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I’m not Swedish, but “fika” is one of my favorite customs that I never grew up with. It’s the simple and pleasant activity of having coffee and sweet pastries with friends. It’s a purposeful invitation to enjoy life for a bit of every day—plus cookies. What’s not to love about that? Hallongrottor cookies are often part of a classic Swedish fika, and one of my top five favorite cookies ever. Full stop. My guess is it might climb the ranks of your favorites too.
Before I had ever set eyes upon a single hallongrotta, I was always a sucker for raspberry thumbprint cookies. Buttery, tender, with a snap of raspberry jam—I’d always need two or three more thumbprints. In Swedish, “hallon” means raspberry, and “grottor” means caves. That makes these cookies “raspberry caves,” and that is what I’ve always wanted. Wee thumbprint cookies are great for dainty eaters, but I am no dainty eater. I need a buttery cave filled with raspberry jam, thank you so much.
More tender than shortbread
These treats are quite similar to shortbread cookies with a few small additions. Shortbreads are known for their simple preparation and utterly tender, buttery texture. Hallongrottor share all the positives of shortbread along with a bright jammy center, and the addition of two ingredients that lighten the texture even more—baking powder and potato starch.
A bit of baking powder creates bubbles during baking, and as the cookie dough bakes and solidifies, these bubbles become tiny air pockets. The introduction of extra starch to the dough actually shortens the gluten strands in the batter by interrupting the gluten connections. Additionally potato starch has the wonderful ability to absorb water and gelatinize, helping to bind the dough without making it chewy.
While potato starch is readily available in the baking aisle of most larger grocery stores, you can substitute an equal measurement of cornstarch in this recipe if you can’t get it.
How to make hallongrottor
The recipe is pleasantly simple, and even though I modeled mine after the hallongrottor at Fabrique Bakery (with a swirled top), you can keep it classic with a round shape.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
1. Make the batter
With a rubber spatula, blend the softened butter with the sugar in a mixing bowl until well combined. Mix in the salt and vanilla paste (you can replace this with extract). In a smaller bowl, whisk the flour, potato starch, and baking powder together. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and gently combine them until you have a soft dough.
2. Fill the cups
Line a cupcake tin with paper liners. Using a spoon or ice cream disher, divide the batter among seven cups. (It’s a weird batch size, apologies.) The batter will puff, so only fill the cups about three-quarters full. For a decorative design, fit a large piping bag with a large star tip. Fill the bag with the batter and pipe the dough into the cups, finishing with one final swoop around the top.
Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
3. Make the raspberry caves
Using the handle of a wooden spoon or a wine cork, press a deep divot into the center of each cookie. Fill the caves with raspberry jam. (It’s good to be generous here as they’ll sink a bit later.) Pop the hallongrottor into the fridge for about 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. Bake
When the oven is up to temperature, bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges begin to take on some color. Cool them completely on a wire rack.
As they cool, the raspberry center will sink slightly. Don’t worry—this is all part of the cave development. It’s hard to resist, but I do recommend waiting until the cookies are room temperature or even fridge cold so the butter can solidify a bit. Top these off with a light dusting of powdered sugar and invite a friend over to fika.
Hallongrottor Recipe
Ingredients:
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9 tablespoons butter, softened
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⅓ cup sugar
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¼ teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon vanilla paste
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1 cup flour
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3 tablespoons potato starch
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½ teaspoon baking powder
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¼ – ½ cup raspberry jam (I recommend Crofter’s or St. Dalfour)
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Powdered sugar for garnish.
1. With a rubber spatula, mix the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until combined. Mix in the salt and vanilla paste. In a smaller bowl, whisk the flour, potato starch, and baking powder together. Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and gently combine them until you have a soft dough.
2. Line a 12-cup cupcake tin with seven paper liners. Using a spoon or ice cream disher, divide the batter among seven cups. Only fill the cups about three-quarters full.
3. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or a wine cork, press a deep divot into each cookie. Fill the caves with raspberry jam. Pop the hallongrottor into the fridge for about 10 minutes while you preheat the oven to 350°F.
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until just a hint of color appears on the edges. Cool the hallongrottor completely on a wire cooling rack. Dust the tops with powdered sugar before serving.
