If we all ate fika, I think the world would be a much better place. Fika is a Scandinavian ritual, like afternoon tea. Traditionally, a range of buns are served that you share with your neighbours, people you work with or friends (imaginary or otherwise). It’s such a great custom and even the mighty Volvo plant in Sweden stops for fika every day. What follows here are the recipes for three different flavour buns, all made from the same dough, but with different fillings (butters) and glazes. We recommend the Milky Way glaze with the cinnamon bun, the coffee glaze with the cardamom and orange bun and the orange glaze with the Nutella bun, but it’s totally up to you. We’ve given quantities for the butter and glaze recipes, but to be honest, you can adjust them depending on whether you want a subtle hint of flavour or a big mouthful, so don’t feel tied down to the measurements.
The first time I took a sip of our new Sunny Little Thing Citrus Wheat Ale I immediately thought about brunch. Sunny Little Thing is easy to drink, has a smooth mouthfeel and is citrusy and bright. It’s a perfect accompaniment to cut the rich, fatty flavors of the hollandaise and sunny side eggs and enhances the smoky flavors of the cold smoked trout. I used it as an ingredient in the hollandaise sauce in place of some of the lemon juice and the bright citrus notes really shine through.
Recipe by Maria Speck | Introduction by Food52's Kristen Miglore