Contributed by Birgitt Evans
Makes 12 – 15 buns
This recipe comes from “Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break” by Anna Brones & Johanna Kindvall. The English have ‘tea time’ and we Swedes have our “Fika” (pronounced “fee-ka”) which is coffee plus a sweet treat and time to pause, often with friends, and slow down during the day.
As we speed up towards the holiday season, here is a quick, uncomplicated recipe for (literally) “haste buns”. So if you need something to bring to an event or to enjoy with your coffee, these are both quick and delicious. As with many Swedish baked goods, these are lightly sweetened. And, perhaps surprisingly, cardamon is a top spice in the Swedish kitchen, along with cinnamon.
Dough
2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Whole Cardamom Seeds, crushed (you can substitute cardamom powder)
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
¼ cup Natural Cane Sugar
7 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
½ cup Dried Figs, finely chopped (you can substitute currants or raisins)
1 Egg
¾ cup Milk
Topping
1 Egg, beaten
¼ cup Toasted Hazelnuts, chopped or Pearl Sugar
Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or place paper liners on a baking sheet. These buns hold their form without paper liners, but using them makes for a nicer-looking presentation. If you don’t use paper liners, be sure to grease the baking sheet, or line it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cardamon, baking powder and sugar. Using your hands, add the butter in small pieces and work together with your fingertips until the dough resembles a coarse meal. Add the figs to the mixture, stirring together until evenly mixed in.
In a small bowl, whisk together 1 of the eggs and the milk. Stir into the flour mixture until you get a sticky, well-blended batter. Drop a large spoonful of the batter into each paper liner.
Brush the beaten egg on top of each bun. Sprinkle with hazelnuts or pearl sugar.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tops of the buns are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Eat fresh or store in an airtight container in the freezer.
