In collaboration with The Nordic Kitchen

Light and fluffy Lussekatter are traditional Swedish buns made on December 13. Saffron gives the buns a gorgeous bright yellow colour and goes so well with their sweet taste.

This week, I am sharing with you a special recipe, all the way from Sweden. My dear friend, Sofia Nordgren, from The Nordic Kitchen, published her beautiful baking book just in time for the holidays, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and try her recipes!

The Nordic Baker is a plant-based book filled with delicious baking recipes divided by season. Across beautiful images, seasonal recipes, and stories, Sofia takes you on a unique journey of discovering Sweden and invites you to slow down and enjoy the mundane. Her approach to baking and cooking with nature in mind is really inspirational, inviting you to discover the Nordic lifestyle and great recipes. In her book, Sofia shares different recipes for different seasons - from breakfast ideas, recipes for bread, homemade granola, jams, to cakes and delicious sweet treats, the choice of recipes is exceptional.

If you are looking for a last-minute gift for a cook or foodie lover, this book will be a perfect gift. Grab a copy for yourself on the way, and discover beautiful recipes from Sofia's kitchen. The book is available on Amazon here. 

Today I am happy to share a special recipe from her book - Lussekatter or Swedish Saffron Buns. These soft, fluffy buns are rich in saffron flavour and decorated with raisins at each end. In Sweden, they are traditionally prepared on December 13, Santa Lucia (Saint Lucy) day. According to the Julian Calendar, December 13 was the winter solstice, the year's longest night. In Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, where the days are pretty short during the winter, St. Lucia's Day or "The Festival of Lights" is meant to bring hope and light during the darkest time of the year. In addition, it announces the Christmas season and the beginning of the holiday preparations.  In Swedish tradition, young girls wear a crown of candles and wake their families with these sweet saffron buns. In fact, the saffron gives them a golden colour and represents the light.

SWEDISH SAFFRON BUNS
RECIPE FROM THE BOOK THE NORDIC BAKER

INGREDIENTS

Makes 40 buns

150g vegan margarine, plus extra, melted for brushing

500ml plant milk, plus extra for brushing

1g (a pinch) saffron

135g caster, superfine sugar

50g fresh yeast

1/2 tsp salt

900g plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting

80 raisins ( 2 raisins per bun)

100-200ml mulled wine, optional 

METHOD

Melt the margarine in a small saucepan set over a lo heat, then stir in the plant milk. Let the liquid cool until it's lukewarm (37 C/99F). Grind the saffron and 1 tablespoon sugar using a mortar and pestle. then add it to the milk mixture.

Crumble the yeast into a large bowl, then pour over the lukewarm milk and stir until the yeast is completely dissolved. 

Add the remaining sugar, the salt and about two-thirds of the flour to the bowl. Stir together until well combined and then work the dough in the bowl with your hands for 5-10 minutes, dusting over the remaining third of the flour as you knead. You are aiming for a smooth and slightly sticky dough. Shape the dough into a ball and nestle it into the bottom of the bowl, then cover it with a tea (dish) towel and place it in a warm place to prove for about 45 minutes. 

Line two baking sheets with baking paper. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it for a minute or so. Using your hands, roll the dough into a long sausage shape, then cut into 40 equal pieces. 

With open palms, roll each piece of dough on the work surface into a long sausage shape again, about 1 cm (1/2 in) in diameter. Curl the ends of each in opposite direction, forming an "S" shape. Place the buns on the prepared baking sheets and repeat with the rest of the dough to make 40 buns. Leave some space between them. Loosely cover the buns again and leave to prove for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220 C / 425 F / Gas 7. 

In a small bowl, cover the raisins in the mulled wine and leave to soak until the buns are proving. (optional)

Brush the buns with melted margarine and press a raisin into the swirls at each end. Bake one sheet of buns at a time in the middle of the oven for about 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack and loosely cover with a tea towel to cool. Best eaten fresh. 

Christmas at home 

with Sofia, the author of The Nordic Baker

In Sweden we celebrate Christmas on December 24th (Christmas Eve). I think the Christmas traditions in Sweden look a bit different depending on whom you are talking to. However, there are a few things that a lot of people do. The mornings are probably different in different families, but around lunch most people gather with family for a Christmas lunch - usually including a big buffet of all the Christmas food you can think of. At 3 o'clock almost everyone in Sweden turn on their TV to watch "Donald Duck and his friends celebrating Christmas" as it's called here, the proper English title is however From All of Us to All of You. It has been on Swedish tv since 1960 so it's indeed a tradition. Sometime after that Santa typically arrives in most families, at least if you have kids. After some gift opening many gather around boardgames, eat more Christmas food and perhaps watch another TV show.

For our family, we start the day with our toddler getting a gift in the Christmas stocking. Then we eat rice porridge for breakfast before heading out to take a walk or play in the snow (if any). Then we enjoy a Christmas lunch before watching Donald Duck. We usually drink mulled wine while watching it, and enjoy a saffron bun or two, and some gingerbread cookies. Then we play for a while before Santa knocks on the door. We don't give much gifts for Christmas, we usually stick to one gift each. After opening them we don't have much planned. We play, talk and just enjoy being together.