Apelsinsnittar (Swedish Orange Almond Slices) and Fika

Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break with Recipes for Pastries, Breads, and Other Treats, written by Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall, features a delicious collection of sweet and savory treats perfect for pairing with coffee. 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.

Fika

Anna and Johanna begin Fika (pronounced “fee-ka”) with an introduction explaining the Swedish idea of taking a moment in the day to relax with a cup of coffee and homemade treat. They also cover staple ingredients, tools used in baking, and specific cooking methods.

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.

While most of the recipes are sweet-based, the last chapter offers more savory snacks.

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.

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 topped with a light orange glaze. They are definitely perfect alongside coffee!

A light, buttery dough is flavored with ground ginger and allowed to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

The filling comes together by blending blanched almonds with almond extract, an egg white, and orange zest.

After chilling, each piece of dough is gently rolled into a long 10 inch (25 centimeter) by 4 inch (10 centimeter) rectangle. The prepared filling is arranged in the center, then the sides are folded over to completely cover.

The resulting logs are arranged, seam-side down on a baking sheet and baked until set and lightly golden.

Once cooled completely, cookies are topped with a thin layer of a sweet orange glaze and cut into individual slices.

These Apelsinsnittar are best the day they are baked. They can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container or frozen for up to 2 months.

A Few Tips

When bringing together the dough, it may seem crumbly at first. Keep mixing to work in the butter until combined.

Do not pack in the flour when measuring or you may end up with too much. To measure flour, gently spoon it into the measuring cup and level with a knife without pressing down. The most accurate way to measure is by weight.

Refrigerate for about 30 minutes before rolling and shaping. If refrigerating longer, you may need to bring the dough to room temperature for a few minutes before assembling.

The dough is light and delicate. It may tear while forming. Gently press back together to fully enclose the filling.

Double the icing ingredients if desired for a bit more glaze.

Allow the Apelsinsnittar to cool completely to room temperature before topping with the glaze and slicing.

Looking for more Swedish recipes?

Try my:

• Semlor (Swedish Cream Buns)
• Våfflor (Swedish Waffles)
• Kärleksmums (Swedish Coffee Cake)

Other Treats

I also made the Mandelkaka (Almond Tart) and Kladdkaka (Sticky Chocolate Cake).

The Mandelkaka (Almond Tart) takes the idea of Mazariner (small tarts with almond paste and icing) and transforms the flavors into a quicker and more simple 9 inch (23 centimeter) tart. It has such fantastic flavors with the light pastry dough and brown sugar almond filling.

Anna and Johanna’s Kladdkaka (Sticky Chocolate Cake) is a variation on the classic treat with ground almonds in place of the traditional flour. The result is a decadent chocolate cake perfect with a dollop of whipped cream.

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. 

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.

Apelsinsnittar (Swedish Orange Almond Slices) Recipe

Excerpt from Fika

Print Pin

5 from 4 votes

Apelsinsnittar (Swedish Orange Almond Slices)

A recipe for Apelsinsnittar (Swedish Orange Almond Slices)! A delicate, buttery dough encases a rich orange almond filling and is topped with a sweet orange glaze.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Swedish

Keyword almond, cookie, dessert, orange, Sweden, Swedish

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings 48 Cookies

Ingredients

Dough:

• 10 tablespoons (5 ounces, 142 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
• 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces, 100 grams) natural cane sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces, 213 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces, 213 grams) blanched almonds
• 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces, 100 grams) natural cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 large 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.