Limpa is a classic Swedish bread loaf, often served as an open sandwich. Recipe developer, food photographer and blogger Louise from Nordic Kitchen Stories have updated her Grandmothers recipe and added healthy seeds.

"In all honesty it takes me no time to weigh and mix the ingredients, pop in the oven and an hour later I have a lovely home baked loaf!"

Louise, Nordic Kitchen Stories

Swedes have enjoyed the taste of cardamom for more than 1000 years, when the Vikings found the spice in the bazaars of Constantinople.

Today Swedes consume eighteen times more cardamom than the average country.

Cardamom adds a fragrant flavour to biscuits, cakes, mulled wines, stewed fruits, ice-cream, and it's even used as a pickling spice.

This recipe by recipe creator, food blogger and photographer Louise at Nordic Kitchen Stories is a modern take on the classic Swedish amond tarts filled with almond paste and topped with icing called Mazariner (Mazarin for singular.)  Below is a recipe for Louise's Mazariner with blood organge curd and icing.

These mini tarts have a long tradition. They are said to be named after the Italian cardinal and diplomat Jules Mazarin (1602-1661) exactly why is unclear. It’s said that Mazarin was a food lover, who together with Anne of Austria (Queen of France 1643-1651), with whom he had good relations, was one of the few Italians who extensively popularised pasta throughout France.  It is then hardly surprising that these tarts have his name and found their way in variations across Europe.

A classic Swedish pastry filled with delicious custard.  They're a bit fiddly to make, but it's totally worth it - they will taste just like in a Swedish konditori coffee house. 

Surprise friends and family with a deliciously moist cake topped with caramelised almond flakes - perfect for dessert or fika breaks. The Tosca Cake became popular in Sweden during the 1930's and 40's. Its origin is not known, but it's believed that it's named after Giacomo Puccini's opera Tosca.

Swedish Vanilla Buns (Vaniljbullar) are sweet, enriched, yeasted buns flavoured with cardamom, filled with an enticing creme patisserie and then delicately dusted with sugar.  Light as a feather and mouthwateringly delicious.

These Swedish custard buns set themselves apart from any other.  Although they don’t quite have the same classic status as Cinnamon & Cardamom Buns, they are still popular with young and old in Sweden.

Louise at Nordic Kitchen Stories has introduced the tangzhong method into this recipe. 

What on earth is the tangzhong method you ask?, you ask.

"Well, it has its origins in Japan", says Louise. "A yeasted bread technique that involves cooking a portion of flour into a thick roux prior, to then add to the dough ingredients, resulting in soft, fluffy bread, that stays fresh a little longer."

She adds:

"If you follow the simple steps below, I guarantee you, you’ll have delicious, light and extremely more-ish buns to share with your family and friends."

Text, recipe and photo: Louise Hurst, Nordic Kitchen Stories

Did you know that Swedes consume more cardamom per year than anywhere else in Europe? In India cardamom is often used for its health benefits and as a spice in savoury dishes and drinks, and in the Middle East cardamom in coffee is a popular drink. Swedes mostly consume their cardamom via deliciously fragrant cakes, pastries and biscuits.

This recipe is a plant-based version of classic Swedish Cardamom Buns, created and photographed by recipe developer and photographer Natalie Penny - http://nataliepenny.com

Princess Cake is probably the most famous of Swedish cakes. With its layers of airy sponge cake, creme patisserie, raspberry jam, whipped cream and covered with a layer of colourful marzipan - it's absolutley gorgenous and indulgent.

Recipe and photo by: Elin at Fika Bristol

The oven pancake is very different to it's thin cousin, which is fried and flipped in a frying pan. The oven pancake is much thicker and with a unique taste.

It's really easy to make, and traditionally eaten on Thursdays after a tasty pea soup with salty bacon.