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Semlor

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Tomorrow is the big day.
The special day to eat a ‘semla’ or ‘semlor’ (plural) if you’re really hungry.
I’ve already eaten three (ok, four) this year but haven’t made my own until yesterday.
I’ve made them before, 
and I don’t want to bad mouth one of my own recipes, but honestly these are just so much better. They are hands down, the best semlor I’ve ever
made. I must say I was almost surpised when I took the first bite. A
light and fluffy sweet wheat bun with lots of cardamom, filled with
homemade almond paste, topped with sweetened whipped cream and powdered
sugar.
I’ve been working a lot with yeasted dough recently and I must say I’ve learned so much since making them last year.

I usually get my semlor from a near-by bakery called Feldt’s. They make
the best sourdough bread, cinnamon rolls and semlor. They make the
almond paste filling with crunchy bits of almonds (I think) and I was a
little obsessed with that filling after tasting it that I had to try and recreate it. I must say my efforts paid off. If you prefer a smooth filling, just leave out those extra 25 grams of almonds.


Though I must say my video from last year is pretty sweet:

 

Semlor

Makes 8-9 
 
Bun recipe adapted from Heléne Johansson’s book ”Sötebröd från Brunkebergs bageri”. I halved the original recipe since I thought 8-9 semlor was more than enough. These should be served the same day they are made or they will become quite dry. You can also freeze the buns as soon as they have cooled and fill them later on. It’s also ok to use ready made almond paste but I really recommend making your own.
 
For the dough:
25 g fresh yeast
1/2 cup cold milk
2 1/3 cups (325 g) all purpose flour
1 medium egg
3 tbsp + 1 tsp (50 g) granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cardamom seeds
1/2 tsp salt
100 g (1 scant stick of butter) soft butter, cut in pieces
 
Egg wash
1 egg + 1 tbsp water
 
Filling
100 g blanched almonds (or 100 g almond flour)
6 1/2 tbsp (100 g) granulated sugar
2-3 tbsp water
1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
splash of unwhipped cream, as desired
25 g blanched, finely chopped and toasted almonds (toast chopped almonds in 175°C (350°F) hot oven for 5 minutes)
1 3/4 cups whipping cream
1/2 – 1 tbsp powdered sugar, to taste
pinch of vanilla powder or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Extra powdered sugar
 
Make the dough:
1. Grind cardamom seeds using a pestle and mortar.
Crumble yeast into the  bowl of a stand mixer. Add cold milk and stir until yeast is completely dissolved. Add all other ingredients for dough except the butter. Work the dough using the dough hook for about 5 minutes, then add the butter a few pieces at a time.
 
2. Work the dough for another 10-15 minutes or until it is very soft and elastic. The dough should not stick to the bowl at this point and you shouldn’t need any extra flour for kneading.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes in the bowl.
 
3. Form balls of dough, about 70-80 grams for each bun. Using your palm, press each ball of dough against the table and roll in circles until the bun is smooth and shiny (imagine almost massaging it!). Cup you hand around the bun without too much pressure and swirl it around in a circling motion to shape it into a round ball. 
 
4. Carefully transfer balls to a baking sheet covered with baking paper (remember to leave some space between buns). Cover with a cloth and leave to rise for at least 1 hour (preferably 1 1/2 hour).
 
5. Heat oven to 225°C (430F). Stir together the egg and water in a small bowl. Lightly brush buns with egg wash.
6. Bake buns for about 10-13 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
 
For almond filling:
1. Mix 100 g blanched almonds with granulated sugar, preferably in a food processor. Add as much water as needed to form a paste. 
 
2. Grind cardamom seeds with a pestle and mortar and add ground seeds to the almond paste. Add vanilla and 25 g finely chopped toasted almonds. 
 
3. Cut the “lids” of the buns, and make a small well in the middle. Save the crumb from the buns and add to the almond paste. Add a splash of unwhipped cream to desired consistency. Fill the holes in the buns with the almond filling.
 
4. Whip the cream with some powdered sugar and vanilla. Pipe or spoon cream on top of the bun, then put the “lid” on top. Powder with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
 

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2861/12911787543_34db28ab3b_o.jpg

Chocolate swirl meringues with nutella whipped cream

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You know those combinations that are just pure perfection? The kind that makes you want to cry, or at least shed a little tear? Maybe you have no clue what I’m talking about. Maybe it’s just me, because I cry when I laugh (you do not want to see me laughing when I’m wearing make-up -it’s a mess), crying can definitely be a good thing.
In this case, it is most definitely good.
Sometimes I feel like a broken record, but I can’t say it enough.. meringue + chocolate + whipped cream = perfection.
Little clouds of perfection.
I have always said that tiramisu was my favorite, but now, I’m not so sure.
I think I have to change it into..

