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Desserts

Lussekatter (Saint Lucy Saffron Buns)

Saint Lucy Lussekatter are traditional Swedish saffron buns baked for Saint Lucy's Day on December 13 and for the Christmas holidays.
Recipe Lussekatter (Saint Lucy Saffron Buns)
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation 30 minutes
  • Cooking 25 minutes
  • Servings for 20 pieces

Saint Lucy Lussekatter, also known as Dövelskatter or Dyvelkatter, are wonderful Swedish sweet buns traditionally made for December 13, Saint Lucy’s Day, but they are also very popular in Sweden as Christmas treats. The history of lussekatter is uncertain: according to some beliefs, they are meant to recall candle flames and help Saint Lucy find her way on the darkest day of the year, which is December 13. According to a legend, on the other hand, long ago the devil appeared in the form of a cat while the Baby Jesus was handing out little buns to good children, and from that day on these small sweet buns (whose name literally means “devil’s cats”) have been made to ward off evil spirits.

Not to be confused with lussebullar, which are similar, Swedish lussekatter are made with saffron and raisins, although in more recent versions the raisins are often replaced with chocolate chips. According to the tradition of Saint Lucy’s Day, a holiday that is deeply felt in Sweden, Saint Lucy’s cats are handed out on the evening of December 13 by girls dressed as Saint Lucy.

If you love traditional Christmas sweets, don’t miss the Lebkuchen, Spiced Christmas Cookies, the Gingerbread Cookies, and the Pão de Mel, Honey and Chocolate Cookies. Now let’s see how to make Saint Lucy Lussekatter.

Ingredients for 20 pieces

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Method

  1. To make the Saint Lucy Lussekatter, first take the milk out of the refrigerator and wait for it to come to room temperature. While the milk warms up, soak the raisins in a small bowl of water for about 15 minutes. When the milk is at room temperature, pour 50 grams of it into a bowl and dissolve the yeast in it. Pour the remaining milk into a small saucepan, add the saffron, and heat until the mixture reaches 35 °C (95 °F).
    Lussekatter, step 1: heating the milk with saffron
  2. When the mixture has reached that temperature, make the dough. Put the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer, then slowly pour in the saffron milk, the yeast dissolved in milk, and the sugar. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and turn it on, then knead until the ingredients come together. Now add the salt and keep kneading until the mixture is perfectly uniform and firm.
    Lussekatter, step 2: making the dough in the stand mixer
  3. Little by little, add pieces of softened butter to the dough, mixing with the stand mixer to combine and not adding more butter until the previous piece is completely incorporated. Once all the butter is in, keep kneading until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is firm and elastic. At this point, move the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead it for a few moments, then shape it into a ball. Put the dough in the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 2 hours at a temperature between 25 °C (77 °F) and 27 °C (81 °F).
  4. After the rising time, divide the dough into 70-gram pieces. Shape each piece into a rope 30 centimeters long and 3 centimeters in diameter. Now take a rolling pin and flatten the rope, taking care not to touch the first and last centimeter or so. Roll one end of the rope in on itself up to the middle, then turn it over and roll the other end from the other side to form an S shape.
    Lussekatter, step 4: shaping the dough into an S
  5. Drain the raisins well, then place one in the center of each spiral. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the buns on it, a little apart from each other. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and let rise for another half hour.
    Lussekatter, step 5: the buns with raisins on the baking sheet
  6. After this time, beat the egg in a small bowl. Remove the plastic wrap and brush the tops with the egg, then put the baking sheet on the middle rack and bake in a conventional oven preheated to 180 °C (350 °F) for about 20-25 minutes. When they are done, take them out of the oven and let them cool slightly, then serve the Saint Lucy Lussekatter. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!
    Saint Lucy lussekatter

Variations and Alternatives

If you’re not a fan of raisins, you can replace them with dark chocolate chips.

Tips

To check that the milk is at the perfect temperature, we recommend using a food thermometer.

While you work the Lussekatter dough into ropes, we recommend covering the dough you aren’t using with plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.

Storage

Saint Lucy Lussekatter keep for a few days in a cookie tin or an airtight container. You can also freeze them, but only after baking.

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