When Lent is near, the time for indulgence is here! Shannon Källåker of Lemon and Sage Market helps us prep for Fat Tuesday with a Swede-infused recipe for the traditional Mardi Gras, Semlor.
She shared with us the following: "Since next Tuesday, February 25, 2020, is Fat Tuesday, we'll be making Semlor--cardamom buns filled with marzipan and cream and topped with powdered sugar. You guessed it, this is another Scandinavian treat! This one was traditionally enjoyed the day before the beginning of Lent, otherwise known as Fat Tuesday, but is now readily available shortly after Christmas and up until Easter.
This recipe is for 'mini' semlor. Traditional buns are much larger. Sometimes they are served in a bowl of warm milk, but most people eat them with a cup of coffee (or hot chocolate for some of us). We start with a very basic, mildly sweet dough and add freshly crushed cardamom to it. Once the buns have been baked and cooled, you cut off the top, dig out the middle, mix it with marzipan, and put it back in. Top that with fresh, whipped cream, replace the "lid", and dust with powdered sugar. Yum! Watch out, you'll probably end up with powdered sugar on your nose!"
BONUS: Everyone who signs up for their first Dinner Crafts session today, February 20, 2020, and mentions Fox13's The Place in the comment box will get $10 off! Just visit their website.
SEMLOR RECIPE
Buns (Bullar)
1 tsp whole cardamom
1 cup milk
4 T butter
1 T yeast
1 egg
3 T + 1 tsp granulated sugar
¼ tsp salt
3 ½-4 cups flour
Crush cardamom and set aside. Put yeast in a mixing bowl.
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add milk and warm to finger warm (37 C). Pour over yeast and stir to dissolve. Mix in cardamom, egg, sugar, and salt. Add most of the flour. Knead dough for about 5 minutes. Let rise, covered, for 40 minutes.
Knead dough on a floured surface. Add remaining flour as needed. Divide into 14 pieces. Form each piece into a smooth, round ball and lay on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Let rise, covered, for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 F.
Whisk an egg to brush on buns before baking. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 6 minutes. Allow buns to cool.
Insides of the buns (Filling for 14 buns)
150 grams grated marzipan or almond paste
3-4 T cream (or milk)
Garnish for 14 buns
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Powdered sugar
Cut the top off the buns you are going to use. Dig out a little of the insides. Shred marzipan and mix with the 'insides' you just dug out and the cream/milk. Put the filling inside the buns.
Whip the cream until it is thick. (You may add a little vanilla and sugar, but not too much.) Put a generous dollop on top of the filling in the bun. Put the 'lid' on and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Tip: Freeze the buns you don't use right away to save them for later. Semlor should be filled when you're ready to serve them.