1. Anything meringue, cream and chocolate
2. Tiramisu
3. Cinnamon rolls or semlor.. undecided

I’ll get back to you on that last one.

Now I’m curious, if you’d have to list three of your favorite desserts/pastries, what would they be? I’d love to know!

These swirly chocolatey meringues are sheer perfection. You can definitely eat them the way they are, but I decided to serve them with some nutella whipped cream. Can’t go wrong with that! They’d also be delicious with some berries, toasted nuts, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce.. you get the idea.

*If you can’t get your hands on caster sugar (or superfine sugar), just place granulated sugar in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times until fine but not powdery. Note that caster sugar is not the same as powdered sugar!
* Click the image with the recipe below to see it bigger, or scroll down to the bottom of the post!
*Recipe in Swedish here / recept på svenska här






Chocolate swirl meringues 
with nutella whipped cream 

Makes 4-5 large meringues

3 egg whites
175 g caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp white wine vinegar
75 g dark chocolate, melted

3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp nutella

Preheat oven to 125°C (257°F). Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Whisk egg whites until frothy. Gradually add in caster sugar, then vanilla and vinegar. Whip until meringue holds stiff peaks and there is no sugar grit left. Drizzle most of the melted chocolate on top of meringue and with a spoon, just slightly fold (don’t mix). Spoon mixture onto baking sheet.
Drizzle leftover chocolate on top of meringues.     
Lower oven temperature to 100°C (212°F). Bake in lower part of the oven for about 60-80 minutes (or until meringue no longer sticks to the paper).  Turn off oven and leave meringues in the oven for an extra 20 minutes. Leave meringues to cool completely on a wire rack. Whip cream and nutella until soft peaks hold. Serve meringues with nutella cream and toasted nuts, berries or chocolate shavings.

Churros with chocolate dip

By 29 Comments

Hope all of you have had a great start to the new year! I know I have. I’ve set up some goals for myself (no actual resolutions as “resolution” means you must do something) to strive for this year. Of course, some career goals but mostly personal goals such as to have more fun, travel more and to stop worrying about everything. 
I’m not sure if I’ve told you, but about six months ago I quit my day-job to do this full time (writing books, photographing, blogging etc.).  It was a great decision and I don’t regret for a second but sometimes I miss having workmates so much. That part has been very hard for me. Some days I don’t speak to anyone for ten hours! Maybe I should get a cat. I love cats.

Anyway, I think most people start off the year eating fairly healthy. I try to eat fairly healthy too, but I also made churros.
I ate churros for the very first time last year. I think it was in August, so about five months ago. I have no idea why I haven’t tried them before. I never ever thought they would be so easy to make! The batter for the churros takes a few minutes to whip up. The tricky part is getting them the shape you want, if that actually matters to you. I like them a little bit curly.
I served them with a chocolate dipping sauce which is delicious, don’t get me wrong, but I’d like to serve them with say… soft serve vanilla ice cream. Hot churros with light and fluffy soft serve ice cream. Now that would be something.



Churros with chocolate dip
Makes 10 churros
Churros

50 g butter
150 ml water

1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
60 g (100 ml) all purpose flour
1 medium egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cinnamon sugar
75 g granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

corn or canola oil to fry (amount depends on the size of your pan, but oil should be at least 5 cm (2 inches) deep

Chocolate dip
100 g dark chocolate (70%), finely chopped
100 ml heavy cream
1 tbsp butter

1. Put butter, water, sugar and salt in a sauce pan. Let come to a boil, then add the flour stirring well until a dough forms. Remove sauce pan from heat and keep working the dough until smooth and shiny. Let cool slightly, then add the egg and the vanilla, stirring until smooth.

2. Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a medium sized star tip (such as Wilton 1M).

3. Combine sugar and cinnamon on a plate or a baking dish. Put paper towels on a platter or a wire rack to soak up excess fat.
4. Heat oil to about 185°C/365F in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan with high sides. Pipe dough (about 10-15 cm long) directly into the hot oil (be careful with you hands!). Fry, turning often, about two minutes or until golden brown.  

