SEMLA DAY RECIPES

Steps:

• 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.

Steps:

• To make the starter, first, dissolve the yeast in warmed milk. Then, add the sugar and the flour and knead everything — for 5 minutes in a stand mixer or 10 minutes by hand — until you have a smooth dough. Cover with a cloth and let rest for 30 minutes until doubled in size.
• Add the ingredients listed for the second dough to the starter and knead until combined and elastic — about 15 minutes by hand or 10 minutes in a stand mixer. It’s important not to skip or speed up this step as the dough needs time to develop gluten.
• Divide the dough into 70g (2.5 oz) pieces.
• To shape into a ball, first, press on a piece of dough with the palm of your hand. Then, run in circles to get a smooth dough. Finally, cup the dough with your hand, but do not press on it, and move it in circles until you get a perfectly round shape. Then, shape the remaining pieces of dough the same way.
• Transfer the balls of dough onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, taking care that there is a lot of space between each piece of dough. Cover the tray with a cloth and leave them to rise until doubled in size.
• While the dough is resting, toast the almonds for the almond paste and the filling (200g/7 oz). Toast them in batches (they need to be arranged in a single layer) in a pan for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, constantly stirring, so they do not burn. Once golden and nutty, take them off the heat and transfer them onto a plate — do not leave them in the pan as they will continue to cook while in the pan. Leave them to cool completely.
• Take 100g/3.5 oz of toasted almonds and add them to the food processor. Grind until you have a fine powder, then add the sugar and grind until combined. While grinding, add a bit of water — two to three tablespoons or more — just until it comes together and turns into a paste.
• Coarsely chop the remaining almonds, then add them to a bowl together with the almond paste and the remaining ingredients for the filling. Mix until you get a homogenous paste. Transfer into a piping bag.
• Bake the buns in the middle of the oven at 225°C/430°F for 10-13 minutes or until golden. Transfer onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Using scissors or a knife, cut a triangle off the top of each bun. Then, scoop out the insides with a fork — the more you scoop out, the more space for the filling.
• Pipe the almond filling into each bun, then top with whipped cream. Next, place the lid on top of the whipped cream and sprinkle with powdered sugar.