3 Nordic Xmas Traditions to Try Now

These holiday recipes add ease to kids' meals, offer a delicious afternoon moment for you, and get even tired parents into the holiday spirit.

Dec 20, 2024

If we are completely honest, holidays are not always the best time for moms. Even if on social we see dreamy photos of families putting together gingerbread houses with adorable children in aprons, the reality tends to be quite different.

I recently had three moms confess to me within one hour how maddening their family holiday baking efforts were. I could relate. As I tried to get fix the too-dry gingerbread dough in a mixer while my youngest son was tantruming because he wanted to use different measurements that the recipe called for, my husband walked past and said: “Take pictures of these magical holiday moments!”

As I raised my eyebrows at him, my son turned on the mixer as it’s up, with flour flying everywhere, my fingers almost getting caught in the whisk.

There are a few holiday traditions that add ease, a moment to sit down, or get a you into a relaxed holiday spirit. What I want to share with you, are Nordic recipes for just that:

a recipe for Nordic rice porridge that’s not only the simplest meal ever, with very little clean up, that’s often served as holiday-season breakfast or dinner for the kids, but it’s so delicious you’ll end up eating it too
a recipe for a Nordic holiday pastry that’s the quickest treat to bake, and meant for you to eat while sitting down, enjoying a moment by yourself or with a friend, as if you were in a hygge Nordic cafe
links to high-quality glogg, or mulled wine, that’s ideal for an at-home date night, to be enjoyed by a fireplace under blankets, to get you into a joyful mood, or, alternatively, to serve for guests to transport them into Nordic winter wonderland

If you answers yes to any of the above, below are simple Nordic solutions to all of them:-)

Rice Porridge

Nordic grocery stores tend to be filled with multitude of choices for porridge rice at this time of the year, but even if that’s not the case here, it’s possible to make it from any kind of short-grain and slightly sticky rice. When I asked you to recommend the best alternative rice on Instagram, you suggested:

risotto rice such as arborio rice, or paella rice
Niko Niko calrose rice
sushi rice

For extra ease, you can just order Nordic porridge rice (I used this Swedish kind; I recommend getting a few, as one bag turns only into 8-10 porridge portions for us).

The taste can vary a lot depending on what type of milk you use especially with planty-based milks; I personally like a sweeter milk for this, like oat milk or a lightly sweetened nut milk.

Also, take the rice porridge out of the pot as soon as it’s done cooking so the rice doesn’t overcook and get mushy.

RECIPE: NORDIC RICE PORRIDGE for 4-5

about 1.5-1 3/4 cups of water
about 3-4 cups of milk (I use oat, almond, or cashew milk)
about 3/4 cups rice
1 teaspoon of salt, 1 cinnamon stick

Toppings:cinnamon & butter (I use plant-based); coconut sugar if you prefer it sweeter

Bring the water & salt to boil, then add the rice, and simmer on low heat covered until the water has absorbed (about ten minutes).
Add the cinnamon stick and 3-4 cups of milk (use less or more depending on what your rice needs and how it cooks; it should turn out soft and creamy; think of oatmeal-like texture); bring to boil, stirring often.
Then cover, and let it simmer on the lowest setting for however long the rice cooking time is, usually about 15-25 minutes, but could be even up to 40 min.
Serve in cute bowls, and top them off with cinnamon and butter (I do plant-based Le Grand butter made of coconut oil and potatoes!); you could also try adding cardamom as well as coconut sugar.

TIP: Serve this for breakfast or dinner whenever, all holiday season, and make it extra special for the Big Day:
For Christmas Eve or Day breakfast, add one blanched almond into the pot before serving. Whoever gets it, can make a wish as in Finland, or win a mini marzipan like in Norway (or, make it Nordic-inspired, and create your own treat for the winner!)

I found this video to show what it looks like:

Christmas Tart

Imagine taking a moment in the middle of the busy holiday season, sitting down in the coziest cafe you have ever been to—all festive & hygge—and enjoying a cup of coffee, tea or glogg with the most delicious pastry: the Christmas Tart in the shape of a star.

I’m offering you this recipe so you can do just that, even if not in a Nordic cafe, but even in your own home: try to find 10-15 minutes and a quiet space; a lit candle and beautiful cup and plate are recommended.

To make this treat, all you need are puff pastry dough and prune, fig or date jam.

If you have about half an hour, bake these from ready-made puff pastry dough sheets (I got the plant-based one from Whole Foods with simple, good ingredients) and no-sugar-added prune or fig jam, like me. Or, if you love baking, and have the time, you can of course make your own dough and jam as well. I’ll try making this fig and date jam for sure, from my favorite Finnish food blog, Chocochili (you can copy and paste the recipe part to Google Translator—you can’t go wrong!).

RECIPE: CHRISTMAS TART

Defrost ready-made puff pastry dough sheets in the fridge (or roll out the dough into a 0.2” sheet)
With a pastry cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough sheet into 4x4cm (1.5-2”) or 8x8cm (3”) squares;
Make a cut in each corner of the square towards the middle
Lift every other corner onto the middle & press them together with your fingers.
Add 1 teaspoon or so of prune, fig or date jam in the middle (optional: brush them with melted butter (I use plant-based) before baking.
Bake for 10-15 minutes in 430 F or 225C.

I found a really beautiful video of how to make these, in English.

If you enjoyed these Nordic holiday tips, don’t forget to tap the heart-shaped like button at the end!

Glogg

Nordics might drink as much glogg during the holiday season as they drink coffee all year round—which is to say, it is served in every cafe, restaurant and home this time of the year. Glogg is hot mulled wine or juice, and it’s served hot, from glass mugs or cups or stemless wine glasses—8oz festive coffee or tea cups will also be a great option. You drink it hot, with a few slivered almonds and raisins drizzled in.

Good glogg can be hard to make, and in the US, it’s even harder to buy. In the Nordics, both grocery stores and wine shops have isles and isles of ready-to-drink non-alcoholic and alcoholic versions.

You can find multitude of glogg recipes online, but I must say, I have never succeeded in making amazing glogg myself, and honestly, I don’t think most moms have the time and bandwidth to make DIY glogg just to have a drink. I prefer a ready-made bottle of perfectly, reliably delicious glogg, so that whenever a good moment arises in my domestic mayhem, I can quickly pour myself and my husband a glass, get cozy under a fuzzy blanket by a fireplace, ideally under the stars, or in candle-lit living room, and enjoy it before it’s time for bed. It’s also a wonderful special treat if you have a few guests over!

I asked Nordics who live Stateside to recommend their favorites (note that these are all alcoholic). I have not tried these, but these are the most promising options I have found yet! I just ordered a few bottles from Sjöblom. You can also get basic, lower cost, non-alcoholic glogg from Ikea that many Nordics are fine with (just comes with preservatives); you can serve it as is for the kids, or whoever prefers the juice version, and blend it 1/1 with red wine for others.

Sjöblom Glögg by Sjöblom Winery, CA * I just ordered from here.

Vin Glogg by Glunz Family Winery, CA

Holiday Wine from Brotherhood Winery, NY

“Kippis” aka “Cheers”!

TIP: I did also find a recipe for “light glogg”—which is really mulled apple juice, with or without white wine—it’s easy to make and looks and sounds incredible. Here’s the recipe from a Finnish grocery store chain that I shop at all the time when I’m there, with great reviews (drop it into Google Translate). I’ll definitely try this next week!

Would you try these Nordic traditions, and what else would you add that would increase ease and joy over the holidays?