Fika: The Art of The Swedish Coffee Break, with Recipes for Pastries, Breads, and Other Treats (17 page)

In a saucepan, melt the butter; then stir in the milk. Heat until warm to the touch (about 110°F/43°C). In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the warm mixture. Stir and let sit until bubbles form on top of the yeast, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 of the eggs and the sugar. Pour in the remaining butter and milk mixture, along with the yeast, and stir until well blended. Mix in the flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. Work the dough together well, by hand or with a wooden spoon.

Transfer the dough to a flat surface and knead it until smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. The dough should
feel a little wet, but if it sticks to your fingers and the countertop, add a little flour. Go lightly, though; if you add too much, the buns will end up dry. The dough is fully kneaded when you slice into it with a sharp knife and see small air bubbles throughout. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel, and place in a draft-free place to rise for 45 minutes to an hour.

Grease a baking sheet or line with a silicone baking mat. Divide the dough into 12 to 16 equal parts and roll into balls. Place on the baking sheet with about 2 inches (5 centimeters) between each bun. Cover and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°F).

Whisk the remaining egg and brush on top of the dough balls. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven, transfer the buns to the counter, and cover with a tea towel to let cool.

To prepare the filling, mix the almonds, sugar, and almond extract in a food processor until the almonds are finely ground and the mixture starts to stick together.

Cut a circular “lid” off the top of each bun and set aside. Then cut a circle on the inside of each bun, leaving about ¼ inch (0.5 centimeter) for a border, being careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom. Scoop out the cut portions with a spoon and place in a large bowl. Stir in the almond mixture until well blended. Then pour in enough of the milk to make a filling that’s thick and smooth yet not watered down.

Fill the buns with the filling and top with the whipped cream. Place the lid on top of the whipped cream and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately.

Note: it’s rare that anyone makes an entire batch of semlor at one time. The best thing to do is to freeze the leftover buns that aren’t going to be eaten that day. When you are ready for another round, defrost them and construct a fresh semla with the appropriate amount of almond filling and whipped cream.

Using a spoon, crush the saffron in a small bowl. Then add a few drops of whiskey to help fully develop the saffron flavor and set aside.

In a saucepan, melt the butter; then stir in the milk. Heat until warm to the touch (about 110°F/43°C). In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the warm mixture. Stir and let sit for a few minutes until bubbles form on top of the yeast.

In a large bowl, whisk 1 of the eggs and blend in the sugar, salt, and saffron mixture. Pour in the remaining butter and milk, along with the yeast, and stir until well blended. Mix in the flour and currants. Work
together with a wooden spoon or your hands until you can make the dough into a ball.

Transfer the dough to the countertop or other flat surface and knead it until smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. The dough should feel a little wet, but if it sticks to your fingers and the countertop, add a little flour. Go lightly, though; if you add too much, the buns will end up dry. The dough is fully kneaded when you slice into it with a sharp knife and see small air bubbles throughout. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a clean tea towel, and place in a draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Remove the dough from the bowl and roll it into classic saffransbullar shapes (see
diagram
opposite). Place the buns on the baking sheet with about 1½ inches (4 centimeters) between each bun. Cover and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes. Depending on the size of the buns and baking sheet, you may need to bake in two or three batches. Prepare all the buns at the same time and let them sit, covered with a tea towel, while they wait to bake.

While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Whisk the remaining egg and brush on the tops of the buns. Decorate with currants (in the center of where the bun is rolled.)

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the buns from the baking sheet to the counter. Cover with a tea towel and let cool before serving.

These buns dry out quickly, so if they are not eaten on the day you bake them, store them in the freezer.

Prepare the Lussekatter dough and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Mix the almonds, sugar, and almond extract in a food processor until the almonds are almost finely ground and the mixture starts to stick together. If you are using store-bought almonds, you may end up with a coarse, dry meal, which is okay.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white, ideally with an electric mixer, until stiff peaks form. Fold into the almond mixture, being careful not to overmix.

Pull off a little less than a fistful of the dough and set aside; you will use this later for decorating the top of the cake. Split the rest of the dough into 2 equal parts and shape them into balls.

Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Transfer the dough to a flat, floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the first ball until it is about 11 inches (28 centimeters) in diameter, or a little less than ¼ inch (0.5 centimeter) thick. Transfer to the baking sheet and spread the almond filling evenly over it. Roll out the second ball in the same manner and place it on top of the filling. Pinch the 2 layers of dough together so that the filling doesn’t leak out. Roll out the reserved piece of dough into thin strips and use to decorate the top. Make the classic S shape or a heart, or one of the designs pictured here. Cover the cake with a clean tea towel and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes.

While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Brush the top of the cake with the whisked egg and decorate with currants.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is a deep, golden brown. Remove from the oven, carefully transfer to a cooling rack, and cover with a tea towel. When the cake is cool, transfer to a serving platter and slice into wedges.

This cake quickly dries out; if you don’t eat the whole thing on the day you bake it, wrap it in aluminum foil to preserve its freshness.