ST. LUCIA'S DAY

Fragrant, pillowy saffron buns add sweetness and warmth to the Scandinavian holiday.

- KAT KINSMAN

GROWING UP IN SWEDEN, Emma Bengtsson was always a gingerbread man in the early-morning train of children walking house to house each December 13, never the candle-crowned St. Lucia selected to head the celebratory procession. "I wasn't trusted with open flame," the Aquavit chef remembers, but she still thrilled in the ritual of assembling at school very early on one of the darkest days of the year and bringing music, warmth, and light to neighbors in honor of the feast's namesake martyr. Unlike some, Bengtsson doesn't personally mind the minimal sunlight at this time of the year in her native country, explaining, "We get to light candles and cozy up on the couch, and you don't have to go out. For introverts, it's really nice."

For Bengtsson and her fellow Swedes—as well as Norwegians and Swedish-speaking Finns—there is also solace and celebration in enjoying lussekatter, also called lussebullar. That’s the feast day’s traditional wheat bun, made sunny with saffron and curled into a double cat tail–like shape with a raisin or currant pressed into the center of each coil. Like any holiday recipe, it’s often personalized to the tastes of the makers. Bengtsson’s family opted for cardamom and the minimal sugar of many Swedish baked goods. Nichole Accettola, chef-owner of Kantine in San Francisco, prefers brushing a sweet orange zest–infused glaze on the version she perfected for her book, Scandinavian from Scratch (recipe at right). Paired with a warm cup of mulled, spiced glögg—nonalcoholic for the young ones and fortified with wine for the elders—on a long, dark December night, no other holiday treat can hold a candle.

Lussekatter (St. Lucia’s Day Saffron Buns)

ACTIVE 1 HR; TOTAL 2 HR 45 MIN
MAKES 18