5. Transfer to paper towels to drain and cool slightly. Roll in cinnamon sugar until evenly coated. Try to eat the churros as soon as possible!


Chocolate sauce
1. Put the chopped chocolate in a deep bowl. 

2. Heat cream and butter in a sauce pan, remove just before it comes to a boil. Pour cream mixture over chocolate, let stand 20 seconds, then stir until smooth.

A saffron cinnamon wreath and saffron buns

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I realize that this post is a few days late. But you know what? Lussekatter can be eaten throughout December, not just on St. Lucia day which is December 13th. No, Lucia day is more an excuse to eat as many as you want.
On another note, it’s a real struggle to take photos for the blog these days. And the light is just weird (excuse my purple hands above, they’re not purple IRL, I promise).
Oh, and the rain. It rains every day! I just wish it would snow.

So, I made two types of Christmas wreaths this year. One edible and one “real” with evergreens. The edible one is definitely not for hanging up on the wall. It just looks real pretty served with the ribbon. It’s so good I can’t even handle it. It’s like if the cinnamon bun and the saffron bun would have a baby together. Yes, it’s that good.

This year I was a bit lazy not making my own gingerbread cookie dough. That’s ok though. There is this cute little bakery, Feldt’s, just a 10 minute walk from my home. They make the best buns and sourdough bread ever. This year they also made gingerbread cookie dough and I knew I had to try it. It’s delicious, lots of flavor and not as sweet as store-bought cookies.








Saffron and cinnamon wreath
Makes 1 wreath



This recipe is adapted from my cinnamon bun recipe, and is somewhere in-between two Swedish favorites – the cinnamon bun and the “lussekatt” (“Lucia cat”, or just saffron bun). I’ve added just a hint of orange just because I love it, but I still wanted the cinnamon and saffron to be the stars. If you want the orange flavor to be more noticeable use zest from 1 whole orange. 

12 g fresh yeast
40 g butter
1/2 cup (125 ml) milk
1/2 g saffron
25 g granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cardamom, coarsely ground
200 g all purpose flour

Filling
50 g softened butter
25 g granulated sugar
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom, finely ground
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
Zest from 1/2-1 orange
Pinch of salt

Egg wash
1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of cream or milk and a pinch of salt

Granulated sugar, to sprinkle

Method  
1. Sprinkle yeast into a large bowl.
2. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add milk and saffron and heat until approximately 37°C (98.5F), remove from heat and pour over the sprinkled yeast. Stir until dissolved. When yeast is completely dissolved, add sugar, salt cardamom and flour.
3. Work the dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes with machine or 10 minutes by hand. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and leave to rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, mix the ingredients for the filling and set aside.
5. When dough is ready, roll it out into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface. The dough should measure about 55 x 27 cm (approx 21.6 x 10.6 inches).
Spread with filling and roll it into a log lengthwise (which means you’ll have a 55 cm long log).
6. Transfer log onto a cutting board if needed. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, split the dough in half lengthwise (which means you’ll end up with two long strips of dough, still 55 cm long with the inside layers “exposed”).
7. Put the two layers next to each other with the “exposed” part up. Join the top of the two pieces  together, then start twisting the two lengths together (imagine doing a braid with just two strands.. or you could just twist..).
8. Transfer “braid” onto baking paper and shape it into a wreath by joining the two ends together. Slide the baking paper onto a baking tray. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 200°C (392F).
9. Lightly brush wreath with egg wash. Sprinkle some granulated sugar on top. Bake at 200°C in the lower part of the oven for about 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Good old Swedish “lussekatter”
Makes 30-40


Traditionally shaped into an S-shape, but you can make them any shape you want! 
If you feel like making them in the traditional manner, the trick is to roll them out really long to make them extra “swirly”. Some people soak the raisins in water or mulled wine before putting them on the buns to keep them from drying out the bread.
If buns feel dry, reheat slightly in the oven or in the microwave and they’ll become moist and delicious again!

