Fika: The Art of The Swedish Coffee Break, with Recipes for Pastries, Breads, and Other Treats (6 page)

Carefully spread half of the filling on top of the rolled-out dough so that it covers the entire area; be sure to go all the way to the edges. Begin at the long side near you and roll the dough upward (see
diagram
). Slice the roll into 15 to 18 equally sized slices and place them, rolled side up, on the baking sheet or in the paper liners. If using a baking sheet, pinch the ends of the slices to keep them from pulling away during baking. Repeat with the second half of the dough. Cover the buns with a clean tea towel and let rise for 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 435°F (225°C).

When the buns have risen, carefully brush them with the beaten egg and sprinkle each with the pearl sugar.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. If you are baking a length, bake for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer the buns from the baking sheet to the counter, and cover with a tea towel to cool. Serve freshly baked, and if not eaten right away, store in the freezer once they are completely cooled.

VARIATIONS
Instead of rolling the dough to make the classic bun shape, you can also make twists (see
diagram
above), a common formation when making cardamom buns, as well as baking a length and cutting a design into the dough with scissors to let the filling ooze out a little (see
below
).

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a Bundt pan.

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the brown sugar until frothy. Pour the slightly cooled butter into the egg yolk and sugar mixture and whisk together a little longer. Sift the flour, then stir it carefully into the batter along with the cardamom, lemon juice, and salt. Stirring as little as possible, work the ingredients together until you get a smooth, even batter.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites, ideally with an electric mixer. When soft peaks form, add the cane sugar little by little. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the sugar and egg white mixture into the batter and keep folding until the batter is evenly blended. Be careful not to overstir. Pour directly into the Bundt pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The cake is done when a knife or toothpick comes out clean when inserted at the thickest part of the cake. If the cake starts to get a golden brown color earlier (which can happen after 20 minutes), remove it from the oven, cover it with aluminum foil, and put back in the oven. This will prevent the top of the cake from burning.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for a bit before inverting it onto a plate.

To prepare the dough, in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until well blended. Add the flour, egg yolk, and ginger. Work the mixture together with your hands until the dough can be formed into a ball. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat

To prepare the filling, mix the almonds, sugar, and almond extract in a food processor until the ingredients come together; depending on how dry the almonds are, you will get a sticky to smooth consistency.

In a bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy. Mix in the almond mixture and the orange zest.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. On a floured surface, roll each part with a rolling pin into a rectangle, about 10 by 4 inches (25.5 by 10 centimeters), with the longest side toward you. It is easiest to roll out the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap.

For each rectangle of dough, use a quarter of the filling, spreading it lengthwise down the middle of the rectangle, parallel to the longest side. This should take up the middle third of the dough, leaving one third of uncovered dough at the top and bottom edges. Fold the top third down so that it completely covers the filling, then fold the bottom third up to meet the top, as if folding a piece of paper into thirds. If any of the dough breaks in the process of folding, pinch it together with your fingers so that the filling doesn’t leak out. Pinch the ends of the log closed. Repeat this process for each log.

When transferring to the baking sheet, carefully turn the logs over so that the folded section is on the bottom. Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet.

To prepare the icing, mix together the confectioners’ sugar and just enough orange juice to give a thin,
smooth consistency. Add the orange juice slowly so the icing doesn’t become too runny.

When the cookie logs are cool, carefully transfer them to a cutting board. Drizzle the icing over the top of each log or spread it on the logs using a spatula. Let the icing set for a few minutes before cutting each log into 12 equally sized slices.

When cooled, store in an airtight container. These cookies also store well in the freezer.