dictated that guests try at least one of each kind. The grand finale would be a fancy cake or torte, for example a prinsesstårta or jordgubbstårta.
Photo: Jacob Fridholm/imagebanksweden.se
ried women were seated when she attended a kafferep. As the standards and expectations for carrying out a kafferep became increasingly regulated, so did the type, quantity and order of the items to be consumed with the coffee. Traditionally, the hostess would first offer a sweet bread (vetebröd), such as cinnamon rolls (kanelbullar), or a sponge cake (sockerkaka). If different types of sockerkaka were offered, the light kind would be consumed before the dark kind. After the soft goods, a selection of seven types of cookies would be offered. Seven was considered a lucky number. Any fewer and the hostess would be considered stingy; any more a show-off. The cookies also had to be eaten in order, starting with light, dry cookies, followed by dark, dry cookies, and ending with cookies containing filling. Tradition
Kafferep in the garden with cinnamon rolls and prinsesstårta.
Those who couldn’t finish were given a bag to bring home the leftovers, a kind of precursor to the American doggy bag.
The most important (and irreplaceable) part of the kafferep was the selection of seven types of cookies. In 1945, the magazine Ica Kuriren announced a cookie competition. Receiving more than 8,000 entries, they published their favorites in the book Sju sorters kakor (Seven kinds of cookies). Selling 3.7 million copies in Sweden, it was second only to the Bible. The popularity of the kafferep peaked in the 1930s and was often associated with special occasions such as christenings and birthday celebrations. Though the tradition faded, it has seen a revival as of late. In its more modern iteration, it is no longer exclusively for women and the hierarchical aspects have of course vanished. Adapted to modern times, a kafferep is the perfect way to mark a special occasion.
How to Arrange Your Own Kafferep
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here is no time like summer to try hosting your own kafferep. Baking seven different kinds of cookies might seem overwhelming, but it’s easier than it sounds as many are made from the same basic dough, the so-called ‘mördeg’ consisting of flour, butter, sugar, and sometimes egg. Here are the recipes of an assortment of seven classical småkakor: Drömmar Ingredients: Preparation: (dreams), • 100 g butter (room Pre-heat the oven to 300° F (150° C). Line Chokladsnittar temprature) two baking trays with grease-proof paper. (chocolate slices) • 260 g sugar Beat the butter and sugar until it is smooth • 2 tsp vanilla sugar Sirapskakor and fluffy. Preferably by hand with a spoon. • 115 ml vegetable oil (caramel slices), • 220 g plain allAdd the oil a little at a time, until incorpoHallongrottor purpose flour rated. Mix vanilla sugar, hjorthornssalt, and flour and add it. (raspberry caves) • 1tsp hjorthornssalt* Roll the dough into 15-20 balls (approx. 1 tbsp/cookie). Flatten (*Hartshorn – it is also Schackrutor them lightly and place them on the prepared tray with space in called bakers’ ammonia (chessboards), (ammonium carbonate). between. Put the tray in the fridge for 15 minutes. It is an ammonia comBondkakor Bake in the middle of the oven for around 20 minutes, just until pound and not harmful (farmer’s cookie), after baking. However, the edges are starting to brown. and Havrekakor don’t eat the raw dough.) (oatmeal cookies).
Drömmar
Swedish Press | July-Sept 2021 | 25