50 g fresh yeast
200 g butter
1 gram saffron (2 envelopes)
300 ml milk
200 ml heavy cream
185 g granulated sugar
1 large egg
900-960 g all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt

Egg wash
1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of cream or milk and a pinch of salt

Decoration
Raisins


Method
1. Crumble yeast into a large bowl.
2. Melt the butter, add saffron, milk and cream and heat until approximately 37°C (98.5F) Add a little of the liquid to the yeast and stir until it has dissolved, then add the rest of the liquid.
3. Add the egg and sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the flour and salt and work into a smooth dough (about 10 minutes by hand). It should still be a little bit sticky (but manageable!). Leave the dough to rise, covered with a cloth, for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
4. Now it’s time to shape lussekatter! Divide the dough into equally large portions and shape each bun like an “S”. The trick is to roll them out really long to make them extra swirly. Transfer buns onto baking paper. Leave some space between them as they will rise even more. Put two raisins in each bun (as pictured).
5. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise for 45 minutes.
6. Brush buns lightly with egg wash. Bake in the middle of the oven at 250°C (480F) for about 7-9 minutes or until golden brown, depending on the size of the buns.
7. Let cool. Enjoy! Remember to freeze leftovers immediately or they will become dry very fast.

WINTER RECIPES – salted caramel candies + kale chips + a sweet potato salad

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These are, I would say, some pretty great recipes for winter.
Before you wrinkle your nose from hearing the word “kale chips”, hear me out.
I have fond memories of kale from my childhood. No, I’m not talking about the smell. Nor the taste.
I have always hated kale. Ok, hate is a very strong word that I rarely use. Let’s just say I’ve always disliked it.

Kale is a very important ingredient where I come from (Halland, a province in the south of Sweden), especially on “julbordet” (the Christmas table). It’s usually cooked with cream, butter, salt and sometimes a little bit of sugar (I’ve never made it so I can’t say for sure these are the exact ingredients but I think so).
But I digress.
I was going to tell you about my memories of kale. My parents used to bring home this huge bag of kale every christmas. Like, really, really huge. Definitely taller than me. We sat around the table together, my mom, my dad and my big brother, removing the thick stems and tearing the kale into smaller pieces. Then my mom cooked it the way I described before. I thought the smell was terrible, but somehow it remains one of my strongest and fondest memories.

If you haven’t heard, kale is pretty much a super-food. It’s so nutritious that as a vegetarian I feel like I need to find ways to eat it and still enjoy it. Mixing it into hearty salads and making chips is definitely the way to go for me. I’m going to try making juices too.

I know it’s a bit ambiguous, here I am, talking about nutrition and all and them I’m giving you a recipe for caramel candies. Well, to me it’s all about finding a balance. I definitely don’t want to deprive myself of eating baked goods or candy (it’s part of my job!), so I try to eat fairly (with emphasis on fairly) healthy food during the weekdays.
Don’t you think these caramel candies would make a perfect gift though? Find a cute little box, fill it with candies and give it to someone you like.




Kale chips

Printable recipe

1 bunch kale
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 150°C (300F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the thick stems from the leaves and tear into small pieces. Wash and dry pieces thoroughly.
Put kale in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and salt. Put kale in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake until slightly brown, about 15-20 minutes



Brown rice, sweet potato and chick pea salad with roasted pecans and kale
3-4 servings


Printable recipe

200 ml brown rice (about 150 g)
2 sweet potatoes (about 500 g)
Olive oil, salt and black pepper

50 g pecans

Vinaigrette
3 tbsp dijon mustard (I used honey dijon)
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste

400 g chick peas, cooked or tinned and drained
50 g kale (or a few leaves..), rinsed and chopped in smaller pieces

Cook rice according to instructions. Set aside.
Heat oven to 200°C (392F). Peel and cut sweet potatoes in smaller pieces. Put them in a pan together with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to make sure potatoes are covered with oil. Roast for about 25 minutes or until pieces are tender and slightly browned.
Toast pecans in a skillet until fragrant.
Mix mustard, balsamico, olive, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
Mix rice, sweet potatoes, pecans, vinaigrette, chick peas and kale in a large bowl.


Salted vanilla caramel candies 
Recipe adapted from Gourmet Traveller

Note: This recipe makes rather soft but still chewy candies. If you want harder candies you can reduce the amount of cream to about 225 ml.

Printable recipe

250 g granulated sugar
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
60 g golden syrup
25 g butter (I used salted, but unsalted works too)
1/4 tsp vanilla powder or seeds from 1/2 vanilla pod
sea salt

Line a 20 cm (8 inch) square pan with baking paper.
Put sugar, cream, syrup, butter and vanilla seeds in a large saucepan and stir until sugar dissolves.
Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook until mixtures reaches 122°C (251F) on a sugar thermometer (which can take up 10-20 minutes). If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a little bit of the mixture into a glass of cold water. The mixture should be able to form a firm ball. Pour mixture in the prepared pan and let cool for a few minutes before sprinkling sea salt on top. Let stand until firm, about 3-4 hours. Cut caramels with a sharp knife. If your knife sticks to the caramels, spray it with non-stick spray or brush some oil on it. Wrap candies in wax paper. Keeps for about 5-7 days in room temperature, and even longer in the fridge. If you store them in the fridge, remember to bring them to room temperature before eating.

