We recently posted about the tradition behind coffee breaks in Sweden, known as fikas. We’ve taken to the idea of an extended luxurious treat-filled coffee break every day, so we’ve decided to embrace the idea of a fika fully. While we already have greatcoffee to enjoy, we now need sweet, traditional fika treats! Here is our first fika recipe, Boston Cake:
Boston Cake
Ingredients
Dough
- 285ml lukewarm milk
- 75g caster sugar
- 22g fresh yeast (or easy blend dried yeast according to manufacturer’s instructions)
- ½ tsp cardamom seeds, crushed with a pestle and mortar
- 90g unsalted butter, melted
- ½ egg
- 500g plain flour
- 1 egg, lightly beaten for glazing
- Caster sugar, for sprinkling
Filling
- 50g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 100g dark brown soft sugar
- 1 ½ Tbsp ground cinnamon
- (Optional 75g flaked almonds for sprinkling onto cake before baking)
- A 24 cm round cake tin, greased
Method
Make the dough by putting the milk, sugar, yeast, cardamom, melted butter and egg in a food processor or mixer with the dough hook. With the motor running, gradually add the flour until it is all incorporated and the dough has come together.
Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to prove in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll it out until it is about 30 x 40cm and 1 cm thick.
For the filling, spread the butter evenly over the dough and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon all over the top. Roll the dough up from a long side, then cut into roughly 4cm rolls. Arrange the rolls cut side down in the prepared cake tin. They should fit quite snugly.
Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F Gas 6
Cover with the tea towel again and leave to prove in a warm place for 15 mins.
Brush the tops of the buns with the beaten egg and sprinkle with caster sugar (and almonds – optional extra). Bake the case in the preheated oven for 25 mins, or until golden brown
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins before tipping out onto a wire rack.
SRC: Find more fika recipes here: www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/foodanddrink/3-swedish-cake-recipes-for-a-fika-coffee-break-from-nordic-bakery-a3205076.html