Swedish Almond Filled Buns — Semlor

Think of Semlor as denser, bigger, almond filled cream puffs. Oh yea, there’s no wonder Swedes eat 20 million of these a year.

Semlor (singular: semla) are small buns filled with almond paste and whipped cream and are a staple in Swedish bakeries. Traditionally Swedes ate semlor every Tuesday between Shrove Tuesday and Easter. Now most bakeries start stocking their windows with semlor in the early months of the year.

The semla starts with its base: a rich yeast dough which is almost reminiscent of Easter bread. Then once cooled, slice the top and pop out a tiny bit of the bun to allow room for the filling. Go in with some almond paste. It can usually be found in the baking aisle of your grocery store, usually in a box or tube, or you can get it online here.

Top it with whipped cream and the little bun hat and you’ve got yourself a fantastic treat to enjoy.

Swedish Semla

Contributor: Lyndsay Burginger

Think of Semlor as denser, bigger, almond filled cream puffs. Oh yea, there’s no wonder Swedes eat 20 million of these a year.

• Author: Lyndsay Burginger
• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 4 dozen semlor 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baked
• Cuisine: Swedish

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Ingredients

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• 1 and ¼ cup milk, warmed
• 2 Tbsp. instant dried yeast
• 2 eggs, divided
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 5 oz. almond paste
• 1 and ½ cups heavy whipping cream, whipped

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Instructions

1. In small bowl combine warm milk and yeast. Stir until the yeast is dissolved and begins to bubble, about 5 minutes.
2. Add one egg and stir. Mix in the salt, sugar, and flour. Add in butter. Using a dough hook or your hands, form the dough and knead until the dough holds its shape, around 10 minutes. Cover the dough with a moist towel and let proof until doubled in size, around 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 475ºF
4. Shape the dough into 48 round buns and place on baking trays lined with parchment paper. Let rise until doubled, about 15 minutes.
5. In a small bowl beat one egg with water. Brush on buns and bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Cool completely.
6. Cut a lid off each bun and scrape out a hole in the bun. Fill with a teaspoon of almond paste. Spoon whipped cream on top, topping with the bun lids.