In 2023, Adrianna Stefanko of Fitzwilliam was looking for interaction. As the isolation of the COVID pandemic began to recede, she wanted to get people together again.

For Stefanko’s family, that meant getting together for coffee — not unusual, considering Stefanko’s heritage is from Finland, the world’s largest consumer of coffee per capita.

But an elaborate coffee hour, with all the fixings of a banquet table, was usually reserved for big gatherings and holidays.

“It’s something these days reserved for weddings, anniversaries, funerals, things like that. I knew I wanted to do something to share and come together, as well as teach people about Finnish food and traditions. After lockdown, everyone was starving for it,” Stefanko said.

What began as a gathering in Fitzwilliam has evolved into a traveling quarterly event, stopping in Troy, Rindge, New Ipswich, and across the Massachusetts border in Winchendon and Ashby. On Saturday, Nov. 14, the event returns to Peterborough for a second visit, hosting the Fall Finnish Coffee Table at Union Congregational Church from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Stefanko launched the effort by baking loaves of nisu — a traditional sweet, braided yeast bread flavored with ground cardamom.

But a traditional Finnish coffee table calls for “seitsemän sorttia” or “seven sorts” — at least seven different sweet and savory baked goods to serve with the coffee.

At the start, Stefanko baked the bread and bought several of the other baked goods. Now, volunteers who have come to past coffee hours, who have their own Finnish recipes or pull from Finnish cookbooks, fill out the rest of the table with the traditional selection of cookies and an iced and uniced cake.

Regular contributors include Nancy Raitto, Melinda and Sean McGarry, Cassandra Smith, Kathy Tourigny, and Carolyn Edwards, former owner of Sunflowers Cafe in Jaffrey, who bakes fruit and custard tarts. For Saturday’s table, Smith is preparing an apple-cinnamon bundt cake and a seasonal pumpkin cake with maple buttercream. Christina Hogel manages setup while Louanne Deyo crafts seasonal floral arrangements.

“My bakers are always asking, ‘What can I make?’ They’re willing to try new recipes and pull from Finnish cookbooks, but there’s also the occasional chocolate chip cookie,” said Stefanko. “We want everyone to have something new to try, but also have something they’re familiar with.”

Stefanko said some Finnish recipes are understated but still tasty, such as a common cookie on her banquet table: the “cut cookie” or “sliced cookie,” which looks plain but has a warm, caramel-like flavor.

Over the past three years, the volunteer group has helped organize 14 coffee hours. The events have also expanded to feature regional cultural performers.

The Revontulet Dancers — an ensemble from the Fitchburg, Massachusetts, area named after the Finnish word for the northern lights (“fox fires”) — perform folk routines in traditional attire, while Boston-based folk trio Oivan Ilo (“Oiva’s Joy”) plays traditional Finnish accordion and dance tunes.

“The food is important, but the music and dance help relax people, fill the room a bit, and bring the whole thing alive,” said Stefanko. “The whole thing is a lovely experience.”

Admission to Saturday’s event at 33 Concord St. is free, with donations accepted at the door to offset ingredient and operational costs.

Finnish Cut Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons dark syrup (Dan Sukker “Tumma Siirappi, can be purchased online)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla sugar (if not using vanilla extract) until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla (if didn’t use vanilla sugar), egg yolk, and syrup until well mixed.
  3. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add gradually to the butter mixture and beat until well blended. Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate about 20 to 25 minutes or until firm enough to divide into 6 equal parts to roll into logs.
  4. Roll each part into a log about 9 inches long. Transfer logs to prepared baking sheets, three per sheet (two logs vertical and one horizontal). Use three baking sheets with two logs per sheet if your pans are not very large. Keep the logs fairly far apart as they will spread.
  5. Bake the logs for about 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on stovetop. If the logs touched during baking, use a long, sharp knife to gently push them back into shape, keeping them oval.
  6. While still warm, use a long, sharp knife to cut the logs into diagonal slices about an inch apart. After cutting, remove to wire racks to cool completely.