Dammsugare

Also known as ‘punschrulle’ or ‘punsch-roll’, these are Swedish treats of chocolate cake truffle wrapped in marzipan, dipped in chocolate and sometimes sprinkled with coconut. I hadn’t seem there prior to moving to Sweden, where it now feels like I see them everywhere; from freshly made ones in bakeries, to pre-packaged ones in supermarkets and tiny little ones wrapped individually at pick’n’bix stands.

These aren’t a Christmas-time treat, rather they’re available all year round, but they always seemed beautifully festive to me, dressed in their little green marzipan coats. ‘Dammsugare’ literally translates to vacuum cleaner, reason being that these are often made from leftover pieces of cake when making another Swedish treat of Kärleksmums, a delicious chocolate, coffee and coconut cake—I instead opted to make an entire chocolate sponge specifically to make these. ‘Punsch’ is a popular liqueur in Sweden and is mixed into the cake crumbs before shaping into logs. I opted to use coffee liquor and rum instead, in addition to the strong coffee that is also used in the sponge.

I found that these kept well in the fridge for up to a week after I’d made them, and they were the perfect little treat to sit alongside a coffee when friends came over. Very cute, very delicious—all I could ask for. These would be perfect as a little edible Christmas gift, too.