In Sweden, there is a chocolate snack called Chokladbollar.
It is characterized by its round, bite-sized appearance and is a favorite pastry at Fika.
Since they do not use fire for cooking, even beginners in baking can make them.
In this article, I will explain Chokladbollar in detail.
What is Chokladbollar?
Chokladbollar is a popular chocolate ball in Sweden, characterized by its cute and dainty appearance.
Chokladbollar are sold in cake stores and cafes in Sweden and other Nordic countries.
The recipe for Chokladbollar is very simple. Just mix the necessary ingredients in a bowl and roll it into bite-sized pieces with your hands.
The ingredients are the same: butter, sugar, room-temperature coffee, cocoa powder, oatmeal, and coconut flakes to sprinkle on the surface after the final round is made.
It does not require troublesome steps like other chocolate confections such as cakes.
In contrast to the simplicity of the recipe, the taste of Chokladbollar is such that it satisfies even the most demanding Swedish chocoholics.
For example, Sweden has a traditional coffee break custom known as Fika.
https://hokuou-info.com/2021/06/15/fika/In Sweden, where coffee consumption is among the highest in the world, pastries are also a necessity to be eaten with coffee.
Fika’s most commonly eaten pastries include cinnamon rolls and other chocolate treats such as chocolate cake and chocolate cookies.
And Chokladbollar is another popular pastry in Sweden that many people choose as their Fika pastry of choice.
https://hokuou-info.com/2022/01/03/cinnamon-roll/Chocolates are very popular in Sweden
Among sweets, chocolate has a particularly large number of fans. Of course, Sweden is no exception to the popularity of chocolate, which has captivated sweet lovers in Japan and around the world.
Chocolate is eaten on many occasions, whether as an accompaniment to coffee at Fika or as a small holiday treat.
One of the most popular chocolate events in Sweden is Chokladfestibalen, which has been held in Stockholm every October season since 2002.
Until 2012, the event was held at the Nordic Museum in Stockholm, and since 2013 it has been held at the International Exhibition Center facility called Stockholm Mesa.
Since 2014, the event has been renamed Bak-&Chokladfestivalen.
The event will last for three days. During that period, more than 90 Swedish and international pastry and cake stores will gather to sell their pastry chocolates.
The event is organized by Magnus Johansson, himself a pastry chef.
Mr. Magnus is such a talented pastry chef that he was in charge of the desserts served at the Nobel Prize banquet.
The impetus for the event came from a chocolate festival in Paris, which Magnus encountered during a visit there in 1994.
Mr. Magnus was inspired by the Chocolate Festival in Paris and wanted to organize a similar event in his home country of Sweden.
Thus, in 2002, the current Swedish version of the Chocolate Festival was born.
Recipe for Chokladbollar
The recipe is simple and does not require any difficult cooking process or technique specific to chocolate confections.
The ingredients needed are cocoa powder, butter with sugar, cooled liquid coffee, oatmeal as the base for the dough, and finally coconut flakes to sprinkle on the surface.
The butter should be removed from the refrigerator in advance and brought to room temperature.
Put all the ingredients except the coconut flakes in a bowl and roll each one into a ball with the palm of your hand.
Finally, sprinkle the surface of the chocolate balls with coconut flakes to add a crunchy texture.
If the dough is difficult to hold together, adding a small amount of coconut oil will make it easier to roll out as the oil acts as a binding agent.
You may also have noticed that there is no chocolate in the recipe.
The chocolate itself is not used in many Swedish chocolate confections.
Cocoa powder is used instead.
In Sweden, cocoa powder is used to add flavor and color to chocolate.
In Sweden, where coffee is widely consumed, a small amount of cooled coffee is also added to Chokladbollar.
The bitterness and flavor of the coffee make the sweetness of the chocolate stand out even more.
One of the most important differences between Chokladbollar and other chocolate pastry recipes is that no fire is used in the cooking process.
Since the chocolate itself is not used, there is no need to melt the chocolate in a pan, and it is not baked in the oven like a cake.
Because it does not use fire, it is said that Swedish families often make it with small children.
Conclusion
All the ingredients for Chokladbollar recipes can be purchased at supermarkets.
To the basic ingredients such as cocoa powder and oatmeal, you can add dried fruits, nuts, and other ingredients of your choice to make your original Chokladbollar.
Since no special cooking equipment is required, even those who do not usually make sweets can quickly make them at home.
