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\"\"<\/a>First of all good news! My book Belgian Caf\u00e9 Culture (Authentieke Belgische Caf\u00e9s) has won the ‘Food History’ Award for Belgium at the Gourmand World Book Awards! I’m extremely happy that our Belgian caf\u00e9 heritage is getting such recognition, in the hope that this will lead to some day preserving caf\u00e9s as protected heritage. Now on to todays business…<\/p>\n

Ever since I spent some time in Sweden I can not stop baking traditional Swedish delights! So of course I had to bake on Santa Lucia, which is celebrated in Sweden today. They go by a few names: Lussebullar, Lussekatt, Lussekatter, St.Lucia bullar and plain old saffron buns.<\/p>\n

According to tradition it is the eldest daughter of the family who is in charge of baking these buns. Santa Lucia is the christianised pagan feast of the winter solstice. Today is the darkest day of the year and therefore light has to be celebrated and cherished. Before christianisation the Nordic people would celebrate the goddess Frigga or Freya and her awakening from the tree in which she was hiding with her child Baldur. This marks the shortest day and the moment in which the days will start to lengthen again. For pagans today is christmas.<\/p>\n

Santa Lucia or Sankta Lucia is a feast of light and celebrated with candles because Lucia wore a candle-lit wreath to guide her through the catacombs to bring food to christians who were in hiding from persecution. Lucia is represented as a lady in a virgin white dress with a red sash symbolising the blood of her martyrdom. In Norway and Sweden girls are dressed like this and one of them wears a wreath crown of candles on her head. The girls parade around the town or village hall with these delicious saffron buns and other delights which symbolises Lucia bringing the light and love of christianity. There is song singing and the whole community comes together.<\/p>\n

These buns are easy to make, easy to freeze and have become a staple in our household. Yes I am cheating and eating them all year round! I started from a recipe of a Swedish cookery book from the 1970’s which has had more than 14 editions! I do love to search for the most authentic recipe and there are so many recipes around that this book – I’m in the opinion the older the better – was the best guide. It uses too much sugar so I have reduced that, plus I added a bit of yoghurt or quark which other recipes often do. My method is different too, so scroll down for the recipe<\/p>\n

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Recipe<\/p>\n

What do you need (10 buns)<\/p>\n