Pernilla’s snowballs
Want to know what Swedish celebrities make for Christmas? Of course you do. We do, too. On singer/entertainer/actress Pernilla Wahlgren’s blog we found the following recipe for “Snöbollar” (snowballs). We’ve been impressed with Pernilla’s cooking and baking skills in the past, and can’t wait to give this a try. Especially since it is so simple.

Ingredients for 20-25 snowballs
7 oz. white chocolate
1 cup coconut flakes
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Additional coconut flakes for decoration
1. Melt the chocolate in a pot over low heat.
2. Add the coconut flakes and the lemon juice.
3. Put the pot aside until the batter is lukewarm.
4. Form little “snowballs” with your hands and roll these in a plate filled with coconut flakes. Put in the fridge until cold.
Check out Pernilla’s blog for more of her recipes—in Swedish only:
http://pernillawahlgren.se/bloggar/pernillas-blogg

Ebba’s cut ginger snaps
From journalist, TV personality and blogger, Ebba von Sydow, comes an Advent gift in the form of the best tasting “pepparkakor” (ginger snaps) in the world! That’s quite a statement to come from a Swede in December. “Yes, they are really that incredibly good. Perfect to keep in the freezer and cut and prepare when you have guests. I guarantee success!” Well, if you say so, Ebba (who recommends serving them with an orange salad). Here’s where you can follow Ebba’s excellent blog:
http://blogg.svt.se/ebba/

And here’s her recipe:
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
½ cup ljus sirap (substitute with molasses if you can’t get hold of ljus sirap)
2½ cups flour
the peels of two lemons
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ginger
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
1 Tablespoon cardamom
1 Tablespoon baking soda
About 3 oz. peeled almonds, depending on how many you want.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Melt the butter in a pot with the sirap/molasses and sugar. Remove from heat so it cools but slightly, add all spices. Mix flour and baking soda and add that, too. Stir in the almonds. Shape the dough into rolls, pack them in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge if you plan to use that week, otherwise in the freezer. Take out, cut into cookies and bake in oven for about 7 minutes.

Roasted gingerbread with glögg sauce and ice cream
This also sound like a winner. We found it at alltommat.se
First, the most time-consuming and involved task is that of making the gingerbread. This particular recipe will give you an old-fashioned kind of gingerbread.

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
2 eggs
1¾ cups brown sugar
2¾ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon grated orange peel
1 cup currants
10 dried and cut apricots
peel from one orange
¾ cup milk
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Butter and bread a cake pan (make sure not to use a small pan).
2. Melt the butter. Mix egg and brown sugar.
3. In another bowl mix flour, salt, baking powder, spices, currants, and cut apricots. Pour the mixture into the egg batter with the melted butter.
4. Add the orange peel and the milk, and pour the batter in the cake pan.
Bake in the lower part of the oven for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Do a stick test to make sure the cake is dry inside. You might have to cover the cake with aluminum foil the last 20 minutes so as to not have it too dark. Let cool.

Glögg sauce
Ingredients
1 cup red wine
½ cup sugar
grated orange peel, cinnamon stick, cloves and ginger to taste
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup red wine
1. Bring to a boil wine, sugar, and spices and let simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Take the cold wine and stir the cornstarch into it, then add to the glögg mixture. Boil for 2-3 minutes.
3. Cut your gingerbread into thick slices and roast them in a dry, hot pan. Make sure to roast both sides.
Serve the warm, roasted gingerbread with the glögg sauce and vanilla ice cream.