They have been eaten already since January but no one can deny the lure of the semla... traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday - “Fettisdag” in Swedish (Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday in English) is a time to celebrate!

If you’re in Sweden (or anywhere in Scandinavia) you do it best with a semla. A semla or fastlagsbulle (Swedish), laskiaispulla (Finnish) or fastelavnsbolle (Danish and Norwegian) is a traditional pastry made in various forms in Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Norway, Denmark and Estonia, associated with Lent and especially Shrove Monday or Shrove Tuesday.

The name semla (plural, semlor) is a loan word from German Semmel, originally deriving from the Latin semilia, which was the name used for the finest quality wheat flour or semolina. In the southernmost part of Sweden (Skånde/Scania) and by the Swedish-speaking population in Finland, the pastries are known as “fastlagsbulle”, in Denmark and Norway they are known as “fastelavnsbolle” (“fastlagen” and “fastelavn” being the equivalent of Shrovetide). In Scanian, originally an Eastern Danish dialect, the feast is also called “fastelann”. In Finnish the pastry is known as “laskiaispulla”, in Latvian as “debeskūka”, and in Estonian as “vastlakukkel”.

King Adolf Frederick of Sweden died of digestion problems on February 12, 1771 after consuming a meal consisting of lobster, caviar, sauerkraut, smoked herring and champagne, which was topped off by “hetvägg”, the king's favorite dessert. This was the sweet chosen to represent Finland in the Café Europe initiative of the Austrian presidency of the European Union, on Europe Day 2006. Swedish private detective Ture Sventon is famous for liking semlas.

Recipe for semlas (makes 16)

2 eggs
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups warm milk (70 to 80 degrees F)
1 (.25 ounce) envelope active dry yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk, or as needed
5 ounces marzipan
2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons white sugar
confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs with butter and milk. Sprinkle yeast overtop and allow to soften for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, sift together 5 cups flour with 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and ground cardamom. Once yeast has softened, stir flour mixture into milk mixture until a soft dough forms. Cover bowl with a towel, and allow to rise in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
Sift together flour and baking powder. Stir into risen dough, then knead until smooth. Form into 16 balls (or 24 if you'd like smaller semlor) and place onto greased baking sheets. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk, 35 to 40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown and the center has firmed. Cool buns on a wire rack to room temperature.
Once cool, cut a slice about 1/2 inch thick off of the top of the bun and set aside. Scoop or cut out the center of the buns, leaving a shell about 1/2 inch thick. Tear the removed bread into small pieces and place into a bowl. Moisten the bread with milk, then mix in marzipan until smooth. Add additional milk if needed until the marzipan filling is nearly as soft as pudding.
Whip cream with 2 tablespoons sugar to stiff peaks. Fill each shell with a spoonful of marzipan filling. Pipe whipped cream on top of the filling to 1/2 inch over the top of the bun. Replace the tops onto the buns, and dust with confectioner's sugar before serving.

Semlan has a long history in Sweden. One early Swedish King supposedly died after consuming too many of the delicious pastry... Time for a Semla