How to host a fika-inspired Coffee Morning ☕

Filling

1. Cream all the ingredients for the filling together until smooth and set aside.

Make the dough

1. If using fresh yeast, add the lukewarm milk to your mixing bowl in a stand mixer and add the yeast. Stir until dissolved. If using active dry yeast, pour the warm milk into a bowl, sprinkle in the yeast and whisk together. Cover with cling film and leave in a warm place for about 15 minutes to become bubbly. Pour into the bowl of a food mixer fitted with a dough hook.
2. Start the machine and add the cooled, melted butter. Allow to combine with the yeast for 1 minute or so, then add the sugar and mix for a minute.
3. In a separate bowl, weigh out 800g of flour, add the cardamom and salt and mix together. Start adding the flour and spices into the milk mixture, bit by bit. Add the beaten egg. Keep kneading for 5 minutes.
4. You may need to add more flour. You want the mixture to end up a bit sticky, but not so much that it sticks to your finger if you poke it. It is better not to add too much flour as this will result in dry buns, and you can always add more later. The mixture has enough flour when it starts to let go of the sides of the bowl.
5. Once mixed, leave the dough in a bowl and cover with a clingfilm. Allow it to rise for around 30 minutes or until it has doubled in size (this time can vary depending on the temperature in your kitchen).
6. Dust a tabletop with flour and turn out the dough. Using your hands, knead the dough and work in more flour if needed. Cut the dough into two equal pieces and using a rolling pin, roll out one lump of dough to a 40 x 50 cm/16 x 20 in. rectangle.
7. Using a spatula, spread the filling across the dough in an even, thin layer.

Traditional swirls or beautiful twists

1. For traditional twists - simply roll the dough lengthways into a long roll and cut into 15 or 16 pieces. Place them on a lined baking tray, and leave covered to rise for another 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining lump of dough.
2. For beautiful twists - roll out the dough, and fold it once you have spread the filling on it. Make sure it is even and flat – then using a pizza cutter, cut out even sized strips. Hold one end of the dough while you twist the dough back on itself and allow it to roll into a twist. Always make sure the ends are tucked underneath or they will unravel during baking. Leave to rise for a further 20 minutes before brushing with egg.

Bake

1. Heat the oven to 200 Celsius (fan). Brush the buns lightly with a beaten egg, then bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until golden and done. Watch them carefully as they can burn easily and different ovens vary in temperature.
2. While they are baking, heat the golden syrup and date syrup in a pan until it's warm and liquid. If you can't find date syrup, just use golden syrup. However, date syrup does add a lovely flavour to the buns.
3. When the buns come out of the oven, immediately brush lightly with the syrup, then add pearl sugar (nibbed sugar) on top of the buns and cover with a quite damp tea towel. The tea towel stops the buns from going dry and forming a crust. Leave it on there for at least 5 minutes.
4. If you can't find nib sugar (pearl sugar), you can use chopped hazelnuts instead as an alternative.
5. The buns last only for 24 to 36 hours. As with all fresh bread you should freeze the buns as soon as they have cooled down if you can't eat 36 buns in one go!

1. Mix butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan. Warm slowly on a low heat and add spices.
2. Mix the bicarbonate of soda into the cream or sugar. Then add to mixture when it has cooled.
3. Pour mixture into a bowl, add flour so that the dough is fairly firm.
4. Leave the dough in fridge overnight.
5. Roll out dough very thinly on floured surface. Then cut out shapes for cookie sheet. Place on baking tray with baking sheet.
6. Bake in oven at 180 Celsius until cookies are light brown around edges and baked through.
7. Leave to cool and serve with a warm beverage.

1. In a bowl, stir the butter and sugar together with a spoon until they are evenly blended.
2. Add the sugar, oatmeal, vanilla powder, cacao powder, and coffee or water. Mix with a spoon or your hands until you have a smooth batter.
3. Roll the batter into small balls. They are typically smaller than a golf ball, but you choose yourself which size you want.
4. Pour the desiccated coconut (or another topping of your choice) onto a place, and roll the balls until they are covered.
5. Store the chocolate balls in the fridge.

Watch the video to view how to make the chocolate balls.