Have you heard of fika? If you love hot beverages, sweet treats, and socializing with friends and family, fika may be for you!
I also have a mini-review of Dorie Greenspan’s new cookbook, Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty, and Simple. She has so many recipes, including one for Swedish Fika Cake, that would be perfect for making your own cozy coffee break at home!
Have you heard of the Swedish concept of taking a fika break? In the simplest terms, fika is a Swedish coffee break where an emphasis is put on socializing while enjoying a good Scandinavian coffee (or other beverage of choice) and a snack.
Similar to afternoon tea or high tea in other countries, the concept of fika is considered to be an important part of Swedish culture and everyday life. More than a tradition, fika is a social institution in Sweden.
Friends meet at a Swedish café or coffee shop, colleagues and employees meet in the company breakroom, and everyone enjoys the social aspect while eating, drinking, and improving their mental health.
The word fika is an inversion of the Swedish word kaffi — a 19th-century slang word for coffee. It is pronounced “fee-kuh” and is used as a Swedish verb.
In the Swedish tradition, you would have a piece of cake in a Swedish cafe or enjoy Swedish cinnamon buns or other Swedish pastries.
Here in the United States, hygge has made a lasting appearance, but fika is like the little-known cousin. Even though my husband and I visited Sweden in 2016, I still hadn’t heard of it until I saw an episode of Zoë Bakes on the Magnolia Network.
Americans may not make time for fika as a daily break, but I believe we can try to set aside time for a cup of coffee, a sweet or savory snack, and a chat with a friend.
So, here’s what you need to fika like a Swede:
Step 1: Take a break from your day and get cozy, whether it’s at home, at work, a café, or even on a Facetime call.
Step 2: Select your beverage and snack to enjoy
Step 3: Savor time spent with a friend, family member, or co-worker
Step 4: Feel relaxed and refreshed to get back to the rest of your day
I am planning to incorporate a Fika Friday into my week, where I bake a delicious treat — like my favorite chocolate cake or chocolate chip cookies — take a mid-afternoon coffee break (or tea if I choose), and chat with family and friends. I think it is a wonderful tradition and a fantastic excuse to finally make some of the Swedish cardamom buns with pearl sugar that I’ve been dreaming about since our visit to Sweden in 2016.
I must have been living under a rock because I had never heard of Dorie Greenspan before three weeks ago. I was watching YouTube one day, and her video with Food52 where she was making English muffins happened to pop up in my recommended list.
I enjoyed her personality and cooking style so much, I rushed to get her newest cookbook, Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty, and Simple.
When I saw the Swedish Fika Cake in the Baking with Dorie cookbook, I knew I just had to make it. It’s a single-layer cake made with almost two sticks of butter and a caramelized almond brittle topping that takes the simple cake over the top and tastes divine.
Like all of the recipes in Baking with Dorie, the Swedish Fika Cake is easy to follow, filled with personal insights and tips, and accompanied by gorgeous photos. I had all of the ingredients on hand and the recipe was, as promised, simple to make.
As soon as the cake was done, my husband and I had a little fika break of our own and devoured almost half of the cake. If the rest of the recipes are as good as this one — and I have a feeling they will be — I will be using this cookbook very, very often!
So, what do you think? Do you think you would like to add a little fika to your life? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Want more? Check out these posts!
date published : October 19th, 2021
pages : 400
Say “Dorie Greenspan” and think baking. The renowned author of thirteen cookbooks and winner of five James Beard and two IACP awards offers a collection that celebrates the sweet, the savory, and the simple. Every recipe is signature Dorie: easy—beginners can ace every technique in this book—and accessible, made with everyday ingredients. Are there surprises? Of course! You’ll find ingenious twists like Berry Biscuits. Footlong cheese sticks made with cream puff dough. Apple pie with browned butter spiced like warm mulled cider. A s’mores ice cream cake with velvety chocolate sauce, salty peanuts, and toasted marshmallows. It’s a book of simple yet sophisticated baking. The chapters are classic: Breakfast Stuff • Cakes • Cookies • Pies, Tarts, Cobblers and Crisps • Two Perfect Little Pastries • Salty Side Up. The recipes are unexpected. And there are “Sweethearts” throughout, mini collections of Dorie’s all-time favorites. Don’t miss the meringue Little Marvels or the Double-Decker Caramel Cake. Like all of Dorie’s recipes, they lend themselves to being remade, refashioned, and riffed on.
Buy this book!
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2 Comments
I’ve never heard of fika but love the idea of it, especially this time of year! What a great way to incorporate a break and a little self-care into your week!
Jill – Doused in Pink
Great feature, Bex!… “So here’s what you need to fika like a Swede” is going to be my new personal mantra!…
I’m a big fan of your blog… And looking forward to seeing your next feature!
… Denise ✨😎✨