I’m not Swedish, but “fika” is one of my favorite customs that I never grew up with. It’s the simple and enjoyable activity of having coffee and sweet pastries with friends. It’s a conscious invitation to enjoy life a little, every day, plus cookies. What’s not to like? Hallongrottor cookies are often part of a classic Swedish fika and one of my top five favorite cookies ever. Period. I think they might become your favorites too.

Before I ever saw a single hallon grotta, I had always loved raspberry thumbprint cookies. Buttery, soft, with a hint of raspberry jam—I always needed two or three extra thumbprints. In Swedish, “hallon” means raspberry and “grottor” means caves. That makes these cookies “raspberry caves,” which is what I’ve always wanted. Little thumbprint cookies are great for picky eaters, but I’m not a picky eater. I need a buttery cave filled with raspberry jam, thank you very much.

These treats are very similar to shortbread cookies with a few minor additions. Shortbreads are known for their easy preparation and extremely soft, buttery texture. Hallongrottor shares all the benefits of shortbread, along with a bright, jammy center and the addition of two ingredients that lighten the texture even further: baking powder and potato starch.

A little baking powder creates bubbles during baking, and as the cookie dough bakes and sets, these bubbles become little air pockets. Adding extra starch to the dough shortens the gluten strands in the batter by breaking the gluten bonds. Additionally, potato starch has the amazing ability to absorb water and gelatinize, which helps bind the dough together without making it tough.