Semlor (

SWEDEN

Ahh, go on: it’s only Fat Tuesday once a year, eh?

Every year on Shrove Tuesday, we gorge ourselves on cardamom buns stuffed with whipped cream and

marzipan. Some people eat the

and eat them with a spoon.

However, you eat yours, we recommend you allow yourself at l

worth the experience, even if you have no intention of denying yourself anything in the forty days

thereafter.

Makes 20 buns

The buns 50 g fresh yeast (1 packet) 175 g butter 500 ml whole milk 140g caster sugar 3 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp salt 900g-1000g of plain bread flour (ideally with high protein content) Filling 200 g mandelmassa (50% almond, 50% sugar 200 ml ‘marsan’ or a good quality crème patisserie300 ml whipping cream 1 egg, for brushing Icing sugar, to dust

• Melt the butter and leave to cool.

• Warm the milk to between 37-42 degrees Celsius (optimal degrees when using fresh yeast). Add the yeast and milk into a bowl and mix until yeast has dissolved. Add the melted butter.

• Add sugar, salt, cardamom to the mixture, then start to work in the flour. As with all yeast baking: never add the flour all at once. Add and mix until you have a firm, but sticky, dough. If you add twill be dry and they will not rise properly.

• Once you reach a firm but still sticky consistency, keep kneading/mixing for about 10 minutes (ideally with a mixer, dough hook attached, for best result), then leave the dough to rest

• Once the dough has risen, add enough flour to give you a workable smooth doughsized pieces and roll to smooth into buns. Pleasefor at least a further 30 minutes, ideally longer. Again, they should double in size.

• Brush the buns with egg, then bake in a hot oven (210

• Remove from oven and onto a baking rack. Cover thwhile they cool down.

To assemble the Semla bun:

Cut the top off the bun, about 2 cm from the top. Reserve the lids. Hollow out abo

“inside bits” into a bowl. To this bowl, add 200g gram of Mandelmassa

quality crème patisserie. Mix really well into a paste

Whip the cream to a firm consistency then pipe

with icing sugar. Serve. Close your eyes, enjoy, and do not think about calories.

TIP: Some people prefer a more “airy” bun. You can add a teaspoon of baking powder to the

if you want the buns to feel less heavy.

Semlor (Scandinavian Lenten buns)

Ahh, go on: it’s only Fat Tuesday once a year, eh?

Every year on Shrove Tuesday, we gorge ourselves on cardamom buns stuffed with whipped cream and

marzipan. Some people eat them as they are, some like to put them in a bowl and pour warm milk on top

and eat them with a spoon.

However, you eat yours, we recommend you allow yourself at least one of these before Lent

worth the experience, even if you have no intention of denying yourself anything in the forty days

buns

000g of plain bread flour (ideally with high protein content)

0% almond, 50% sugar – less can also be used if you cannot get hold of this good quality stuffor a good quality crème patisserie (ready bought is fine)

42 degrees Celsius (optimal degrees when using fresh yeast). Add the yeast until yeast has dissolved. Add the melted butter.

Add sugar, salt, cardamom to the mixture, then start to work in the flour. As with all yeast baking: never add the flour all at once. Add and mix until you have a firm, but sticky, dough. If you add too much flour, the buns will be dry and they will not rise properly.

Once you reach a firm but still sticky consistency, keep kneading/mixing for about 10 minutes (ideally with a mixer, dough hook attached, for best result), then leave the dough to rest until doubled in size

Once the dough has risen, add enough flour to give you a workable smooth dough, then cut into 20 equal smooth into buns. Please on a baking tray, cover with a damp tea

for at least a further 30 minutes, ideally longer. Again, they should double in size.

Brush the buns with egg, then bake in a hot oven (210-220 degrees) for about 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and onto a baking rack. Cover the buns with a tea towel to prevent them from drying out

from the top. Reserve the lids. Hollow out about 1/3 of t

o this bowl, add 200g gram of Mandelmassa and a good 200 ml a

Mix really well into a paste then fill each of the semla holes with the mixture.

then pipe it all around the top – and place the “lid” gently back on the cake.

with icing sugar. Serve. Close your eyes, enjoy, and do not think about calories.

bun. You can add a teaspoon of baking powder to the flour before you mix it in

Every year on Shrove Tuesday, we gorge ourselves on cardamom buns stuffed with whipped cream and

some like to put them in a bowl and pour warm milk on top

east one of these before Lent. They are

worth the experience, even if you have no intention of denying yourself anything in the forty days

less can also be used if you cannot get hold of this good quality stuff)

42 degrees Celsius (optimal degrees when using fresh yeast). Add the yeast

Add sugar, salt, cardamom to the mixture, then start to work in the flour. As with all yeast baking: never add oo much flour, the buns

Once you reach a firm but still sticky consistency, keep kneading/mixing for about 10 minutes (ideally with a until doubled in size (30 minutes).

, then cut into 20 equal a damp tea-towel and let rise

220 degrees) for about 10 minutes.

e buns with a tea towel to prevent them from drying out

ut 1/3 of the bun and place the

good ready-made high

ill each of the semla holes with the mixture.

back on the cake. Dust

flour before you mix it in