Semlor or semla (singular) is one of the most traditional sweets in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Estonia. It is a cardamom bun filled with almond cream and cream . In my case, I have opted for cream and mascarpone , since for my taste, in addition to having a better texture and body, it is much richer.
Although these delicious buns need to rest and rise for several hours, they are not difficult at all. They are very easy to make , and if you have a Kitchenaid mixer , the job is done, it will take care of kneading it for 15 minutes and the only thing you will have to be patient with its resting time.
As is logical with this type of dough, it is best to eat them the same day in order to enjoy the semla at its best, freshly baked. However, as the days go by, they will no longer be as tender as the first day, which is why in Sweden they have a “trick” for leftover buns: serve them in a bowl of hot milk and eat it by the spoonful. What do you think?
Ingredients (10 units)
- 450 g sifted strong flour
- 70 g of sugar
- 1 L egg + 1 S for brushing
- 70 g melted butter
- 200 ml. whole milk
- 15 g fresh bakery yeast
- 5 g of flaked salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom
- Icing sugar for sprinkling
- 125 g ground almonds
- 60 ml of whole milk
- Powdered sugar
- 250 g of very cold mascarpone
- 120 ml of cold whipping cream, minimum 35% fat
- 60 g icing sugar
Preparation
Preparation of the bun:
- We melt the butter in the hot milk, and once it is warm, we add the fresh yeast until it melts.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the Kitchenaid bowl along with the milk mixture and knead for 15 minutes with the hook attachment.
- We let it ferment for 2 hours in a container greased with oil and covered with film.
- Once it has fermented and doubled in size, divide the dough into portions of about 80 g each. Shape the buns and place them on a tray lined with a silicone mat, or alternatively, greaseproof paper. Leave to ferment for another 2 hours covered with greaseproof cling film.
- Preheat the oven to 220ºC. Brush each bun with beaten egg and bake for 12 minutes until golden brown.
Preparation of mascarpone cream:
In the KitchenAid bowl fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the mascarpone with the icing sugar. Add the cream and beat until it forms a stiff, consistent cream.
Almond paste preparation:
Mix all the ingredients until you get a homogeneous paste.
Assembly of the stuffed bun:
Finally, once they have cooled, cut the top into a triangular shape, empty a little of the inside, and fill with almond paste and mascarpone cream. To do this, you can use a pastry bag fitted with a nozzle or simply spoon it on top. To finish, place the top on top and sprinkle with icing sugar.
And voila! Enjoy!
