Today We Welcome

Lucia is an ancient mythical figure with an abiding role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters. The Feast of St. Lucia, celebrated on December 13, starts the Swedish Christmas season. St. Lucia is a symbol of light, marking the return of lighter days.

This lovely Lucia was handcrafted by my MIL. Isn't she beautiful?

The many Lucia songs all have the same theme:

The night treads heavily
around yards and dwellings
In places unreached by sun,
the shadows brood
Into our dark house she comes,
bearing lighted candles,
Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia.

Gingerbread is good all year long,
but seems to taste even better during the holidays!

Ginger Snap Recipe
Ingredients
200 g (7 oz) brown sugar
200 g (7 oz) white sugar
200 g (7 oz) dark corn syrup
150 ml (¾ cup) water
300 g (10 oz) butter
2 tbs ground cinnamon
2 tbs ground ginger
2 tbs ground cloves
1 tbs baking soda
0.9–1 kg (2−2¼ lb) flour

Preparation
To make ginger snaps, heat the brown sugar, white sugar, corn syrup and water in a pot. Add the butter and let it melt. Stir and let cool slightly, then blend in the spices and baking soda. Then mix in the flour to a smooth consistency. Sprinkle a little flour on top and put the dough out to cool, preferably overnight. Take the dough and knead it smooth on a baking table, adding more flour if desired. Roll it thin and cut into shapes, using the desired cookie cutters. Bake in the oven (180 degrees C/350 degrees F) for 8–10 minutes. Let the ginger snaps cool on the baking sheet.

The Lucia celebrations also include ginger snaps and sweet, saffron-flavoured buns (lussekatter) shaped like curled-up cats and with raisin eyes. You eat them with glögg or coffee.

Saffron Bun Recipe
Ingredients
25 buns
3 g (1/8 oz) saffron threads
50 g (2 oz) yeast
200 g (7 oz) sugar
300 ml (1½ cup) milk
1 egg
150–200 g (5–7 oz) butter
1 tsp salt
750 g (26 oz) flour
100 g (3½ oz) raisins

Glaze:
1 egg
2 tbs water

Preparation
To make “Lucia cats” (lussekatter), grind the saffron along with a cube of sugar, using a mortar and pestle. (For those who think ahead: drip a little cognac on top, and let stand a few days.) Crumble the yeast in a bowl and stir in a few tablespoons of milk. Melt the butter and pour on the milk. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the raisins, and knead the dough in a dough mixer for 10 minutes.

Carefully mix in most of the raisins, cover the dough and let it rise for 30 minutes at room temperature. Divide the dough into 25 pieces and roll the buns in an oblong shape, about 10 cm (4 in) long. Cover them and let rest for 10 minutes, then roll them twice as long and twist the ends of each bun in opposite directions to form a sort of figure 8. Put one raisin in the middle of each half figure 8. Place on a greased baking sheet and let rise under a towel for about 90 minutes, or until the buns have doubled in size. Bake in the oven (220 degrees C/425 degrees F) for 5 minutes. Beat together the egg and water, brush the mixture on the buns. Allow to cool on the baking sheet.