Toast Skagen (Swedish Shrimp Toast)
Cold-water shrimp folded into dill mayonnaise and piled on butter-fried white bread, finished with roe and a wedge of lemon. The starter Swedes order out and make at home whenever there is something to celebrate.
Birthday
Cake, buns and whatever the children ask for.
Carrot Cake (Morotskaka)
A moist, oil-based spice cake packed with grated carrot and finished with lemony cream cheese frosting. Baked in a 9x13 pan and cut into squares, the way it is sold in Nordic cafes.
Norwegian Waffles (Vafler)
Soft, cardamom-scented heart waffles cooked in a Norwegian waffle iron and served warm with sour cream and jam. The batter rests half an hour, then five hearts come off the iron at a time.
Swedish Chocolate Balls (Chokladbollar)
No-bake balls of oats, cocoa, butter and sugar, bound with a splash of cold coffee and rolled in shredded coconut or pearl sugar. Fifteen minutes of work, a short chill, and you have two dozen of Sweden's most common fika pastry.
Swedish Cardamom Buns (Kardemummabullar)
Soft, cardamom-scented yeast buns twisted into loose knots and topped with pearl sugar. The Swedish answer to the cinnamon roll, and the standard companion to coffee at fika.