Make Chef Frida Johansson's Semla, Improve Your Life Immediately

Sweden’s “Ambassador of Cuisine” shares her recipe for Semla, a Swedish pastry

By Chef Frida Johansson | Chef of the Swedish Embassy

I like to put a special touch on everything I make, and this is my take on our most popular pastry that for a few hundred years has been traditionally served around Lent. But semla (or semlor for plural) became such a beloved treat in our country, that over time “Semla Season”. has gotten longer and longer. In Sweden, you will see bakeries start filling their shelves with semla beginning around Christmas right through Easter. But you can easily make them at home, and I guarantee you will love it. These little buns pack so much flavor with cardamom, sweet almonds and cream, that you soon become a semla addict too. It’s interesting to note that our cuisine in Sweden has been strongly influenced by international trade for centuries, so that is why you will see spices from the Silk Road and Asia in our food like saffron, cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon.

Frida’s Semla Recipe

Makes 14 Buns

Ingredients

Pre-Dough
200 g milk
25 g fresh yeast (or 13 g dry active yeast)
260 g AP flour

Dough
3 g salt 90 g granulated sugar
170 g AP flour
1 egg
5 g cardamom (preferably freshly ground seeds)
110 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

Almond filling
510 g almond paste
60 g ground almonds or almond flour
80 g slivered almonds chopped
5 g cardamom (preferably freshly ground seeds)
20 g vanilla sugar (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
100 g confectionary sugar
160 g whole milk

Whipped Cream
1 quart heavy whipping cream (tip and pastry bag needed for decor)
Powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Pre-Dough

Warm milk to lukewarm temperature. Crumble yeast in a bowl and pour the lukewarm milk over, whisk to dissolve yeast. Add the flour and mix (preferably in Kitchen Aid with dough hook attachment) until pre-dough comes together. Let it rest covered by a cloth for about 15 minutes. Measure and set out ingredients for dough.

Dough

After the pre-dough has proofed, add the pre-prepared ingredients listed in the “dough” section: salt, sugar, cardamom, flour, egg and butter (don’t forget that the butter should be room temperature!). Start by kneading at low speed to allow ingredients to mix. Once ingredients start coming together mix at medium speed for approximately 6 minutes until the dough is smooth, glossy, and starts to release from the sides of the bowl. If you are mixing by hand, consider this recipe to be your cardio for the day!

Once you have a smooth and glossy dough, turn dough out onto table. Divide the dough into 14 equal pieces (about 60 grams each) and form into round balls applying pressure using palm of hand in a circular movement. Place on baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the buns with a cloth, and let rise in room temperature until doubled in size, at least 1.5 to 2 hours.

Almond Filling

Preheat oven to 410˚ and while the dough rests, prepare the filling. Toast almond flour and slivered almonds separately until they have a nice and golden color. Let cool completely. Roughly chop the slivered almonds.

Finely shred almond paste. Mix shredded almond paste, toasted almond flour and roughly chopped almonds with confectionary sugar, vanilla sugar in a mixer using a wing attachment or by hand. Add the milk gradually until the filling is completely combined. Set aside.

Bake the buns for 10-13 minutes or until they are golden brown, make sure to turn tray half way through baking. Let cool on a baking tray before transferring to a cooling rack.

While the buns cool, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Transfer to a piping bag.

Assembly

Use a scissor to cut out a triangle shape at the top of bun or cut off the top with a serrated knife. Lightly hollow out the inside of bun for the almond filling. Fill bun with almond filling, and pipe the heavy whipped cream on top. Place the bread “lid” on top of cream. Using a sifter or a fine strainer, dust with confectionary sugar. Time to enjoy!

Chef’s Note: Cardamom seeds can be found in specialty food stores that feature Middle Eastern products or ordered on Amazon.