semlor

I had a few people ask me for the recipe for these Swedish semlor, and I decided the easiest way to share would be by dusting off the old blog!

Swedish semlor are the traditional sweet buns shared on Fettisdagen (Fat Tuesday) as the last-hurrah before the forty-day Lenten season. They are typically flavored with cardamom, filled with almond paste, and topped with delicious whipped cream.

Ingredients:

Dough:

7 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 cup milk (I use 2%)

2 eggs

1/4 cups sugar

3  1/2 cups flour (496g)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 teaspoons instant yeast

2 teaspoons cardamom (I use less, but if you like cardamom...)

Filling:

2 cups blanched almonds

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 to 1 cup milk, depending on dryness of filling

Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup mascarpone cream (optional to stabilize the cream)

Directions:

In a saucepan, melt the butter; then stir in the milk. Heat until warm to the touch. 

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, yeast, and cardamom in a large bowl.

In another large bowl (I use my Kitchen-Aid bowl), whisk together 1 of the eggs and the sugar. Pour in the (not-too-hot) butter and milk mixture, and stir until well-blended. Add in the flour mixture. I let the Kitchen-Aid do the work with the dough hook for 3-5 minutes.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface, and knead for 3 minutes. Go lightly on adding flour - the dough should be moist, but not sticking to your fingers. It should come easily into a ball.

Return the dough to a greased bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel, and let it rise for an hour.

Grease a baking sheet or use a silicone baking mat. Divide the dough into 12 equal parts. Roll them into balls. Place them on the baking sheet with 2 inches in between each bun. Cover with a tea towel and let them rise 30 minutes. At this point, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and let the buns rise for 15 more minutes.

Whisk the remaining egg and brush on the tops of the dough balls. Bake 15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven. After they cool for a few minutes, cover with a tea towel.

To prepare the filling, mix the almonds, sugar, and almond extract in a food processor until the almonds are finely ground and the mixture starts to stick together. Start by adding 1/2 cup of milk into the ground almond mixture. Continue adding milk, if necessary, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until your filling has a creamy consistency.

Cut a circular lid off the top of each bun, and set aside. Cut a circle on the inside of each bun, leaving about 1/4 inch for a border, not cutting all the way through. Scoop out the cut portions with a spoon. 

Fill the buns with the filling.

For the whipped cream topping, whip (med-high speed) the cup of cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and mascarpone cream (optional) for a minute or two until stiff peaks form. Use a piping bag and tip to swirl the whipped cream over the bun. Then add the "lid" to the top! Dust with powdered sugar.

Enjoy! And let me know if you try making them!

xo

Rachel