Swedish plant “lussekatter” with creamy saffron date filling

- In collaboration with Electrolux -

My best recipe on a Swedish classic! I’ve always loved this not-too-sweet-saffron-infused-soft-and-raisin-packed-bun and was very thrilled to take these ones out of the oven after years of trying different recipes and methods. I also tried to use sourdough instead of yeast and it worked out perfectly, just needs a bit more (like 24 hours) time to rise. So the classic bun normally hasn’t got any filling - however I find that they get even (!) better with a creamy, sweet and saffrony filling so that’s what you find right here!

If you have time blend the saffron with 1 Tbsp maple syrup at least 1 day before for an even more intense saffron flavour!

This Christmas I’ve partnered up with Swedish brand Electrolux to share a few of my favourite holiday baked goods, but also a creamy pumpkin soup with salad topping and a frothy carrot smoothie with tahini! And to inspire you to prepp your kitchen with the must-have-appliances which will help you get even more creative in the kitchen and cook even more yummy food - easy as 1 - 2 -3 . As Electrolux since their beginning have been creating products that make home life a little bit easier and a whole lot better, aims to create a better future PLUS works a lot on sustainable eating (and to inspire people to eat more plant based) it felt like a p-e-r-f-e-c-t match to team up.

You’ll see more of Electrolux and myself together throughout 2020 and I cannot wait to share it with you. Until then - let’s bake some Lussekatter buns! And Ps. For this recipe I’ve used their Kitchen Assistant, making lussekatter have never been easier! Cannot wait to bake my first sourdough using it, but that’s another blog post. Now - LUSSEKATTER!

Swedish plant “lussekatter” with creamy saffron date filling

Makes about 14  buns

Ingredients

25 grams fresh yeast 

75 grams cold pressed neutral coconut oil, melted (or any other neutral oil)

2 1/2 dl oat mylk, or any plant mylk you like

3/4 dl coconut sugar

1/2 tsp salt

8 dl white spelt flour, about 450 grams

1/2 grams ground saffron

Saffron date filling

150 grams fresh dates, pitted

30 grams cold pressed neutral coconut oil, melted (or any other neutral oil)

1/2 grams ground saffron

1 pinch mineral salt

For brushing

Maple syrup

How to

Soak the dates in boiled hot water, set aside.

Sprinkle the yeast in your kitchen assistant baking tin. Heat oat mylk, coconut oil, saffron, sugar and salt in a pot until 37°C. Pour the saffron-infused mylk over the yeast and start your machine to dissolve.

Add half of the flour and on low speed start to knead the dough. Add more flour, and keep kneading to incorporate the flour after each addition. Add flour until the dough is little sticky when touching it, but does not completely stick to your hands.

Add a lid or a kitchen towel on top of the baking tin and set the dough aside in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.

Mix together the ingredients for the filling until smooth.

Put the dough on your countertop. Fold it a few times then roll out until you get a big rectangle. Spread out the filling on the dough and fold from one side (on the length) to the other, so you get a double dough with a sticky inside. Cut about 14 “strips” on the width. Form each strip to the classic lussekatt S-shape by curling each side until you get a tight S. Put on a baking tray and cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for another 20 minutes.

Pre heat the oven to 225°C. Brush the lussekatter buns with maple syrup. Then bake them in the middle of the oven for about 8-10 minutes, until the buns are golden brown. Let cool on a cooling wrack with a towel on top.

Enjoy when freshly baked, or freeze to thaw when serving.

Tahini oat cookies with carrot

These cookies are a mix of pretty much all of my favourite things. The result? My favourite cookies (chocker)! A bit more savoury than sweet, perfect to always have in the freezer for spontaneous fika-moments, or when you come home after a long day and want something to munch meanwhile you think about what to cook for your evening meal. In other words - these are really must-have-cookies!

