Cecilia Vikbladh - Swedish Desserts: 80 Traditional Recipes

Copyright 2010, 2012 by Cecilia Vikbladh

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-61608-637-4

Printed in China

Once youve gotten the entire stockpile of necessary ingredients home safely, theres only one thing left to do: Begin the baking. On with the apron! Then recipes for Grandmas almond mussels, Moms saffron buns, and your favorite ginger thins are pulled out. Enjoy creating new baking traditions by trying some of the new recipes Ive included in these pages.

In this book I have gathered my very best recipes. Within sections such as Classic Christmas Cookies; Winterpies, Cheesecakes, and Tarts; Cakes and Muffins; and Wheatbread and Buns you will find any tasty sweet imaginable. Whether you are interested more in traditional holiday recipes or in something more modern; I am convinced that you will find some favorites of your own in this book.

Its time to go ahead and get baking!

Good Luck!

Syrup cookies, or caramel crisps, are some of the absolute best cookies in existence. They may look a little modest, but with their crispy outer crust and sticky, caramel-like core they are simply irresistible. If you want, try adding a tablespoon of cocoa or some ground almonds to the dough.

ABOUT 40 COOKIES

200 gs / 1 sticks butter (room temperature)

2 dl / 1 cup sugar

1 dl / cup light corn syrup

1 egg yolk

5 dl / 2 cups white all-purpose flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking powder

Whisk butter, sugar, corn syrup, and egg yolk together, preferably with an electric mixer.

Mix and add flour, vanilla sugar, and baking powder. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Set the oven to 175 C / 350 F degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Split the dough into four equal parts and roll them out on the two baking sheets so that they stretch from one end to the other lengthwise. Flatten them lightly with your hand. Bake for 15 minutes and cut into pieces while still hot. Let the cookies cool on the sheet. Store them in a tin with a lid.

Tip!

Feel free to vary the pastries by adding different flavors. You can try to add lime zest from 1 lime or 2 tbsp of cocoa to the dough. Or you may add a walnut to each pastry before you bake them. If you like cinnamon, you could sprinkle a mixture of dl / cup sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon on top before they bake.

A sweet pastry like grandma used to make, something you cant be without during the holidays.

ABOUT 50 PASTRIES

200 g / 1 sticks butter, softened

2 dl / 1 cup sugar

1 tbsp vanilla sugar

5 dl / 2 cups fine white all-purpose flour

Filling:

2 dl / 1 cup raspberry jam

Set the oven to 175 C / 350 F degrees. Brown the butter carefully in a saucepan. Let it cool. Blend the sugars and butter and stir the mixture in with the flour.

Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape the dough into five long pieces and slice them each into ten smaller bits. Roll them into balls and place them on the covered baking sheets. Use your thumb to make a dent in the middle of each cookie and fill with jam. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes.

Small pastries that look like pretty Christmas ornaments.

ABOUT 20 PASTRIES

1 dl / cup of granulated sugar

3 dl / 1 cups white flour

1 pinch ground cinnamon

1 pinch ground clove

1 pinch ground cardamom

200 g / 1 sticks soft butter

100 g / 3.5 oz almonds

1 egg yolk

Filling:

12 dl / 1 cup jam or marmalade of your choice

Pour sugar, flour, and spices in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into smaller pieces and blend with the spice mixture. Grind the almonds. Add the almonds and yolk to the mixture and blend it all together. Let it rest for a couple of hours in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, set the oven to 175 C / 350 F degrees.

Roll the dough out thinly. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter. Cut a pattern of your choice into the middle of half of the pastry bits. Place the pastries on a baking sheet. If you have time, you may let the baking sheet with pastries sit in the refrigerator for a while to stiffen before they bake. Cover the whole pastries with jam and add the patterned pastries on top. Bake for 15 minutes.

Tip!

Exclude the orange juice and zest. Instead, boil the raisins in 2 dl / 1 cup glgg (the Scandinavian version of mulled wine).

Moist and sweet buns with a fresh taste of orange.

ABOUT 40 BUNS

Dough:

150 g / 1 sticks butter

5 dl / 2 cups milk

g / tsp saffron

50 g / 2 tbsp yeast for sweet dough

tsp salt

1 dl / cup white all-purpose flour

1315 dl / 5 6 cups wheat flour

Filling:

Grated zest and juice of 2 oranges

3 dl / 1 cups raisins

100 g / 7 tbsp butter (room temperature)

dl / cup sugar

12 tbsp white all-purpose flour

150 g almond paste

Topping:

1 egg

150 g / 5 oz almond flakes

3 tbsp granulated sugar

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add milk and saffron and let the liquid turn lukewarm. Crumble the yeast and mix it with the liquid in a bowl. Add salt, sugar, and flours. Save some of the flour for the shaping of the buns later on. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until its smooth. Then let it rise for about an hour or until it has doubled in size. Pour the orange juice into a small saucepan with the raisins. Let it come to a boil and then cool down.