This article is a bit special and I am very excited to let you know why. For the very first time in my young career as a food blogger, I am going to attend the French Food Blogging Fair in France with my blogger friend Audrey from the blog hibiscus!

Try swedish

Credit picture: Visit Sweden

Not only are we finally going to meet our fellow food blogger friends in France, friends we only got to know virtually so far, but we will also give a 2-hour baking course on Swedish pastries. We are very proud to announce that this special culinary event is sponsored by Visit Sweden. We truly love this country that adopted us and we want to show you the very best it offers when it comes to the culinary sphere!

Are you curious to know more about Swedish pastries? Just hop over our stand at the Abbaye de Soissons (Soissons Abbey) from 1pm to 3pm on Sunday 16th November. You will get to know everything – or almost – about Swedish pastries. How exciting!

Logo try swedish and visit sweden

Use the tag #tryswedish

Both Audrey and I are French. We moved to Sweden many years ago (15 years ago and 5 years ago respectively). Our love for baking goes way back but we soon became addicted to the Swedish style of baking, thanks to what the Swedes call ”fika” (more on fika on Try Swedish). If you read my blog regularly, you probably already know what a fika is. If not, it’s about time you get to grips with the concept so let me explain very briefly. Put simply, a fika is a coffee break usually served with pastries, once or twice a day, including at work. Can you believe it? It looks like paradise, right? Well, it actually exists for real here in Sweden and this is exactly where we live. How lucky we are!

More than a simple coffee break, fika is a real institution here and the Swedes are literally crazy about fika. It usually doesn’t last more than 15 minutes at work and can last longer outside work. Every occasion is a good excuse for having fika. And guess what? Fika rhymes with pastries! Good news, there are several typical Swedish pastries to choose from to savor during your coffee break and many of them include spices such as cinnamon, cardamom or saffron, depending on the time of the year. For those readers from other parts of Europe, this may sound strange but the flavors, in fact, are just outstanding.

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After many years practicing, Audrey and I are now more than happy to take part in the Food blogging fair in Soissons and take this opportunity to bake in front of you some of the very best typical Swedish pastries that you can find on a fika table in Sweden. We will be baking different recipes and also teach you some useful tricks so that you can become an expert yourself!

November 16th, from 13:00 to 14:00 (Abbaye of Soissons): Cinnamon Buns & Cardamom Buns

During the first hour of the course, we will be baking two of Sweden’s most popular pastries: cinnamon buns (called ”Kanelbullar”) and its cardamom twin i.e. the Cardamom buns (or kardemummabullar” in Swedish). There are many different recipes for both cinnamon and cardamom buns. We will explain the differences between them so that you know which one to choose when you want to start baking.

Cinnamon Buns ”Kanelbullar” are the #1 pastry in Sweden (read more here). When you land in Stockholm, you immediately recognize the rich scent of cinnamon everywhere you go. I suggest you give my VERY EASY recipe a try. It is perfect for beginners or if you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. The recipe works just fine and the kanelbullar taste every bite Swedish!

Swedish cinnamon buns

Swedish Cinnamon Buns “Kanelbullar”

The alternative to a cinnamon bun is the Swedish Cardamom Bun known as ”Kardemummabullar”. The basic recipe is essentially the same although it uses cardamom instead of cinnamon, but we usually twist them a different way. At the Food Blogging Fair, we will teach you how to twist these beauties through our tutorials.

Cardamom buns

Swedish Cardamom Buns

I also have an amazing version of cardamom buns with raspberries. It appears that cardamom and raspberries pair up perfectly. You can also find a tutorial explaining how to bake these cuties on this link here. Aren’t they to die for?

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Swedish Cardamom Buns with Raspberries

Sunday 16th November, from 14:00 to 15:00 (Abbaye of Soissons): Lussekatter & Saffron Buns

From November on and during the Santa Lucia and Christmas seasons, the Swedes usually bake a typical Christmas pastry involving saffron: the vibrant Lussekatter. These small brioches are usually served at a glögg party where you partake in drinking some warm mulled wine. During our baking demonstration, we will teach you how to bake them in both the classic and the alternative way. You will find below the recipe of the classic lussekatter with the little history of the Swedish tradition Santa Lucia.

Swedish Christmas Saffron Buns

Swedish Christmas Saffron Buns “Lussekatter”

You will find the recipe of the small saffron buns with almonds on hibiscus blog, by clicking on the link here. This recipe is truly amazing!

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Saffron & Almond Buns

We are thrilled to meet you at the Food Blogging Fair in France on Sunday the 16th of November between 13:00-15:00. And don’t forget you will also get the opportunity to try all these Swedish pastries!

We would love you to use the tag #tryswedish 🙂

See you very soon 🙂