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Saffransbullar and pepparkakor

by Lena Katarina Swanberg and Carl Jan Granqvist


Photo: Pål Allan/www.imagebank.sweden.se

Saffransbullar
and pepparkakor means saffron buns and gingersnaps. These are among the traditional Swedish Christmas treats. The sweet yeast rolls that are served during the Christmas season are flavored with golden saffron and dark raisins and often shaped into “Lucia cats” (lussekatter). The gingersnaps are customarily cut in the shape of little men and women, pigs or hearts, and are often decorated with frosting. It is not uncommon for children to help build little houses out of gingersnap dough to celebrate Christmas. 

But sweet yeast buns without saffron are eaten year round in Sweden, usually in the form of cinnamon buns. Gingersnaps are also eaten year round, though most of the time they are not home-made and are generally just round in shape.

Copyright 2005: This text is published by the Swedish Institute on www.sweden.se. It may not be reused without prior consent. To obtain permission to use the text, please contact: webmaster@sweden.se.

Next page - Snaps and glögg

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Innkeeper Emeritus Carl Jan Granqvist selected the dishes. Journalist and author Lena Katarina Swanberg wrote the texts.
The authors alone are responsible for the opinions expressed on this web page.

Translation: Victor Kayfetz

">Photos or illustrations may not be used in other contexts. For more information on the copyright and permission.

Comment!

There are 8 comments on this article:
Swedense
Country:  Sweden, May 27, 2010
Jennifer, I found this on Wikipedia: Gingerbread was brought to Europe in 992 by the Armenian monk Gregory of Nicopolis. During the 1200s, it was brought to Sweden by German immigrants. Early references from the Vadstena monastery show how the Swedish nuns were baking gingerbread to ease digestion in the year 1444. The first documented trade of gingerbread biscuits dates to the 1500s, where they were sold in monastery pharmacies and town square farmers markets.
jennifer
Country:  U.S.A., May 26, 2010
Is there a story behind pepparkakor like there is for saffron buns (st. Lucia) or is it just yummy?
saffran
Country:  sweden, Dec 23, 2009
This recipe calls for too much flour, too much saffran and not enough yeast. It's quite dry. I wish I had found the recipe at Annesfood (dot blogspot dot com) before I started this one.

I console myself thinking that I can dunk these dry things in coffee and eat them that way - but I must make a new batch with a different recipe for friends!
AW
Country:  USA, Dec 22, 2009
Oops! I meant 3 Teaspoons!!!
AW
Country:  USA, Dec 21, 2009
50 g Dry Yeast is about 3 Tablespoons
Kattis
Country:  USA, Dec 20, 2009
Great recipes! What is the equivalent of 50 g of fresh yeast to dry yeast?
MamaJebet
Country:  Ireland, Dec 6, 2009
We love these two Swedish recipes PepparKakor and Saffron buns, we ate lots of each when we visited Sweden last Christmas. However our favourite is Swedish Cinamon buns. We have added these to our Christmas recipes and will have them every year!!!
ChristerArt
Country:  USA, Nov 8, 2009
PLEASE, PLEASE turn off the pop up survey.

Since the survey is closed, it really is offensive to have it pop up every time you look at a recipe!

CR

 
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