Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Happy Fat Tuesday!

If you haven't indulged in a few semlor yet, nows the time! When I was searching for some semlor pictures I came across this Swedish bar and grill in London called Fika. That is their lovely photo of a semla bun. If you live in London you should probably go there and try their herring, cream cheese and cucumber breakfast waffle - it sounds delish.

Back to semlor. If you don't know what semlor are they are a cardamom flavored bun with almond paste and whipped cream inside and on top. Some Swedes eat their semlor bun in a bowl of milk. I've never tried that but I'm sure it's delicious. They're sooo good.

This is one of those days were I especially wish my apartment had an oven so I could whip up a batch. Alas, I can't. But maybe you can, so here's a recipe!

Semlor Recipe

25 grams fresh yeast
75 grams butter
200 ml milk
2 eggs
1 tsp salg
1 tsp ground cardamom (I usually use more than in the recipe)
500 ml sugar
700 ml flour
2 tsps baking powder

Filling:
marizipan
approx 500 ml whipping cream
powdered sugar for dusting

Melt butter and add the milk. Activate the yeast and once mixture is cool enough add the yeast to the milk and butter. Add the salt, cardamom, 1 egg, sugar and 600 ml of the flour. Knead until mixture is worked into a smooth dough. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Mix the baking powder and remaining flour together and knead into the dough. Cut dough into 12 pieces and roll into buns. Place buns on a cookie sheet and let them rise for 35-45 minutes. Beat the remaining egg and brush the tops.

Heat oven to 400 F and bake for 10 minutes, remove and cover with a cloth and let cool. Once cool cut out a small hole in each bun. Put some marzipan in the hole and then add whipped cream. Replace the "top" to the bun and dust with powdered sugar.



8 comments:

  1. This sounds soooooo good! Now where do you buy Marzipan? And how do measure in ml and grams? Are the grams on the butter package? Would love to make these for my book club sometime!

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  2. I love to use strawberry jam instead of marzipan in my semlor. In Finland we joke either you're in "camp jam" or "camp almond paste" but personally I like to choose both :)

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  3. Lisa - 75 grams of butter is 1/2 c. You can usually find Marzipan at a semi-large grocery store or at a specialty shop. I've always been able to find it at the local grocery store in Grand Rapids! If you can't find it I found a recipe here: http://candy.about.com/od/nougatmarzipancandy/r/Basicmarzipan.htm
    It actually sounds pretty fun to try to make it homemade! As for ml, if you have a pyrex measuring cup ml is also on there. If not, you can either google search the equiv. or buy ml measuring cups at bed bath & beyond. Good luck!

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  4. Keijukainen - I've never tried them with jam before, what an ingenious idea! I would definitely fall into the "camp both" category. :)

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  5. haha, this is so funny, I've just prepared a post about stuff that you can make in a kitchen with no oven... i don't have one either! maybe there's a way you can make them in a frying pan? I think i'd love to find out, they sound delicious!

    if you'd like, here's the stylish blogger award for you!
    http://theshinybubble.blogspot.com/2011/03/im-so-proud-that-rachael-from-squiggly.html
    love
    yaga

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  6. Wow, thanks yaga! And great idea about trying these in a frying pan...I bet they could even be steamed?? I think they would have a little different taste but I'm sure they'd still be delicious!

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  7. Oh man they look wonderful, I cannot even imagine what that would taste like!

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  8. Those look so yummy. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I have a sweet treat linky party going on at my blog and I'd like to invite you to stop by and link your semlor up. http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/2011/03/sweets-for-saturday-8.html

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