Saffron twists with marzipan filling are the best soft and juicy twists with saffron, marzipan filling, white pearl sugar and flaked almonds. These Swedish-inspired twists are perfect for Lucia Day, just like the Swedish “lussekatter”, which you can find my recipe for here. In Sweden they eat lussekatter on Lucia Day, 13 December, and it is such a cosy tradition.
There are many ways to make Lucia buns, and I have also made them as swirls with vanilla filling and raisins. You can also try my braided saffron buns, which are baked in a muffin tin.
Saffron twists with marzipan filling are probably my favourite so far! They taste amazing and are so lovely, soft, juicy and sticky, just as they should be. They are filled with a marzipan filling, sprinkled with white pearl sugar and flaked almonds, and then brushed with sugar syrup.
I follow quite a few Swedish baking and food accounts on Instagram, and over the past few weeks I have seen these twists in so many places. Now I have tried them myself, and wow, they are good. Promise me you will try these delicious twists. Enjoy!
Braided saffron star
Instead of making twists, you can also use this recipe to make a beautiful braided star. You need exactly the same elements, but a slightly different method once the dough has risen:
Once the dough has risen, divide it into 4 equal pieces. Roll the pieces out into 4 identical round sheets (like a pizza base) on a lightly floured counter. Place the first sheet on a baking tray lined with baking paper and spread 1/3 of the marzipan filling over it. Place the next sheet on top, spread with filling, and continue until all 4 sheets are stacked. There should be no filling on the top one. Place a glass in the middle and press it down slightly. Cut the dough from the glass outwards, first into 4 parts, then cut each of the 4 pieces once more so you have 8, and then once more so you have 16. Now twist each piece of dough twice. Finally, join the ends together two by two, so the star has 8 points in total. Let the star rise for 20 minutes. Brush with beaten egg and bake for about 20 minutes at 200°C (fan). Brush with sugar syrup and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Serve the star while it is still warm. Enjoy!
Saffron twists with marzipan filling
Ingredients
Instructions
Dough
Dissolve the yeast in half of the lukewarm milk in a stand mixer. Once dissolved, pour in the rest of the milk and add the saffron. Let it sit for a while so the saffron can release its colour. Add the sugar, crème fraîche and egg and mix well. Add about half of the flour together with the salt and knead the dough in the mixer. Add the butter a little at a time. Then add the rest of the flour until the dough is no longer sticky and comes away from the bowl. This takes about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how powerful your stand mixer is. Leave the dough to rise in the bowl for 1 hour, covered with a damp tea towel.
Marzipan filling
Mix all the ingredients well with a fork and set the filling aside until you need it.
Sugar syrup
Bring the water and sugar to the boil in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved. Let it cool.
How to make the twists
Divide the dough in 2 and roll out one half into a square (about 40 x 40 cm). Carefully spread half of the marzipan filling over the whole dough in a thin layer and fold half of the dough over, so the dough is doubled. Cut the dough into about 12 long strips, 2 to 3 cm wide. Twist each strip like a small bundle and wrap the end around the other way (like a small ball of yarn). It does not matter if the twists are not identical, they will still turn out lovely. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Place the twists on a baking tray lined with baking paper and let them rise, covered, for about 30 minutes at room temperature. Brush them with beaten egg, sprinkle with white pearl sugar and flaked almonds, and bake them in the middle of a preheated oven at 200°C (fan) for 14 to 16 minutes, until golden. Brush the warm twists with sugar syrup. Let them cool a little on a wire rack and serve. They taste best while they are still a little warm. Enjoy!
Nutritional content
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Energy
33 kcal / 33 kj
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Fat
33,3 gram
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Protein
33,3 gram
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Carbohydrates
33,3 gram
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