13th of December marks one of Sweden’s big yearly celebrations – Lucia. All around Sweden today, kids and choirs are dressing up in white gowns and singing songs to celebrate the Italian Saint Lucia. If the singers are teenagers or adults, one of the girls are chosen to be Lucia and she wears real candles in a wreath around her hair. It’s very beautiful and the most popular songs go something like: oh it’s so dark, come dressed in your white gown, light your candles, Saint Lucia, Saint Lucia. It certainly is dark and cold in Sweden this time of the year, but it’s also the cosy season and we Swedes warm up with glögg and gingerbread.
Glögg (Mulled and Spiced Wine)
10 small glasses
- 1 bottle of red wine
- 1 dl / ½ cup raw sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 8 cardamom capsules
- 6 cloves
- 1 piece of orange or orange zest
- 1 piece of dried ginger
- sultanas
- almonds
Simmer wine, sugar and spices. Don’t let it boil. Serve hot with sultanas, almonds and ginger bread.
Lingonberry Gingerbread Cakes
About 20 pieces
- 115 g butter, room temperature
- 1 dl / ½ cup raw sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 dl / ½ cup milk
- ½ dl / ¼ cup lingonberry jam
- 3 ½ dl / 1 ½ cup wheat flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cloves
Frosting
- 1 egg white
- 3 ½ dl / 1 ½ cup confectionary sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Set the oven to 175°C/350°F. Brush small cake molds with melted butter and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Beat the butter a couple of minutes. Add the sugar and keep beating a few minutes. Add the eggs one at a time while beating. Add the milk and the lingonberry. Mix all the dry ingredients and stir into the paste. Pour the paste into the molds, fill them up to about ¾ to make room for the paste to rise. Knock the molds carefully against the table to get rid of air pockets. Put the molds in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes. Let the cakes rest in the molds for about 10 minutes. Lightly beat the egg whites and mix with confectionary sugar and lemon juice. Decorate with the frosting and let it harden.
