Swedish Semla (Semlor) – Almond and Cream-Filled Cardamom Buns
(from Bridget Edwards, bakeat350.net)
A traditional Fat Tuesday treat in Sweden, Semla is a soft cardamom bun filled with almond paste and whipped cream. The buns (semlor) are dusted with a flurry of powdered sugar.
YIELD: 12-16 buns
PREP TIME: 35 minutes
INACTIVE RISE TIME: 1 hour 45 minutes
BAKE TIME: 20 minutes
For the buns:
4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, room temperature
For the egg wash:
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
For the almond cream:
7 ounces almond paste, chopped
bread crumbs from buns
4 tablespoons whole milk
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch kosher or fine sea salt
For the whipped cream:
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar + more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make the buns: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the flour, sugar, yeast, cardamom, and salt. In another bowl, whisk milk with melted butter and eggs. Add milk mixture to the flour and mix until combined. Switch to the dough hook attachment and mix on medium until the dough is soft, smooth, and pulls away from sides of the bowl. The dough will be sticky.
Scoop dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover lightly with a piece of plastic wrap. Let rise for 1 hour. The dough will have puffed but not necessarily doubled in size.
Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350.
Gently punch down the dough and place on a scale to weigh. Divide weight by 12 or 16, depending on the number of buns desired. Portion the dough and shape into balls. Place on cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart.
[NOTE: without a scale, eyeball the dough portions by dividing as evenly as possible. Start by dividing dough into half, then quarters.]
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes. After rising, whisk the egg and water together, then brush the egg wash over the buns.
Bake for 20 minutes (for 12 buns), or until the buns are puffed and deeply golden. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.
Make the almond filling: Place chopped almond paste in a bowl. Cut the tops off the cooled buns. Hollow out a bit of each bun, leaving a cavity in the center but plenty of bread around the edges. Add torn bread pieces to the almond paste.
Beat almond paste and bread, then add milk, powdered sugar, and extracts. Mix until creamy. The almond paste should be spoonable but not runny. Adjust as needed with milk or powdered sugar.
Spoon almond cream into centers of buns.
Make whipped cream: Place a metal bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 minutes. Remove bowl and pour in cream. Whip until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue whipping just until stiff peaks form.
Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe the whipped cream over the almond paste to the edge of the buns. Top with lids and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
Buns and almond paste may be made ahead. Store buns at room temperature in a ziptop bag. Cover almond cream with a piece of plastic wrap pressed on top and refrigerate.
Make whipped cream and assemble just before serving.
