Easter

Austrian Easter bread. Recipe below.

I always liked Easter best. I can’t remember much of my childhood’s Christmases, because my early childhood was a bit turbulent, but we usually spent Easter at my Grandmother’s house, and I loved being there.

I Sweden kids dress up as Easter witches (påskkärringar) and go knocking on people’s doors for candy, much like Halloween here. The candy is put in an old-fashioned coffeepot that the witch is carrying with her. Then the witches fly on brooms to Blåkulla, a place where they meet and dance with the Devil in a witches’ Sabbath. Blåkulla played an important part in the early witch-hunts in Sweden. One might think it’s a fictive place, but it actually exists and I’ve seen it many times: Blåkulla (curiously also known as Blå Jungfrun, which translates as The Blue Virgin) is a small island in the Kalmar Strait, located in the Baltic Sea. It’s uninhabited but features a peculiar labyrinth made of stones, an early historical structure. You’re not allowed to remove any of those stones, but those who do anyway bring bad luck on themselves.

There are birch twigs and pussy willows for sale everywhere, and Swedes decorate these with colorful feathers. Especially yellow, Easter in Sweden is decidedly yellow. Suddenly spring is in the air, which brings relief after those long, dark Scandinavian winters.

There was also a play by August Strindberg called Easter that I was nearly obsessed with when I was younger. It takes place between Maundy Thursday and Good Friday and the plot centers on a family in crisis: The father is in prison for embezzlement, making the son Eli, the breadwinner. The father’s actions have isolated the family in the small town, nobody wants anything to do with them. Now, they await creditor Lindkvist, who they fear will come and take all they’ve got. But when at last Lindkvist appears, on Easter Saturday, he shows incredible mercy and asks for nothing. The Easter miracle! The family can relax and celebrate. Another important character in the play is Eleonora, a Christ-like figure, a girl who’s in an insane asylum. In all Strindberg’s Easter is a modern mystery play, patterned on the Passion of Christ.

I like the many symbols of Easter. I think one of my all time favorites is Phoenix, the bird who builds a nest when old, sets it on fire and then rises from the ashes in a triumphant victory. Of course, Phoenix is a symbol for Jesus. The egg is another interesting Easter symbol. Out of the lifeless shell a chick emerges. The broken, empty eggshell is a symbol of Jesus’ empty tomb after he rose from his grave.

Typical Swedish Easter food includes pickled herring, eggs, lamb, and a variety of salmon dishes. For dessert marzipan is usually included, either in cakes or in candy. I will probably make a smoked salmon frittata.

When I was a teen I began baking the bread above from a book my mom owns. In this book the bread is called “Austrian Easter Bread”. It is definitely not Swedish. For many years, I baked it faithfully every Easter. Here’s the recipe. But first of all, I’d like to wish you a Happy Easter. I will take tomorrow, Good Friday, off. See you again on Monday.

Austrian Easter Bread

Ingredients

25 g fresh yeast (I used a package of 50)

1-cup milk

4 cups flour (1.5 cup)

100 g butter (I used one stick)

half a cup of sugar

a pinch of salt

1 egg

3 egg yolks

vanilla or vanilla sugar (I used two packages of Oetker’s vanilla sugar)

the zest of one lemon (I forgot to buy one, but instead used 1 teaspoon lemon flavoring)

4-5 boiled eggs (I used six)

Pre-heat oven to 390F.

1. Crumble the yeast into a big bowl.
2. Heat the milk until lukewarm. Pour over the yeast, and stir until all yeast is dissolved.
3. Add 1.5 cups of the flour. Put a tea towel over the bowl, and let the dough rise until double. About 30-40 minutes.
4. While dough is rising, mix butter, sugar, and salt until smooth. Add the egg and the egg yolks, (my mother always says “one at a time”, but who can crack more than one egg at a time anyway?), then add the vanilla and the lemon zest (or lemon flavoring).
5. When dough is done, mix it into the sugar/butter batter. Add the rest of the flour and knead into a dough.
6. Divide the dough into three parts and braid it. Put the braid on a baking sheet topped with a baking paper. Close the braid into a wreath, and put the boiled eggs in the center. Again cover with a clean tea towel and let rise for about 30 minutes or so.
7. Brush the bread with an egg.
8. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

Once they’d cooled off a bit, I removed the boiled eggs and dyed them. I used one head of red cabbage for the turquoise eggs, 2 Tablespoons turmeric for the yellow ones, and a handful of frozen blueberries for the pale blue/lavender ones. I boiled the red cabbage in a pot full of water for about 30 minutes, removed most of the cabbage and put the eggs in the remaining water. I also boiled the turmeric a few minutes and put the pre-boiled eggs inside once it cooled off. For the blueberry eggs, I just put them in cold water, crushing the berries between my fingers. I let the eggs sit in the water overnight.

Swedish påskkärringar or Easter witches out collecting candy. Photograph courtesy of:

http://earthyphotography.com/easter-in-sweden/