Tuesdays with Dorie DC: Swedish Visiting Cake Bars
June 5, 2018 at 12:01 am | Posted in cakes & tortes, cookies & bars, DC, groups, simple cakes, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 8 CommentsTags: baking, cake, cookies
If you’re as on-trend as I am (hahaha), you’ll have heard of fika, which is not at all a trend in Sweden, but a ritual. It’s a proper sit-down, slow-down coffee break, complete with treats. Of course I am hopeful that something this delightful will turn from Scandi trend to full-on tradition on this side of the Atlantic, too, and I’m willing to do my part to enable it. If I’m ever visiting someone, or having someone visit me, for fika, I’m making Swedish Visiting Cake Bars for treat-time. These bars contain no leavening agent and are thin and dense, but they’re not heavy. They have that almond paste cake taste and feel but are actually flavored with extract. They aren’t too sweet and are an ideal coffee or tea companion.
I made Dorie’s original cake version of these bars something like eight years ago (whelp!). I think the main difference between the two, besides the shape, is that the cake just had a scattering of sliced almonds on top, while the bars have an upgraded topping of crackly sugar-glazed almonds. Making that topping gave me a déjà vu feeling, too…then I looked back and realized I’d used it before on a pear tart. I like this kind of mix-and-match, taking good parts from one thing to improve another.
For the recipe, see Dorie’s Cookies by Dorie Greenspan. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the TWD Blogroll and please join us if you haven’t already!
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a whisk and a spoon 
Oh these look great – I can’t wait to make them too!
Comment by Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.)— June 5, 2018 #
Funny, mine was definitely cake. My cake was not thin and dense. Even my son noticed my cake was much taller than the one in Dorie’s picture. Oh well no matter it was delicious. I agree with you this is a new tradition to start.
Comment by Diane Zwang— June 5, 2018 #
These bars look good, and almond flavoured anything cannot be bad.
Comment by Cakelaw— June 5, 2018 #
I’m not having luck leaving comments today so I hope you don’t get a battery of comments from me!!
This looks amazing! Do you think it would taste good without almond topping? The kids are allergic and I’m weighing up whether to make this recipe or catch up on one I’ve missed? A nut free one 🙂
Comment by kitchen therapy— June 7, 2018 #
that’s ok! hmmm…i don’t think it would be bad without the almonds and flavoring, but maybe a bit boring. if you put it with berries or sauce, it would probably be tasty. or maybe you could work chocolate chips in the batter.
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon)— June 7, 2018 #
I enjoyed the cake, too, but the meringue topping on these bars! Oh, my. And there are so many potential applications for it.
Comment by Teresa— June 20, 2018 #
Let’s go for a fika soon (I don’t know if you can actually say that haha)!
On Tue, Jun 5, 2018 at 1:04 AM a whisk and a spoon wrote:
> steph (whisk/spoon) posted: ” If you’re as on-trend as I am (hahaha), > you’ll have heard of fika, which is not at all a trend in Sweden, but a > ritual. It’s a proper sit-down, slow-down coffee break, complete with > treats. Of course I am hopeful that something this delightful will tu” >
Comment by saffronandhoney— July 15, 2018 #
yes, let’s!! xoxo
Comment by steph (whisk/spoon)— July 16, 2018 #