Fastelavn and fastelavnsboller
February in Scandinavia is the season of Fastelavn, fastelavnsboller, and in Sweden, semlor. In Denmark, this holiday is similar to Carnival and involves children dressing up in costumes and hitting barrels filled with candy. Traditions vary across the Scandinavian countries, and the holiday has its roots in the religious celebration of Lent. You can read more about the holiday’s history here.
During this holiday, Scandinavians also eat a lot of fastelavnsboller. In Denmark, the traditional version is a delicious sweet cardamom bun filled with pastry cream and topped with chocolate. You can find the link to our recipe for traditional Danish fastelavnsboller here.
Over time, fastelavnsboller have grown in popularity, and there are hundreds of variations out there. They are made with different types of dough, unique flavors, and a variety of components. Check out any bakery in Scandinavia at this time of year, and you’ll find fastelavnsboller galore. Where did the buns originate? Good question! We have a blog post all about the history of fastelavnsboller – definitely check it out if you’re interested.
While in Denmark you’ll find fastelavnsboller, in Sweden, you’ll find semlor! That brings us to today’s semlor recipe, which is ideal if you love cardamom, almonds, and whipped cream.
What are semlor?
Of course, traditions vary between Scandinavian countries, and today’s semlor recipe is for the delicious Swedish Lenten bun. The base is a soft and sweet cardamom bun with the top cut off. The bottom is then filled with almond paste, then with whipped cream. Finally, the top of the bun is placed on the very top and a sprinkle of powdered sugar completes the iconic look. It’s a beautiful and absolutely delicious dessert!
Semlor are eaten throughout February in the lead-up to Lent, and especially on Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday. In Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia, they are only sold during this period. Many bakeries will do a lot of variations, and people really enjoy trying different kinds of semlor or fastelavnsboller throughout February.
Unfortunately, we aren’t typically in Scandinavia during the lead-up to Fat Tuesday, so we tend to miss out on this very fun period of eating and enjoying new bakery creations. However, that’s just an excuse to whip up some creative ideas in our own kitchens! We’ve developed a lot of fastelavnsbolle recipes so far, including raspberry choux pastry ones, a double chocolate version, and a supremely delicious salted caramel and hazelnut bun made with Danish pastry dough. Read on to learn how you can make semlor at home and enjoy them. You can even pretend you’re in a bakery in snowy Sweden if you like!
Semlor ingredients you’ll need
These buns are made up of three main components: the buns, the filling, and the whipped cream topping. For the dough, you’ll need milk, yeast, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, cardamom, salt, flour, and softened butter. The filling consists of marzipan and softened butter, while the whipped cream topping is simply a combination of heavy cream, vanilla, and a little bit of sugar.
This semlor recipe is also reasonably adaptable. You can make plant-based substitutions wherever necessary, and replace the eggs with additional plant-based milk if you’re vegan, and they should still turn out very delicious!
How to make this semlor recipe
The recipe itself may look intimidating, but it is just a lot of components that are actually quite simple to make! The buns are made with a yeasted dough that you first must knead until it comes together in a really nice and soft ball. This then needs some time to rise before you shape the buns and let them rise a second time. Since you’re probably making these mid-winter, make sure to give them enough time to rise. They could take double the time we give in the recipe if they aren’t in a warm place!
Bake and let them cool while you mix together your filling ingredients and whip up the whipped cream. The rest is just assembly! Cut off the top of the bun and remove a little bit of the center. Fill it with the almond filling, pipe some whipped cream on top, and put the top of the bun back on like a little hat! And then you get to enjoy the lovely final product. Please let us know below if you try out this recipe – enjoy!
Semlor (Swedish Lenten Buns)
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 150 ml (2/3 cup) milk
- 2 tsp instant yeast (2.25 tsp active dry yeast, 17.5 fresh yeast)
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 375 grams (3 cups) all-purpose or bread flour
- 57 grams (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg for egg wash
FILLING
- 250 grams marzipan (can also be store-bought!)
- 57 grams (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 240 ml (1 cup) heavy cream
- Splash of vanilla extract
- 2 tsp sugar
Instructions
- If using active dry yeast – Heat up the milk, either in the microwave or in a saucepan, until it is “fingervarm” (finger warm), meaning it should feel warm to the touch but not hot. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Let it rest 5-10 minutes until it begins to froth and bubble a little bit. If using instant yeast – just add the yeast and milk to a bowl.
- Add the egg, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla extract, cardamom, and salt (and milk and instant yeast if using it) to a large bowl. Mix well.
- If you’re using active dry yeast, once the yeast has bubbled up, add the milk and yeast mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
- Slowly add the flour and the softened butter, stirring with a wooden spoon. Once the dough starts to come together, you can start kneading.
- Knead until smooth and elastic, probably around 10-15 minutes. Add a bit of flour if the dough sticks to your hands or the surface. If you prefer not to get your hands messy, feel free to use a stand mixer for this step. The texture of your dough before its first rise should be soft and smooth, not sticky and not too dry.
- Cover and let your dough rise for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, dump it out on a flat surface. Divide into 12 equal pieces, and shape into buns. How to: take a piece, pinch together into a ball shape, then cup it in your hand with the top of the roll touching your palm. Place your hand on an unfloured surface with the seam touching the table. Move your cupped hand in quick, tight circles – this will cause the seam to come together and create tension on the surface of the dough.
- Let the buns rise for about 45 minutes or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C).
- Once the buns have risen, egg wash the buns and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow sounding.
- Let the buns cool completely. While they are cooling, prepare your filling by mixing together marzipan and softened butter to make a paste (it helps if your marzipan is on the softer side!). Whip the heavy cream using a stand mixer, a handheld mixer, or a whisk, and add sugar and vanilla extract. Whip until it reaches stiff peaks.
- To fill the semlor, cut off the top of the bun and remove some of the center.
- Fill the center of the bun with about a tablespoon of marzipan filling.
- Fill a piping bag with a star nozzle with the whipped cream mixture, then pipe whipped cream in a circle on the top. Add back the top of the bun, and enjoy!
