Let's spring :)

This picture is not taken in December in Slovakia, this is April in Umeå! :) Despite the snow in the background we are having a really nice spring weather. After 6 years of living in Sweden I admit, I have become Swedish in my way of appreciating nature, day light, sun. It is only possible during a few moths of the year so if you hesitate and wait for too long, you might miss it!
My friend Sara agreed to join me for a picknick today. We took a bike ride along the river and found a perfect spot to relax and eat our lunch at.

The sun joined us for a while. Not until the coffee got really cold really fast we realized how cold and windy it had become. Never mind! The day outside was totally worth it. Even though I came home completely exhausted from cycling against the wind up the hill, I wanna do it again really soon. Sunday's weather forecast looks pretty promising....:)

Enjoy your spring (and stay outside until winter)!

Kolasnittar - Swedish toffee shortbread

 

 As I'll be spending quite some time outside home this week, I thought I'd rather make a batch of homemade cookies than getting a chocolate bar of 1000 calories and additives from a sweetshop. Smart, ain't it? I seem to never find it difficult coming up with reasons to bake - not even on Monday morning :))
Searching for some quick and easy recipe, I remembered having kolasnittar at one of our morning breaks at work. They were just perfect with a cup of black coffee! "Kola" means caramel or toffee in Swedish which suggests the richness of taste. If done properly, the inside remains chewy.
I chose to follow Leila Lindholm's recipe because I liked her idea of using ginger in the dough.

Kolasnittar

 

Ingredients:
2 1/4 dl all-purpose flour
1 tea spoon ground ginger
1 tea spoon vanilla sugar
1/2 tea spoon bicarbonate (soda)
100 g butter at room temperature
1 dl caster sugar
2 table spoons golden syrup

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees.
2. Mix flour, ginger, vanilla sugar and bicarbonate in a bowl.
3. In another bowl, beat butter, syrup and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add the flour mix and work quickly into a smooth dough.
5. Split the dough into two pieces and roll out to "sausages".
6. Put the sausages on a baking sheet. Flatten them out by using hands or a rolling-pin.
7. Use a fork to make a pattern if you like.
8. Bake for about 15 minutes. Let cool a little and cut diagonally.

Store in a jar or freeze in some.

Have a great week and don't skip the coffee breaks! :)