Fika & Hygge is the name of Brontë Aurell new cook book.
As you all might know, Brontë Aurell runs, with her husband Jonas, the acclaimed Scandikitchen Café in central London.
This book is all about comforting bakes and cakes from Scandinavia.
I might confess that I have a secret obsession about Scandinavian food in general, and baking in particular.
Amongst other scandinavian books, I have two books from this author.
The first one features a bit of everything, from salads, to main meals, to desserts and baking.
This one is more specific and focus on baking and on the Scandinavian Fika & Hygge.
According to the descriptions in the book itself:
"Fika is a Swedish word that means to meet up for a chat over a cup of coffee or tea and something delicious. It is also the word for the tasty treats themselves. Swedes traditionally stop twice a day for fika, even at work where there are special dedicated fika rooms to take a break from the daily grind. People fika with family, colleagues, friends, children and even go on fika dates".
"Hygge is a word that originated in Norway but is now mainly used in Denmark. It means the sublime state of inner warmth or satisfaction you fell when you are spending time with loved ones and nothing else matters. Hygge can be enhanced by the addition of a log fire, a good movie, a cup of something warm and a sweet treat; hence the marriage of the two concepts, which together represent a lifestyle and an outlook to aspire to".
This cake is the second recipe I tested from the book. The first one, were these delicious savoury waffles (I'll share the recipe, soon I promise...) and both, waffles and this cake, were absolutely delicious and a fantastic treat.
As soon as I saw this recipe in the book, I straightaway decided that I would bake it and take it to Marta's table and her September, the month of pears. Not just because Marta chose pears as her ingredient of the month, but also because I love pears and I love saffron and I couldn't stop thinking of the combination of both, together, in a cake...
Curious? Try it and you tell me...
