Semla

5 March 2014

Happy Semla Tuesday! Whether you like sweet treats or not, you have to admit that Swedish Semlas are cute. Don’t you agree? Click below for more Semla!

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While at first, I thought that they looked like American Cream Puffs, they don’t taste like them. Instead, Semla are cream-filled cake-like buns spiced with cardamon. If you look carefully, you can just see the edge of the marzipan filling, tucked under the cream and topped with the little cake hat.

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Traditionally, Semla were only available from today through Easter. That is was how it was when I moved to Sweden — a long time ago now — but, these days, Semla are available in mini-sizes, chocolate, vanilla cream filling and I’ve even seem them made with a brioche recipe! In fact, 4 million people will eat Semla today in Sweden!

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In the past week, as we’ve been touring around Swedish Konditori, I love the crowded tables of these traditional cafes. Almost all of these Konditori have been updated with espresso machines but, otherwise — the coffee cups, the serving carafes, chandeliers, lace, faded oil paintings and worn furniture and wallpaper always make me feel for one second like I’m in an Elsa Beskow book or that if I had a Swedish “Mormor” too , her Semla would have been served and tasted just like this.
I’ve been able to snap a picture, here and there and hope you enjoy a little arm chair travel, today. Semla and sepia feel like they go hand and hand.
Something you might like:
Semla (For Semla Recipe, click here)
Swedish Holiday: Lucia 
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