Recipe for semlor with pistachio paste, lemon curd, and vanilla cream
These Shrovetide buns are inspired by the Swedish Shrovetide buns called semlor, which are basically yeast-dough buns that are baked and then filled with delicious goodies after baking. Often, a type of almond paste filling and whipped cream are added, and the whole thing is topped with a dusting of powdered sugar. It’s an easy Shrovetide bun, and you don’t risk the filling spilling out during baking as can often happen with traditional Danish Shrovetide buns.
Semlor can be made in many variations; for example, the classic almond paste filling can be flavored, and you can add several elements to the filling if you like.
In the version I made here, I used a pistachio variant of the almond paste filling and added vanilla and powdered sugar to my whipped cream, as I’m not particularly fond of the taste of plain whipped cream.
Additionally, I included a tangy lemon curd to counterbalance all the sweetness. The result is a truly delightful Shrovetide bun with a perfect mix of sweet and tangy, so it doesn’t feel too heavy.
The dough for the buns is easy to make, and there is plenty of time to focus on the filling while it rises. Once the buns have cooled, simply cut off the top, fill the bottom with treats, put the top back on, and dust with powdered sugar – then they’re ready to be served.
Semlor with pistachio paste, lemon curd, and vanilla cream
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- Deciliter Measure
- Pot
- Bowl
- Mini Choppers
- Whisk
- Baking Tray
- Baking Paper
- Oven
- Brush
- Bread Knife
- Piping Bag
Ingredients
Dough
- 75 gram Butter
- 25 gram Yeast
- 250 gram Milk
- 75 gram Sugar
- 2 gram Cardamom ground
- 1 pinch Salt fine
- 425 gram Wheat Flour about
Pistachio Remonce
- 50 gram Pistachio Nuts
- 50 gram Marzipan
- 50 gram Cane Sugar
- 50 gram Butter soft
Lemon Curd
- 100 gram Lemon Juice
- 2 pcs. Egg
- 100 gram Sugar
- 2 gram Lemon Zest grated
- 25 gram Butter
Vanilla Whipped Cream
- 200 gram Cream
- 16 gram Powdered Sugar
- 4 gram Vanilla Sugar
Instructions
Dough
- Melt the butter over low heat and pour it into a bowl.
- Stir in 1 1/2 dl of the milk and dissolve the yeast in the warm mixture.
- Add the rest of the milk, as well as sugar, cardamom, and salt.
- Add the flour and mix well to form a fairly firm dough, knead it on a floured surface until smooth and elastic.
- Let rise for 1 hour. While it rises, prepare the filling:
Pistachio paste
- Blend the pistachios into a coarse flour and then mix all the ingredients well into a cohesive mass.
Lemon curd
- Put lemon juice, eggs, sugar, and lemon zest in a small pot and heat gently over low heat, stirring constantly. After a few minutes, the curd will begin to thicken. Add the butter and continue whisking until the cream reaches your desired consistency. Remove from heat.
Vanilla whipped cream
- Whip all ingredients together into a fluffy whipped cream.
Back to the dough
- Shape into 10 buns and place on a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Brush with milk and bake for about 12 minutes until they are nicely golden.
- Remove and let cool.
Assembling the buns
- Cut a lid off each bun and first put a layer of pistachio paste and then a layer of lemon curd in each.
- Put the whipped cream in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a layer onto each bun.
- Place the lid on top and dust with powdered sugar – serve.
Notes
