Eva Sabet of Swedish Crown Bakery's Essentials

Five holiday treats the sweets queen can’t live without


illustration by james kloiber

Holiday dessert for non-bakers: Sauté apples and cherries with pumpkin pie spice over mini French toast, drizzle with caramel sauce, and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. 

Thanksgiving alternative: In Sweden we celebrate Mårten Gås (Mårten is named after a saint; Gås means goose), which is on November 10th, and there are some similarities to Thanksgiving. I like to prepare something that is close to both traditions, but with a twist. This year I plan to stuff pheasant with apples and prunes, add some orange zest and a little red wine, and bake it and serve it with honey-glazed chestnuts and potato puree.

Easy brunch: This is ideal for entertaining. Slather crepes with butter and top with pineapple sautéed with maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon; serve with unsweetened whipped cream on top. 

Homesickness cure: The holidays are when I miss Sweden the most. An essential treat that signals the holidays have begun is glögg, a spiced wine enjoyed with ginger cookies or Lussebullar, St. Lucia Day buns with saffron and raisins.

Swedish spice kit: Sweet breads are topped with soft, melt-in-your-mouth Swedish pearl sugar. There are also lots of exotic spices including cardamom, saffron, bitter orange peel, bitter almonds, elder flower, cinnamon, fennel, caraway, ginger, cinnamon, juniper berries, nutmeg, and white pepper. • swedishcrownbakery.com