Semlor

About This Recipe

Semlor (singular semla) are Sweden's most anticipated seasonal treat — soft cardamom-scented buns, their tops sliced off, the interior scooped out and mixed with almond paste and whipped cream before being piled back in with the lid on top and dusted with icing sugar. They are eaten on Fettisdagen (Fat Tuesday) but Swedish bakeries sell them from January to Easter. Historically, eating too many was blamed for the death of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 500 gplain flour
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 200 mlwarm milk
• 80 gsugar
• 80 gbutter(softened)
• 1egg
• 1.5 tspground cardamom
• 0.5 tspsalt
• 150 gmarzipan or almond paste
• 100 mlmilk(for almond filling)
• 300 mldouble cream(whipped to firm peaks)
• 2 tbspicing sugar(to dust)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make dough

   Combine flour, yeast, sugar, cardamom and salt. Mix in warm milk, egg and butter. Knead 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and rise 1.5 hours.

2. 2

   Shape and bake

   Divide into 8 balls. Place on lined trays. Prove 30 minutes. Brush with egg wash. Bake at 200°C for 12–15 minutes until golden. Cool completely.

3. 3

   Prepare buns

   Cut a lid off each bun at an angle. Scoop out interior breadcrumbs into a bowl.

4. 4

   Make almond filling

   Mix scooped breadcrumbs with grated marzipan and milk until you have a thick, moist paste. Spoon back into hollow buns.

5. 5

   Fill with cream

   Pipe or spoon whipped cream generously over the almond filling. Replace the lid. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Some regions in Sweden eat semlor in a bowl of hot milk (hetvägg style).

• •

  Use pistachio paste instead of almond for a modern variation.

Storage

Best eaten within 2 hours of filling. Unfilled buns keep in an airtight container for 2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions