tablespoons (3.5 ounces, 99 grams) unsalted butter
½ cup dried figs (2.62 ounces, 75 grams), finely chopped
1 egg
¾ cup (180 milliliters) milk
topping
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup (1.25 ounces, 35 grams) toasted hazelnuts, chopped, or pearl sugar
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a muffin pan with paper liners or place paper liners on a baking sheet. These buns hold their form without paper liners, but using them makes for a nicer-looking presentation. If you don’t use paper liners, be sure to grease the baking sheet, or line with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, crushed cardamom, baking powder, and sugar. Using your hands, add the butter in small pieces and work together with your fingertips until the dough resembles a coarse meal. Add the figs to the mixture, stirring together until evenly mixed in.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 of the eggs and the milk. Stir into the flour mixture until you get a sticky, well-blended batter. Drop a large spoonful of the batter into each paper liner.
Brush the beaten on top of each bun. Sprinkle with hazelnuts.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tops of the buns are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Eat fresh or store in an airtight container in the freezer.

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