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

top.
    6 tablespoons (3 ounces, 85 grams) unsalted butter
    2 eggs
    ¾ cup (5.25 ounces, 148 grams) natural cane sugar
    1 teaspoon pure almond extract
    1 cup (5 ounces, 142 grams) all-purpose flour
    About 1 cup (4 to 5 ounces, 113 to 142 grams) fresh blackberries
    Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch (23-centimeter) round baking pan.
    In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
    In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and almond extract until frothy. Pour in the slightly cooled butter and stir until well blended. Sift in the flour and mix until the batter is smooth and creamy.
    Pour the batter into the baking pan. Scatter the blackberries evenly over the top. You don’t need topress the berries into the cake; their weight makes them sink a bit during baking.
    Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown on top. The cake is done when a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake and let cool before serving.





fyriskaka
    CLASSIC APPLE CAKE
    makes one 9-inch (23-centimeter) cake
    When late summer turns into early fall, fyriskaka is the perfect fika treat. A moist apple and cinnamon cake, this recipe is a true Swedish classic. Like many other variations of this cake, this version has a little crushed cardamom added for extra taste. You can serve the cake on its own, but it’s also amazing with whipped cream or even a little vanilla ice cream.
    9 tablespoons (4.5 ounces, 128 grams) unsalted butter
    1 teaspoon whole cardamom seeds, crushed
    3 to 4 medium-size apples (about 1 pound, 454 grams)
    3 to 4 tablespoons brown sugar
    1½ teaspoons cinnamon
    ⅔ cup (4.67 ounces, 132 grams) natural cane sugar
    2 eggs
    1 cup (5 ounces, 142 grams) all-purpose flour
    ½ teaspoon baking powder
    Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch (23-centimeter) springform pan.
    In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and add the cardamom, then set aside to cool.
    Peel the apples and slice them thinly.
    In a large bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar with the cinnamon; then add the apples and carefully turn them so that they are evenly coated. Set aside.
    In another large bowl, whisk together the slightly cooled butter and cane sugar. Add the eggs one by one, whisking until evenly blended. Sift in the flour and baking powder and stir together carefully until you get a smooth batter.
    Spread the batter in the baking pan. Place the apple slices the batter in a circular formation; the pieces should be close together. Sprinkle the remaining 1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar on top. If you like, you can sprinkle with a little cardamom as well.
    Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick or knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.



CHAPTER 4
    celebrating more
than the everyday
    j ust as fika is an excuse to take a moment to celebrate the everyday, it’s also a crucial part of actualcelebrations, from birthdays to Christmas. Dressed up with a few special baked goods, fika can be a party.
    namsdagar — NAME DAYS
    The custom of namsdagar originates from the Christian calendar of saints. Every saint had his or her own feast day, and those named after a certain saint also celebrate on that day. Nowadays, the Swedish calendar has been adapted to incorporate many more modern names that don’t necessarily have saintly roots, but the celebration part of the tradition still holds, and a name day is almost like an extra birthday (without the stress and anxiety of turning yet another year older!). You might get a grattis på namsdagen , or “happy name day,” card from your grandmother, or a call from your parents, or an invitation to afternoon fika from a friend. Because it’s celebratory, a good name day fika goes above and beyond the classic kanelbullar. You’re celebrating, after all, so this is a day for tortes and cakes like