Variations
Salted chocolate caramel candies
Add 2 tbsp cocoa powder along with the other ingredients at the beginning of the recipe.

 

Cinnamon buns

By 96 Comments

Making cinnamon “knots” is not my thing. Just sayin.
I struggled quite a bit with making these look somewhat pretty but I think they ended up looking ok at least. They tasted amazing though, and that’s what counts, right? And I know that practice makes perfect. I need to make them more often. The last time I blogged about cinnamon buns was in November 2009 (!!!). Back then I wrote “I prefer mine without cardamom”. What?? I texted my brother the other day asking him if he likes cardamom. He said it was probably his favorite “spice”. I agreed. Things sure have changed around here since 2009.

Tomorrow is the official “Kanelbullens dag” or cinnamon bun-day in Sweden. I must say that these buns are amongst my favorite things in the world, with a glass of milk or cup of coffee (make that coffee for me please!).
I of course also make them with a little bit of extra filling. 
Mmmmm… butter. I need butter.
Ok, just go make them! They are that good.

On another note, the text on my blog is really picking a fight with me. Let me know if it looks weird on your screen.





Recipe after the jump!

Cinnamon buns
Makes about 30 buns
 
150 g soft butter
100 ml granulated sugar (90 g)
½ tsp salt 
2 tsp freshly ground cardamom
500 ml milk
50 g fresh yeast
1400 ml all purpose flour (840 g)

Filling
175 g soft butter
100 ml granulated sugar (90 g)
2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom, freshly ground
1/4 tsp vanilla powder

Egg wash
1 egg, lightly beaten
Pearl sugar, chopped almonds or granulated sugar

Method
 
1. Mix butter, sugar, salt and cardamom until smooth in a large bowl. 
2.
Heat milk in a saucepan until approximately 37°C (98.5F), remove from
heat and add sprinkled yeast. Stir until dissolved. When yeast is
completely dissolved, add milk to butter mixture. 
3.
Gradually add flour, then work until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover
bowl with a cloth and leave to rise until doubled in size, about 45-60
minutes.
4. Meanwhile, mix the ingredients for the filling and set aside.
5. When dough is ready, divide it into two pieces. Start
by rolling out the first piece of dough into a large rectangle, about 40×50 cm. Spread half of the filling on top. 
6. To make the shape
pictured here, fold the dough two times (so you have three layers of dough, kind of like a business letter!).

7. Cut out long strips of dough (about 2 cm wide) which you then cut
in half lengthwise, leaving the top part uncut (imagine holding up a
pair of pants in front of you, that’s what it should look like but with super long legs!)

8. Twist together into a knot and put on parchment paper.
9. Repeat steps 5-8 with remaining piece of dough.

10. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise for 30 minutes. 

11.  Heat oven to 250°C (480F). Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle pearl sugar on top if desired. Bake for about 8-11 minutes, depending on
the size of the buns.

Corn on the cob with chili garlic butter, parmesan cheese and lime

By 30 Comments



I love corn on the cob with butter. Even as a snack. With garlic butter – even better.

Sometimes when I read other food blogs, I envy all great stories and memories about food. Seems like I am the only one with very few food related memories.
Somehow I started thinking about this today. I ate food as a kid, how come I don’t really remember anything?
Well, you see, I decided to stop eating meat when I was nine and food was sometimes a struggle for me (mostly because I was so picky).
I remember (see, a memory, but not a good one) eating “pytt i panna” (a mix of diced potatoes and meat) in school one day and being disgusted by it. I couldn’t chew it.  From then on I stopped eating meat. Or at least I tried.
It wasn’t so common that people ate vegetarian food back then (not as far as I knew at least) as it is now.
People around me didn’t really know how to deal with it.
“It’ll pass, it’s just a phase” I was told.
But it didn’t pass.
 


