We are blessed to have a wonderful old cherry tree in the garden. Every year as its rosy tinted petals froth forth in Spring, I think how wonderful it would be to bring in a few bloom-laden twigs to cheer up the house. Within hours I am resentfully hoovering up all the petals as they immediately drop off and are tramped into every room, then throwing the twigs out of the back door in a minor grump. Here then is the answer; pretty little flowers that will add some glorious colour to your home without ending up stuck to your socks. The cherry blossoms are made from tissue paper hoarded from my o ..read more

Don’t be fooled by the name, Danish “Dirty Eggs” are delicious! While chocolate bunnies and egg hunts might be familiar Easter traditions, Denmark boasts a dish called “Skidne Æg,” which literally translates to “dirty eggs.” Despite the unappetizing name, Skidne Æg are actually hard-boiled eggs served in a delicious mustard sauce; perfect for a lazy breakfast over the long weekend! A Tradition Steeped in Spring Cleaning Traditionally, Skidne Æg were enjoyed on “Skidenlørdag” (Dirty Saturday), the Saturday before Easter. This day marked the beginning of spring cleaning, a time to banish the win ..read more

Damp, fragrant and dense, this is my version of that Scandinavian supermarket staple, the Danish lemon half-moon cake. Popular in Denmark as an emergency purchase when friends are visiting (and a constant presence in my mum’s kitchen since I was little), it can usually be found on the shelves of most petrol stations. Legend has it that just as New York’s finest love their doughnuts, the Danish police force adore their citronmåne! Here the addition of ground almonds to the Scandi recipe adds a lovely texture, while the zesty icing will perk up any coffee gathering; pop the marzipan in the fridg ..read more

While Easter is obviously a religious festival in many places, Scandinavia throws a springtime celebration with a focus on fun, family, and embracing the new season. Here’s a peek into some unique Danish and wider Scandinavian Easter traditions that might inspire your own festivities! Gækkebreve: The art of the anonymous Easter letter In Denmark, children take part in a lovely tradition called Gækkebreve. These are intricately cut paper letters (rather like a paper snowflake) with a riddle or rhyme on the back, often accompanied with a snowdrop or little flower. The riddle often says “gæk gæk ..read more

Our new kitchen hero just arrived, in the form of  the Danish dough whisk (also sometimes called a brodpisker, which translates to “bread whipper” in Danish)! Here’s why this oddly-shaped tool will become your new best friend in the kitchen: Conquering Dough: Unlike its balloon whisk cousin, the Danish dough whisk isn’t afraid of a little challenge. Its design, with thick, looped wires, tackles even the toughest bread doughs with ease. It efficiently incorporates dry and wet ingredients without overworking the gluten, leading to lighter and airier loaves. Beyond Bread: While it ..read more

I have a penchant for both hot beverages and travel mugs, and can’t even start my car engine unless there is a nice cup of tea in the dashboard mug holder. However from time to time I do end up buying the odd takeaway coffee, so who would guess that these little dinky Easter baskets are made from the paper cups that subsequently end up on the floor of my car? Whether hidden in the garden by the Easter bunny or used as table settings for your special lunch, they look adorable filled with moss and tiny treats. Materials Paper takeaway cup Scissors Craft knife Hot glue gun and glue Moss and eggs ..read more

Scandinavian rye bread is a terribly more-ish loaf; high in protein, dense and with a tightly packed crumb, it is well-suited to the elaborate open sandwich toppings favoured by Danes. Many recipes call for a sour-dough starter, but as it is rare that I can think four to six days ahead to create the necessary starter, this overnight recipe is a favourite. As there is very little gluten content in rye, it doesn’t have to be kneaded like white breads, and just requires a thorough mixing at the start. This can either be done by hand (if you are feeling energetic), otherwise five minutes in a stan ..read more

These thin and crispy oat cookies are one of those tastes from my childhood that take me straight back to my cousin’s farmhouse kitchen! Half-way between a flapjack and a brandy snap in texture, boxes of them would be laid in ready for my arrival (along with a kilo sack of delicious ristede løg (crispy fried onions) which I used to eat on rye bread with dripping and Marmite, to everyone’s horror). You may well know these biscuits from the IKEA food shop too, where they are sold in huge packs ready for dipping in a  hot cup of tea at your leisure; my version can either be left as single co ..read more

Welcome to the 2023 Hyggestyle Christmas Quiz! We’ve put together forty questions for all the family, ranging from very serious ones for the people who think they know everything, to some silly ones for the kids! The questions are multiple choice so you can have good crack at it even if you don’t really know the answer, and many of them have a Nordic theme for all you Scandi-lovers! Best of luck, we suggest the quiz-master has a little snifter of aquavit before they start! And once again, thank you so much for all you love and support, Instagram and Facebook likes, comments and follows, and fo ..read more

Following on from our last upcycled Christmas craft (a super easy door wreath), we have a fabulous way to use up the rest of that charity shop duvet cover, along with any little scraps of festive ribbon or fabric you have in your stash cupboard; all you need is scissors and that ball of string that has been lurking in the kitchen drawer for years! Whereas with the wreath we tore the strips into strips roughly 15 x 4cms, for the tinsel the strips will need to be roughly 10 x 2cms. As before, the easiest way is to snip along one side of your fabric at 2cm intervals and then get some kids or will ..read more