Swedish Semla

Here is a Swedish Fat Tuesday treat: Semla. A sweet cardamom bun filled with almond paste and whipped cream! At home these are probably the most popular treat between Christmas and Easter. It is one of the foods I really miss living abroad. I usually make at least one batch of these every year. The buns keep well in the freezer and are then (too) easy to thaw and assemble when you need them. The old-fashioned thing to do is to serve these in a bowl of hot milk, but they are great either way!

Semla:
1/2 cup butter (I use Earth Balance)
1 cup milk (any kind will do)
2 tsp dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp cardamom
1/2 cup sugar
3-4 cups flour

4 oz almond paste
1 cup heavy cream, whipped (we like Mimiccreme)
powdered sugar

Melt butter, add milk, and heat until warm. Add the yeast, salt, cardamom, sugar, and most of the flour, and mix until the dough is somewhat firm and not too sticky. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise for at least half an hour. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll them. Alternatively you could make 24 mini buns. Cover and rise again, at least 30 minutes, a little longer is even better. Brush buns with milk, then bake at 400 F. Allow to cool completely before assembling.

Cut the tops off the buns, then scoop out about a tablespoon from the inside of each bun. Mix the scooped out crumbs well with the almond paste, adding a small amount of milk to get a smooth, but not runny filling. Distribute evenly in the hollow of the buns, then top with whipped cream. Replace the top of the buns, and dust with powdered sugar. PS. If you want to try these but don't feel like baking, IKEA has them in their restaurants this time of the year (not vegan of course).