Years went by and I still removed the meat as much as possible from my food.
I remember one certain lady who worked in the school kitchen.
Her name was Hillevi. She took extra good care of me and made me fried potatoes – my favorite.
I was very particular back then and didn’t eat too many vegetables which made it even more difficult. But I sure loved those potatoes and had no problem eating them every day.
When I started high school my school actually served vegetarian food. And when I say that I don’t mean a leaf of lettuce and a carrot, but real, hearty vegetarian food. I learned to eat so many things there that I had never even tasted before. I guess it has to do with age too.

Corn on the cob with chili garlic butter, parmesan cheese and lime

For the butter:
75 g soft butter
1 clove garlic
1/2-1 tsp chili powder (or fresh chili if you prefer that)
sea salt
pepper

For the corn:
2-4 corn husks

Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lime

Mix soft butter with crushed/minced garlic, chili powder, sea salt and pepper. Put in the fridge for a little while.

Heat oven to 175°C (350F). Roast corn in husk for 30-35 minutes. Remove husks, and serve with the butter and a squeeze of lime juice.

Homemade granola and inspired by Mallorca

By 53 Comments

I came home completely refreshed from Mallorca a week ago.
All the shades of blue, green and turquoise and the crystal clear water left me inspired and calm.
I would not describe myself as calm, ever. Never on the inside and rarely on the outside.
But blue seems to have that effect on me. I think I need more blue in my life.
Luckily (you don’t hear me saying that often) the wifi-service was expensive at our hotel so we only used it for two hours.
A week on Mallorca, or eight days to be exact and only two hours of internet use. It was wonderful to say the least.

I usually eat very little or no breakfast at all, but on this trip, I can tell you I ate as much as I possibly could.
Croissants, pain au chocolat, pancakes with nutella, you name it. As long as it was sweet I ate it. That is so not like me at all. I don’t know what it is about vacations, or hotel breakfasts, but I like this version of me. Totally relaxed.
Only thing I didn’t like was the constant.. hmmm.. perspiration.
35°C and no breeze at all. Not exactly what I’m used to. When we got back home it was 15°C. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Mallorca.

I definitely want to go there again, maybe in April/May or October when the temperatures are a bit lower. I would love to explore without almost fainting from the heat (yes, I know I’m super sensitive).
And it also made me want to make better breakfasts. So here goes. Cinnamon granola!








Granola

1 1/4 cup / 300 ml rolled oats
1 1/4 cup / 300 ml spelt oats
1/2 cup / 125 ml oat groats
1/2 cup / 125 ml hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup / 125 ml almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup / 125 ml walnuts, coarsely chopped
1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup maple syrup

Optional
Roasted coconut chips
100 ml raisins or optional dried fruit (I didn’t have any at home)

Heat oven to 175° (350 F). Mix all ingredients except coconut chips and raisins in a large bowl.
Spread on a baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add coconut chips and bake for another 5 minutes. Add raisins if desired when mixture is completely cool. Store in an airtight jar.
Serve with your favorite topping such as berries and milk or yoghurt.

Lilac sugar

By 57 Comments

I can’t even begin to explain just how much I love these flowers. They make me all giddy! They smell incredible, and the fact that they are edible make them even better.
Making lilac sugar is super simple – all you need is lilac petals, sugar and a jar. That’s it! A perfect way to preserve the smell of summer for months to come. It’s also a perfect gift!

 

Lilac sugar

Clean, dry lilac petals (preferably purple as they are very fragrant)
Granulated sugar
A jar

Layer flowers and sugar in a jar. Let stand dark and cool for a few days, shake every now and then. Now your sugar is ready to use. Perfect for baking or in a cup of tea.





Semlor

By 48 Comments

Semla (plural – semlor)) is probably one of the most typical Swedish pastries (and princess cake of course) I can think of.
It’s made out of a wheat flour bun seasoned with cardamom, filled with almond paste and whipped cream. Traditionally they’re eaten on “Fat Tuesday” (the last day before the lenten fast) but nowadays you can find them in pretty much any café or bakery in Sweden from new years until easter. I can honestly say I don’t know much about their history, but I do know that they’re delicious!
Some people like to eat them from a bowl of hot milk – this is called “hetvägg” (“hot wall”, I know, weird!) but I prefer eating them the way they are.

I also made som untraditional ones – chocolate with Nutella filling. I prefer the regular ones though, but if you feel like making chocolate semlor, just replace 4 tbsp of the flour with cocoa powder and add some cocoa powder to the whipped cream.

The video below shows how I make them!


Click image below to view recipe!







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