Swedish Baked Goods

Sweden is known for their love of coffee and baked goods.  This custom is known as "fika".  The custom is an integral part of the cultural heritage of Sweden. Before the term was established in the early 20th century, ‘kafferep’, emerged at the end of the 19th century as an early variant of the custom – a private gathering of ladies involving “sju sorters kakor” (seven types of cookies).  It may seem quite an undertaking making 7 varieties of cookies but most come from the same basic dough.  In the next three weeks, students will master 7 Swedish varieties.  We will start with Chokladbollar one of the first cookies children in Sweden learn how to make.  

12/28: Chokladbollar (Swedish Chocolate balls) These are unbaked pastries from popular Danish and Swedish confectionery. The oatmeal ball is usually slightly smaller than a golf ball and consists of oatmeal, sugar, cocoa, vanilla sugar, butter, and sometimes a small amount of coffee, which is mixed to a compact mass.

Hallongrotter (Swedish Jam Cookies):  A butter cookie filled with strawberry or raspbery jam.

January 4: Pepparkakor (Swedish Ginger Cookies)
This traditional Swedish Pepparkakor Recipe makes deliciously crisp spice cookies with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and clove.

January 11: We will revisit the butter cookie recipe and make a few alternation: 

The following will be made from the same basic dough
Swedish Butter Cookies (Mandel Kakor)

Gafelkakor (Fork Cookies)
A basic vanilla buttery cookie.  Edge with colored sprinkles for a fun sugar cookie.

Nougatkakor (Praline Cookies)
The same basic butter cookie recipe with the addition of praline.  Made by melting sugar and string in almonds to make a candy to then crush and add into the dough. 

Schackrutor (chessboards)
These two-tone, melt-in-the-mouth shortbread cookies make any Swedish fika arrangement look and taste wonderful. They incorporate both chocolate and vanilla cookie dough, assembled in a layered fashion before each biscuit is cut to reveal a chessboard design. The result is delicious and stylish in equal measure.