During our Christmas giveaways we asked our readers to give us their recommendations on their most favourite fika – here are a few of our favourites. Enjoy!
If you’ve recovered from all that Christmas baking and feel ready to get back into the kitchen we’ve included links to all the fika recipes, so why not take a chance and see if you can compare with the treats from your local konditori. Click on the links for the recipes!
1. Kanelbullar
Perhaps the classic Swedish fika choice, sticky and full of delicious cinnamon, usually topped with sprinkles of pearl sugar. Great from the shops but even better if you make your own – the house will be filled with delightful scents!
2. Semlor
This concoction of pastry and cream is usually associated with Lent, Shrove Tuesday in particular. It’s a cardamom-spiced bun that is split and then filled with a milk-and-almond paste, then gobs of whipped cream.
3. Kokostoppar
A blend of butter, eggs, sugar and shredded coconut these little bite-sized treats are sometimes topped with melted chocolate – which I highly recommend. They’re very sweet so lashings of tea go well with this one.
4. Dajmkladdkaka
Not for the faint of heart, this is the sort of cake where you don’t ask questions. Sugar, chocolate, butter, more chocolate, cream … it’s decadent and delicious. And the ‘daim’ is exactly what you think it is: bits of that crunchy toffee sweet lifting this cake a bit above the rest.
5. Sarah Bernhardts
These are my personal favourites and the first fika biscuit I ever tasted upon arriving in Sweden. These were also my second, third, fourth,fifth … well, you get the picture. The slightly chewy base topped with creamy filling all covered with a hard chocolate shell – what’s not to love? Eat them at your peril, though, as they’re highly addictive.
Judi Lembke
Judi Lembke is an experienced journalist who, when she’s not shackled to her computer, enjoys reading, cooking and sometimes watching embarrassingly bad reality TV. Judi also works with communications and thinks coming up with clever ideas is about as much fun as one can have without taking off one’s clothes.
