Lussekatter!

Pretty dough, much more yellow in person!

Swedish saffron bread, in a traditional shape called lussekatter. They look a bit like cat's tails, eller hur? Lussekatter "means" Lucia cats, St. Lucia's day being the time you should eat them and the cat being the shape....

It sure is Christmastime...

I'm a little early (St. Lucia's day is the 13th of December) but saffron is dirt cheap right now and I just couldn't resist! Swedish baking can be very different from ours (i.e. let saffron sit in a tablespoon of vodka. Melt butter, add milk, sugar, saffron and an egg, then add all that to a piece of fresh yeast hacked into bits. Then add flour), so I feel like I've learned something in the process...not about setting a timer and/or watching the clock, so the second batch are a little brown--and not pictured.

But I didn't knead the dough so much, and it made them incredibly light and perfect, if you ask me (an unbiased observer).

You're welcome to stop by and have one, we've just made coffee!