Tahini oat cookies with carrot

Makes 12

Ingredients

4 dl rolled oats

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp pure vanilla powder

14 fresh dates, pitted 

1 dl light tahini

2 Tbsp oat mylk or water

1 medium carrot

1 pinch flakey salt

How to

Pre heat the oven to 175°C. Mix oats, baking powder, spices and vanilla in a food processor. Add the dates and mix until crumbly. Add tahini and oat mylk, pulse until the dough starts fo get together. Add the carrot and mix until you get a dough. Form in to 12 balls, put on a baking tray and press lightly with a fork to get the look. Bake in the oven for 15-17 minutes, until they get crispy underneath and lightly golden on top. You want them to have a crispy outside and and chewy inside! Store in an airtight container, in the fridge or freezer.

Recipe was first published in The Gothenburg-Post/Två dagar

Plant-based by Thess Chocolate Mountain bars

During my mountain trail running adventure in the Swedish Jämtland mountains these ones were one of the few precious things I filled my tiny backpack with. Delicious and creamy bars filled with chocolate, protein and plant power to fuel you up during weekend hikes, long or short adventures, fika at home or whatever you’re up to!

As I like my bars / bliss balls to be reeeaaally creamy rather then only nutty (as it would be if using only nuts / dried fruit, something many of the bars you get from different stores are if you ask me), I like to use oats and protein powder (I use vegan unsweetened / natural pea protein to get it as clean as possible) in addition to the seeds and seed butter (which contains LOTS of protein!). Makes the most creamy chocolate protein bar ever believe me!! And also, feel free to use any nuts or seeds you want instead of the pepitas / tahini to fit your taste buds / pantry!

Let’s get baking!

Plant-based by Thess Chocolate Mountain bars

Ingredients

14 fresh dates, pitted

1 scoop protein powder (I use vegan unsweetened / natural pea protein)

1 dl / 0.4 cups rolled oats

1 dl / 0.4 cups cacao powder

2 dl / 0.8 cups pepitas / pumpkin seeds

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups light tahini

1 good pinch flakey salt

1-2 Tbsp water if needed 

For garnish

Flakey salt

dried flowers

How to

Pre heat the oven to 175°C. Spread out the pepitas on a baking tray, toast in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until they get slightly golden and start to pop. Let cool.

Mix alla the ingredients in a food processor until super creamy! Add a bit more water to combine if necessary. Put the dough in between two baking papers, roll out to a square using a rolling pin. Garnish with salt and flowers, roll with the rolling pin again to make the salt and flowers stick. Put the whole thing in the freezer for 1 hour. Take it out and cut in to good-size bars. Wrap them up in baking paper or aluminium foil (or just a glass box if you’re not taking them with you on adventure), store them in an air tight container in the freezer. Stays well for months! However I doubt they would ever last that long…

Hope you like them!

Cashew ice cream bites with crispy chocolate coating

Most times when I make “raw desserts” like these ones I use buckwheat in the base as I think it can get quite “heavy” and almost too filling if there is nuts and seeds in the whole thing. PLUS the toasted buckwheat gives a great crispy texture!

This goodies takes a bit of preparation or - more accurately - that you have time to do the cake the day before you’d want to serve/enjoy it. Mostly because the cake needs a good 8 hours or too so set in the freezer. The steps before though doesn’t take much time at all and aren’t tricky. So - let’s get baking right this second so that you could enjoy a bite or two (or 5) tomorrow!

Cashew ice cream bites with crispy chocolate coating

Makes 12

Chocolate layer

4 dl / 1.6 cups whole buckwheat groats

24 fresh dates, pitted

1 dl / 0.4 cups cacao, preferably raw

2 pinches sea salt

3 Tbsp light tahini *

Ice cream filling

3 dl / 1.2 cups cashew nuts, soaked for 2-4 hours

2 dl / 0.8 cups coconut milk or oat cream

10 fresh dates, pitted

1 tsp pure vanilla powder

1 pinch sea salt

100 grams frozen (or fresh if in season and locally grown) blueberries, thawed

25 grams freeze-dried berries, for example raspberries and strawberries

How to

Soak the cashews for 2-4 hours.

Pre heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F.

Put the buckwheat in a fine mesh strainer. Bring about 5 dl of water to a boil. Pour over the buckwheat, then rinse with cold water. Put the buckwheat on a baking tray, toast in the oven until dry and crisp - takes about 10-15 minutes. Stirr every now and then.

