This is a recipe I make every year, as the header says, “Saffron buns – a must during Christmas”. I’ve attached the recipe in this blog post, and I hope you get inspired to try it too!
If you’re not from Sweden, but have heard about Sweden before, I suspect you’ve heard about cinnamon buns? And usually, we have those all year round in most homes, or at every café and store, at least.
At Christmas we mix it up and add different ingredients to the original recipe (but discard the cinnamon). And this year I decided to go for saffron buns with vanilla filling in half of them, and almond in the other half.
I also made them vegan by using vegan alternatives to butter, milk, and cream. And choosing a recipe without eggs. I used ica.se and arla.se as inspiration for my fillings.
Making buns usually takes a while because they need to go through two rises. But I love making them when I have a day off, light some candles, put on some Christmas music or a Christmas movie, and sip on some “julmust” (a drink we have at Christmas time here in Sweden).
“I love it when they almost melt in your mouth…”
It’s almost like making new Christmas decorations each year. And it’s very satisfying to have something to give to your family or offer to people who happen to drop by.
A tip is to use a little more butter than the recipe suggests. I love it when they almost melt in your mouth. If you happen to like them a little drier, then use less butter.
Knead the dough long enough so it gets the air in, and the gluten can work its magic. They usually recommend 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a baking machine.
I put pearl sugar on the ones with vanilla, and almond flakes on the ones with almond filling. But you can put a little table sugar on them if you want to make it simple. I like the almond flakes though, because they make them less sweet.
Try them out and let me know if you liked them!
