Swedish Princess Buns (Semlor)

Semlor is a traditional Swedish pastry that you simply must try. The base is baked yeast dough, flavored with cardamom, filled with almond paste (or marzipan) and whipped cream. Because the prepared pastry strongly resembles princesses, the buns are also called Swedish princess buns.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 120 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 15 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 12

Ingredients

Dough

  • 7 spoon Butter, unsalted

  • 240 ml Milk, whole milk

  • 1 bag Yeast, dry

  • 1 piece Egg, fresh

  • 50 g Sugar, white

  • 2 teaspoons Spices, cardamom

  • 0.5 teaspoons Salt, table

  • 500 g Wheat flour, white, multi-purpose

Filling

  • 200 g Nuts, almonds, blanched

  • 3 spoons Sugar, white

  • pieces Lemon zest, fresh

  • pieces Milk, whole milk

  • 1 piece Egg, fresh

  • 200 ml Sweet cream

  • pieces Powdered sugar

Steps

  1. In a small saucepan, slowly melt the butter over low heat. Add the milk and continue to heat on low until the mixture is warm to the touch (about 110 degrees Celsius). In a small bowl, crumble the yeast and mix it with 3 tablespoons of the warm mixture and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let it sit in a warm place for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to rise slightly.

  2. In a large bowl, mix the egg, sugar, cardamom, and salt. Add the warm milk and butter mixture and the risen yeast. Mix the ingredients well, then gradually add the flour. Stop adding flour once the dough can be formed into a ball.

  3. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it becomes smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to your hands. The dough should be slightly softer than pizza dough but should not stick to your hands or the work surface. If it sticks, add a little more flour. Shape the kneaded dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, cover with a cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.

  4. Line a low baking tray with parchment paper. Quickly knead the risen dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place it on the baking tray. Leave 5 cm of space between each ball as they will expand during baking. Cover the balls and let them rise for 30 to 45 minutes.

  5. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Brush the risen balls with beaten egg. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Once they are nicely golden brown on top, remove them from the oven, place them on the kitchen counter, and cover with a clean cloth. Let them cool.

  6. Prepare the filling by grinding almonds, sugar, and lemon zest in a food processor. Mix until you get a paste-like mixture.

  7. Once the balls have cooled, use a sharp knife to cut off the tops and remove enough baked dough to create a cavity for the filling. Crumble the removed dough into a bowl and mix it with the almond paste. Add enough milk to the mixture to create a thick and smooth filling that is not too runny. Fill the cavities with the prepared filling.

  8. Whip the sweet cream until stiff. Pipe it onto the filling using a star-shaped nozzle. Carefully place the cut-off tops on the cream. Dust the buns with powdered sugar and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 412.9 kcal
  • Fat: 19.15 g
    • Saturated Fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 48.4 g
    • Sugars: 8.76 g
  • Protein: 10.67 g
  • Fiber: 2.95 g