Mix the toasted buckwheat for a minute in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix to a dough. You might want to add a bit more water if the dough feels too dry. Divide the dough in half. Roll the doughs, one at a time, in to thin “sheets” between two baking papers using a rolling pin. You want the sheets to be the same size as the bottom of a small baking tin which you’ll use to freeze the ice cream bites in. Put one sheet in the bottom of the baking tin (with a baking paper underneath). Put in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Rinse and drain the cashews. Mix with the rest of the ingredients - except the blueberries - until completely smooth using a blender. Pour 2/3 of the mix on top of the chocolate base. Add the blueberries to the blender and mix until completely smooth once more. Pour over the cashew base. Sprinkle over the freeze-dried berries. Put in the fridge for 2 hour. Take out, and finish by adding the second crispy chocolate layer on top, lightly press in down. Put back in the fridge and let sit over night.

Remove from the fridge and cut in to small pieces, to get the prettiest pieces it’s easiest to cut them straight out of the freezer - however I prefer to wait 5-10 minutes before serving. It’s THE BEST, trust me! Even though it’s reallyyyyy heard not to start eating them straight away…

HOPE YOU LIKE THEM!

*If you cannot find light one I’d suggest you’d use cashew butter instead, as a dark tahini will give to much flavour here - we want to get the “humble” flavour/quality wihich both light tahini and cashew butter have - unlike other nut/seed butters (which I LOVE too, but just not here).

Recipe was first published in The Gothenburg-Post/Två dagar

Sweet buckwheat granola with parsnip

I always have a batch of granola at home, I think it’s the perfect topping on yoghurt, smoothies and porridge - but also just as a snack! My granolas look different pretty much every time I make them as I tend to use what I find in my pantry at the specific time - both when it comes to flavouring, sweetening (if any) and the main ingredients in general!

This time I experimented and used parsnip as my sweetening (together with a couple of dates) - gives a really delicious flavour - try it for yourself!

Sweet buckwheat granola with parsnip

Yields about 1 liter

Ingredients

2 dl / 0.8 cups buckwheat groats (soaked over night or for at least 8 hours)

2 dl / 0.8 cups water

2 Tbsp cold pressed rapeseed oil

2-4 fresh dates (depending on how sweet you want it), pitted

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

2 dl / 0.8 cups steel cut oats *

4 dl / 1.6 cups mixed nuts/seeds of your choice

3 Tbsp chia seeds

2 parsnips

Add ins

2 dl / 0.8 cups mixed dried fruits/berries

1 dl / 0.4 cups coconut flakes

How to

Rinse the buckwheat thoroughly

Mix water, oil, dates and spices until smooth using a blender or an immersion blender. Chop the nuts is using any. Scrub the parsnips and finely grate them.

Pre heat the oven to 150°C fan / 300°F fan (if you don’t have a fan oven you can roast one tray at a time).

Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl using your hands, making sure it all gets covered in the date paste. Spread out on 2 baking trays. Roast in the oven until dry and crisp. Stir every now and then. Let cool and then add the dried fruits/berries + coconut.

Store in a glass jar with a lid. Stays well for weeks!

*In Swedish steel cut oats are “krossad havre”. If you cannot find steel cut oats/krossad havre you can use rolled oats/havregryn instead.

Recipe was first published in The Gothenburg-Post/Två dagar

Chocolate cranberry bliss balls with toasted sesame

Bliss balls is what I make when I crave something sweet but don’t want to make a whole cake. I use whatever dried fruits/berries (such as organic apricots, blueberries or mulberries) or fresh dates I have at home. Instead of oil I prefer to get my fat from tahini or any kind of nut butter as I like to use the WHOLE food, plus it’s adds LOTS of awesome flavour. Cacao is every so often in my bliss balls, and maybe some additional flavour such as cinnamon, blueberry powder or like here - cranberry powder! Then it’s the rolling left - coconut, toasted sesame seeds or nuts or berry powder all works perfectly!

These ones are my new favourites because A) they contain tahini which I love B) they are tangy thanks to cranberry powder and C) lightly crisp on the outside thanks to the toasted sesame seeds!

Hope you like them too! And please let me know your favourite bliss ball combinations!

