Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break with Recipes for Pastries, Breads, and Other Treats, written by Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall, focuses on the Swedish idea of taking a moment in the day to relax with a cup of coffee and homemade treat. A few highlights include Kinuskikaka (Kinuski Caramel Cake), Pepparkakor (Swedish Gingersnaps), Kumminskorpor (Caraway Crisps), Flädersaft (Elderflower Cordial), and Fikonrutor (Fig Squares). I will also be sharing their recipe for Apelsinsnittar (Swedish Orange Almond Slices) following the review.
Disclosure: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall
Anna Brones is a Swedish-American freelance writer. She is the editor of Foodie Underground and her work has been featured in BBC, Guardian, Sprudge, GOOD, and PUNCH. Anna is currently based in Paris.
Johanna Kindvall is a Swedish illustrator and cook currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She is the editor of the illustrated cooking blog, Kokblog, and her work has been featured in books and magazines around the world. She is also the author of Smörgåsbord (here is my review + a recipe for Apelsinmarmelad med Timjan, Orange Marmalade with Thyme)
Fika
I love finding books that give me a historical and cultural overview in addition to the recipes and Fika definitely 
Chapters are divided into the Introduction; A History of Swedish Coffee; Modern-Day Fika; The Outdoor Season; Celebrating More than the Everyday; and Bread, Sandwiches, and Fika as a Snack.
The history of Swedish coffee discusses the evolution of coffee from the first importation to the development of konditori, traditions, and cookbooks surrounding the ritual. Modern-day fika covers the tradition today and some of the more recent treats that have developed.
The Outdoor Season offers a few recipes perfect for a picnic and ways to use summer produce. Celebrating more than the everyday focuses on the popular holidays in Sweden- Name Days, Fat Tuesday, Midsummer, Birthdays, and the Christmas Season. While most of the recipes are sweet-based, the last chaper offers more savory snacks.
For those who want cookbooks full of photographs, this may not be the book for you. In place of photos, Fika is filled with beautiful and detailed illustrations by Johanna Kindvall for each recipe. I am usually one who looks for the photographs in cookbooks, but they were not missed here. The illustrations do a wonderful job of giving a visual aspect to the instructions, especially for the more intricate baked goods.
The authors stress using the best ingredients available to create quality baked goods. For ingredients that are difficult to find in the United States, homemade versions are offered along with substitutions when needed. For the most part, no special tools are required other than a food processor and grinder/mortar and pestle. Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric.
Apelsinsnittar (Swedish Orange Almond Slices)
The first recipe that caught my attention was Apelsinsnittar, sliced cookies filled with an orange almond paste and drizzled with a light orange glaze. They were fairly easy to make and I couldn’t stop at just one slice.
The dough is a bit fragile and tore a little for me as I covered the filling, but it was easy to gently form back together after I transferred the log to the baking sheet. The recipe makes about 48 cookies, but they store well in the freezer.
Other Treats
Other recipes I have tried so far are the Mandelkaka (Almond Tart) and Kladdkaka (Sticky Chocolate Cake). Both were absolutely delicious.
Looking for more Swedish recipes?
Try my
Fika is a great pick for those interested in Swedish coffee culture and the accompanying delicious treats. Recipes range from quick and easy snacks to more intricate breads and pastries that require longer resting times.
Most of the ingredients are readily available in the average American grocery store. A few items that might require further searching include cardamom, pearl sugar, hazelnuts, elderflower clusters, whole anise seeds, and saffron.
Apelsinsnittar (Swedish Orange Almond Slices) Recipe
Excerpt from Fika
Apelsinsnittar (Swedish Orange Almond Slices)
Ingredients
Dough:
- 10 tablespoons (5 ounces, 142 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces, 99 grams) natural cane sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces, 213 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces, 213 grams) blanched almonds
- 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces, 99 grams) natural cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 egg white
- Zest of 1 medium-size orange 1-2 tablespoons
Icing:
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce, 28 grams) confectioners' sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons orange juice
Instructions
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 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.
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