semiswede

Every year on October 4th it’s Kanelbullens dag in Sweden. Time to break out the flour, yeast, and cinnamon, or buy kanelbullar (KUH-neel-BOO-lahr) at your favorite bakery. They are so entrenched in Swedish culture that you will even find them in gas station quick marts and in “convenient” little bags to go. But unlike in […]

I’m a huge fan of toasted marshmallows. When I was a kid my impatience to eat them meant a perfectly molten middle surrounded by an evenly golden, crisp exterior always escaped me. I usually ended up scorching my marshmallow on at least one side trying to speed up the process by getting it too close […]

A friend of mine once described the post-semlor feeling as “pleasantly nauseous.” That’s pretty spot on. These monsters are the exception to the typically reasonably sized Swedish pastries. Tied to the fasting tradition of Lent, these cardamom-scented-cream-and-almond-paste-filled-buns-of-excess are most commonly available from the official end of the Christmas season (tjugondag Knut on January 13th) and […]

I’m not allowed to make these anymore. Not for a while at least because I am incapable of restraining myself. My mother-in-law brought me a batch which I promptly ate within a few days. Then the batch I made disappeared just as quickly. My efforts to thwart my addiction by putting them in the freezer […]

Five ingredients, easy to make, gluten-free, and addictive. This is a recipe I come back to again and again despite the fact I typically lack the patience for the monotonous repetition of baking cookies. These couldn’t be easier to make and are a great baking project to do with kids.

Filled with candlelight, white robes, singing, and saffron buns, Lucia in Sweden has evolved into a unique tradition that is observed throughout the country on December 13th. Although it isn’t an official holiday, Lucia celebrations are prominent from schools to universities and small towns to big cities. The origins and history of Lucia are quite […]

I’m admittedly not much of a baker. For starters, I don’t like to touch flour. It’s a relief to me that white boards have replaced chalk boards in the world because flour gives me the same chills as chalk. I love watching gymnastics when the Olympics roll around, but every time the athletes go for that […]