Chocolate cranberry bliss balls with toasted sesame

Makes about 16

Ingredients

3 dl / 1.2 cups rolled oats

12 fresh dates, pitted

3/4 dl / 0.3 cups cacao, preferably raw

2 tsp cranberry powder

2 Tbsp light tahini

2-3 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp cacao nibs (optional)

a good pinch of flakey salt

For rolling

1 dl / 0.4 cups unhulled sesame seeds

How to

Mix the oats, cacao, cranberry powder and salt in a food processor. Add the dates and mix until crumbly. Add tahini and water to combine. Add a bit more water if necessary. Now you might want to add your cacao nibs. The batter should be a bit sticky as the oats will soak up the liquid when you let it sit for a moment.

Pre heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Spread out the sesame seeds on an oven tray and toast the seeds for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Form the batter in to about 16 balls. Roll in the sesame seeds. Store in the fridge or freezer - I like them best well chilled, pretty much straight from the freezer!

Cinnamon cookies with salty chocolate peanut butter

These little semi raw cookies are easy to make, pretty to look at and AWESOME to eat!!

I got the idea for these ones after yet another of my bliss balls-moments where I topped a cinnamon ball with a spoon of chocolate peanut butter. It was SO GOOD!

Here I’m using both almond butter (in the cookie) and the peanut butter (for the topping), but you could use either almond butter or peanut butter for both!

So, here’s my latest contribution to the world on yummy plant based treats, hope you like it!

Cinnamon cookies with salty chocolate peanut butter

Makes 16

Cinnamon cookies

10 fresh dates, pitted

1 Tbsp almond butter (or peanut butter)

3 dl / 1.2 cups rolled oats

1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

2-3 Tbsp water

1 pinch of flakey salt

Salty chocolate peanut butter *

1 1/2 dl / 0.6 cup unsweetened peanut butter crunchy (or almond butter)

1-2 Tbsp cacao powder, preferably raw

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups natural peanuts

1 Tbsp water (depending on how runny your PB is)

1 pinch of flakey salt

For garnishing

flakey salt

dried edible flowers (optional)

How to

Mix all the ingredients for the cinnamon cookies until you get a smooth dough, using a food processor. Add a bit more water in necessary. Form in to about 16 cookies, press down a small spoon in the middle of every cookie. Put the cookies on a plate.

Mix peanut butter, water, cacao and water until well combined. You might want to add a splash of water if the PB feels too thick. Add the whole peanuts and pulse until desired crunchiness.

Fill/top the cookies with the chocolate peanut butter using a small spoon. Sprinkle with flakey salt and dried flowers.

Put in the fridge, preferably for about an hour before serving.

Dig in and ENJOY!

* Make your own OR, you could also use the “Peanut butter chunky choco from” Urtekram. Super yummy and ready to go!

Chocolate peanut butter truffle bites

Might be one of the most heavenly chocolate truffles I’ve ever tasted. Very easy to make, with only a few ingredients and melting-in-your-mouth-kind-of-yummy. Any further description unnecessary - let’s get baking!

Chocolate peanut butter truffle bites

Makes 12

Ingredients

3 dl / 1.2 cups rolled oats

1 dl / 0.4 dl cacao (preferably raw)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 pinch flakey salt

12 fresh dates, pitted

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups unsweetened crunchy peanut butter

Frosting

8 fresh dates, pitted

3 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil, room temperature

5 Tbsp water

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups cacao (preferably raw)

1 pinch flakey salt

How to

For the base: Mix oats, cacao, cinnamon and salt in a food processor. Add dates and peanut butter and mix until a sticky batter (I like when there are still some crunch to it so I tend to not mix until completely smooth). Add some more water if it feels too dry. Firmly press the dough in to a a small baking mold (covered with parchment paper). Put in the fridge.

For the frosting: Mix all the ingredients until completely smooth in a food processor. Spread out the frosting over the base. Put back in the fridge for an hour before serving.

Cut in to 12 pieces. Powder with extra cacao and sprinkle with salt before serving. DIG IN!

PS. Store in the fridge, or freezer (if any left…)

Recipe for Coop Sverige. Photo by Magnus Carlsson.

