A Swedish Tradition On 13 December the Swedes celebrate the Italian Saint Lucia with a remarkable enthusiasm, surpassing any Italian festivities devoted to the same lady. One mandatory constituent in the celebrations is a saffron-flavoured bun, in Swedish called a lussekatt, a "Lucia cat". The shape of this bun might vary somewhat, but is always based on bread designs dating back to earlier Christmas celebrations in Sweden. A Swedish Traditional Recipe from The Santesson Family, www.santesson.com
Provided by Margareta
Categories Yeast Breads
Time 1h8m
Yield 24 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Melt butter or margarine in a pan and add the milk and the saffron.
- Warm the mixture to 37 oC (100 oF).
- Use a thermometer; the correct temperature is important!
- Pour the mixture over the finely divided yeast; then add the remaining ingredients (except for the egg and the raisins), which should have a temperature of 21-23 oC (72-75 oF).
- Mix into a smooth dough.
- Cover the dough with a piece of cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes.
- Knead the dough, divide it into 25-30 pieces and form each piece into a round bun.
- Let the buns rest for a few minutes, covered by a piece of cloth.
- Form each bun into a string, 15-20 cm long, then arrange the string in a suitable shape, e.g. an S or double S. Regardless of the shape, the ends of the string should meet.
- Press a few raisins into the dough.
- Cover the"Lucia cats" with a piece of cloth and let them rise for 40 minutes.
- Whip the egg together with a few grains of salt, and paint the"Lucia cats" with the mixture.
- Bake them for 5-10 minutes in the oven at 250 oC (475 oF) until golden brownish yellow.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love