Fika: The Art of The Swedish Coffee Break, with Recipes for Pastries, Breads, and Other Treats by Anna Brones, Johanna Kindvall

the drop of a hat. In college it serves to fuel all-nighters; on a birthday or other special occasion, you might serve it with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. A variation on the classic recipe, this one uses ground almonds instead of flour, giving it a chewier texture than the original version, and perfect for serving to gluten-free friends.
    ½ cup (2.5 ounces, 71 grams) blanched almonds
    ½ cup (4 ounces, 113 grams) unsalted butter
    2 eggs
    1 cup (7 ounces, 198 grams) natural cane sugar
    ⅓ cup (1 ounce, 28 grams) plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    3 to 4 teaspoons poppy seeds (optional)
    Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch (23-centimeter) springform pan or round baking dish.
    Grind the almonds in a food processor until almost finely ground.
    In a saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
    In a bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Sift in the cocoa powder, add the salt, and stir together. Add the almonds, followed by the slightly cooled butter; stir until you get a smooth batter.
    Pour the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the poppy seeds evenly on top.
    Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The cake is done when it is set on top but still sticky on the inside. You can check this by carefully lifting one side of the cake pan; if the cake still appears runny, it needs to bake longer; if it doesn’t move, it’s done.
    Let the cake cool before serving.



hastbullar
    QUICK BUNS
    makes 12 to 15 buns
    While nowadays we often like to use long and complicated names for dishes, the titles of many classic Swedish baked goods are incredibly simple; a short and sweet name that tells you everything. Such is the case with hastbullar. Bullar, which means “bun,” is a common fika offering, albeit in many different forms and flavors. But while other bullar recipes are a little more involved (like Vetebullar ), this one is made for the person who just invited some friends over for fika and doesn’t have a whole lot of time to prepare. Hast in Swedish means “hurry” or “haste”; in other words, the kind of thing you can whip up when you’re pressed for time. The original version is fairly simple, but this one adds dried figs and toasted hazelnuts for a little twist.
    dough
    2 cups (10 ounces, 284 grams) all-purpose flour
    2 teaspoons whole cardamom seeds, crushed
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    ¼ cup (1.75 ounces, 50 grams) natural cane sugar
    7 tablespoons (3.5 ounces, 99 grams) unsalted butter
    ½ cup dried figs (2.62 ounces, 75 grams), finely chopped
    1 egg
    ¾ cup (180 milliliters) milk
topping
    1 egg, beaten
    ¼ cup (1.25 ounces, 35 grams) toasted hazelnuts, chopped, or pearl sugar
    Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). 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 with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
    In a large bowl, mix together the flour, crushed cardamom, 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 on top of each bun. Sprinkle with hazelnuts.
    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.



kronans kaka
    ALMOND POTATO CAKE
    makes one 9-inch (23-centimeter) cake
    Originating in the late 1800s, kronans kaka is made with mashed potatoes as a replacement for flour, which in the hard times of that particular era was used sparingly. It was also