Loveable (raw)yum

This is my - semi raw - take on a Swedish classic called Kärleksmums. Chocolaty, slightly salty, sweet, crunchy, creamy and PACKED with plant based protein!

The recipe is from my second book The new green protein where I call them “Kärleksfulla (raw)mums”. That’s not all, it’s also my first ever recipe shared in a live television show! This very morning that happened! So, let’s just say that from this day on this cake will be quite special - not only because it’s yummy and works for as well fika as an afternoon snack but also because it reminds me to sometimes take a step back and enjoy the feeling of reaching milestones. And appreciating where hard work has taken me. Well done!

So, I’ll probably make another batch as soon as I get home (the friendly people at SVT enjoyed it all) and spend the rest of the evening with a couple of blankets, lit candles and all my new cookbooks that have finally reached me!

I know you wonder about the recipe. Here it comes!

Loveable (raw)yum

12 pieces

Base

2 dl / 0.8 cups toasted whole buckwheat *

1 dl / 0.4 cups pepitas

1 dl / 0.4 cups raw cacao

10 fresh dates, pitted

2 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

1-2 Tbsp water

Ganache

2 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

1/2 dl / 0.2 cups raw cacao

3/4 dl / 0.3 cups water

8 fresh dates, pitted

1 pinch unrefined salt

1/2 dl / 0.4 cups shredded coconut

How to

Mix all the dry ingredients until a fine crumble using a food processor, it’s nice to keep some of the buckwheat whole as that will give an extra crunch! Add dates, oil and water and mix in to a dough. Press out the dough in a small baking tray, put in the fridge.

Melt the oil on low heat. Mix all the ingredients for the ganache, except for the shredded coconut, until completely smooth. Preferably use a high speed blender if you have one - or continue mixing using a food processor - this might take a bit more time.

Spread the ganache over the base, sprinkle over the shredded coconut. the cake in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving. I even keep mine in the freezer as I love my bite properly chilled!

ENJOY!

• Toasted buckwheat: Put the buckwheat in a fine mesh strainer. Bring some water to a boil and then pour over the buckwheat. Rinse with cold water and let drain for a few minutes. Toast in a dry pan, on medium heat, until golden and crisp. Let cool. 

Recipe from The new green protein. Photo by Fanny Hansson.

Swedish Chokladbollar By Thess

To make sure we’re all in the game: “Chokladbollar” is the Swedish word for this brilliant and VERY traditional no bake little treat. Directly translated it means chocolate balls, and that it just what they are!

For years I’ve been making several types of raw food bliss balls (no grains, only nuts/seeds etc), then I remembered that I’ve eaten the most delicious chokladbollar every other day when growing up. Chokladbollar might be the one thing ALL Swedish kids learn to bake as soon as they kan stand on a stool (so they reach the countertop).

Anyway, I went back to the roots, made a batch of classic ones - but with a #plantbasedbythess twist. And to be honest they are great. No fuss.

Swedish Chokladbollar

By Thess

Ingredients

Makes about 20-24 balls

🌿3 dl / 1.2 US cups rolled oats

🌿12 fresh dates, pitted

🌿1/2 dl light tahini or almond butter

🌿1 dl / 0.4 US cups raw cacao powder

🌿1 Tbsp brewed coffee

🌿1/2 tsp ground cinnamon or vanilla powder, optional

🌿A good pinch of flakey salt

🌿Shredded coconut for rolling 

How to

Mix all of the ingredients until smooth (you want it to be sticky but rollable) in a food processor. Add a bit water or oat mylk (any plant mylk really) if it feels too dry, or a bit more rolled oats if it feels to wet.

Form in to balls. As big or small as you want. Basic knowledge - if you make smaller ones you can eat many and you get more (!) coconut coating.

Put shredded coconut in a bowl, add a few balls at a time and give the bowl a good shake so the balls get all covered. OR even smarter - use a bowl with a lid, then you can give it a proper shake!!

Let the chokladbollar sit in the fridge for about an hour before eating. Best when chilled! Eat within a couple of weeks (you will never be able to keep them for that long. Trust me on that one!).

Good to know!

The chokladbollar can be stored in the freezer if you want to keep them for longer, or make in advance in you have a fika coming up.