Cardamom-scented buns hollowed out and filled with almond paste and whipped cream, traditionally eaten before Lent.
Semlor is a real, traditional Swedish dish, known as Swedish Cardamom Cream Buns. Cardamom-scented buns hollowed out and filled with almond paste and whipped cream, traditionally eaten before Lent.\n\nSemlor were originally eaten only on Fat Tuesday before Lenten fasting began, but by the 20th century Swedes had extended the tradition to the entire period from January through Easter, making it one of the most anticipated seasonal treats.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Swedish home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.
Serves 12
Mix flour, sugar, yeast, cardamom and salt, add warm milk, melted butter and egg, and knead for 8 minutes until smooth.
Cover and let rise for 1 hour until doubled.
Divide into 12 pieces, shape into tight round buns, place on a lined tray, cover, and rise again for 30 minutes.
Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 12 minutes until golden. Cool completely.
Cut a lid off the top of each bun, hollow out some of the crumb, and mash it with almond paste and a splash of milk to make a soft filling.
Spoon the almond filling back into each bun, pipe generously with whipped cream, replace the lid, and dust with powdered sugar.
Grate or grind fresh cardamom pods for a noticeably more fragrant dough than pre-ground cardamom.
Let the buns cool completely before hollowing, or the warm crumb will tear instead of scoop cleanly.
Fill with whipped cream just before serving — assembled semlor go soggy if they sit too long.
A vegan version uses coconut cream and a flax egg in the dough.
Some bakeries drizzle a bit of rosewater into the almond filling for a floral note.
Serve semlor in a bowl with warm milk poured over, an older, traditional way to eat them (hetvägg).
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.
Semlor were originally eaten only on Fat Tuesday before Lenten fasting began, but by the 20th century Swedes had extended the tradition to the entire period from January through Easter, making it one of the most anticipated seasonal treats.
Bake the plain buns a day ahead and store airtight; hollow and fill them the day you plan to serve.
Marzipan works, though it's sweeter — blend it with a little extra milk to soften it into a spreadable filling.
Check that your yeast is fresh and the milk was warm, not hot — cardamom dough can be slower to rise than plain white bread dough.
Per serving (110g / 3.9 oz) · 12 servings total
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