Swedish Lucia Breads

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a mixing bowl, then add the saffron and keep stirring until the mixture turns yellow.

Add the melted butter. In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then stir in the sugar and raisins.

Pour the yeast mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until the dough comes cleanly from the edge of the bowl. Knead the dough on a floured counter for 10 minutes, until it is shiny but not sticky.

Put the dough back in the bowl and let rise for 1 1/2 hours at room temperature.

Lightly knead the dough again on a floured counter. Divide into 22 equal pieces.

Roll them into sausages then curl the ends so that each piece is shaped like the number eight. Put one raisin in the middle of each circle.

Place the breads on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, cover with dish towels, and let rise again for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Brush the risen breads with beaten egg.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown all over.

Let cool on a wire rack. Eat them as they are, or spread with cold butter.

From The Scandinavian Cookbook by Trina Hahnemann. Text copyright © 2008 by Trina Hahnemann; photography © 2008 by Lars Ranek. This edition published in 2009 by Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC.