As everyone knows by now I am a big fan of anything Sweden related and particular fond of their baked goods as well.
My favourite cake of all time has to be princess cake (which I will dully request for every single of my birthdays going forward), I am a cinnamon and cardamon bun connoisseur and I even adore the very old fashioned dammsugare, a cake bar more favoured by old Swedish ladies than Stockholm's hipsters.
It was no surprise then that I totally fell for the seasonal semlor bun when I went on a wonderful birthday trip pre-Corona to Stockholm last year.
Semlor buns, or Lent buns, are traditionally eaten in the lead-up to and during Lent, from the beginning of January up to Shrove Tuesday "to fatten one up" before Lent.
Semlor buns, or Lent buns, are traditionally eaten in the lead-up to and during Lent, from the beginning of January up to Shrove Tuesday "to fatten one up" before Lent.
Essentially they are cream buns, flavoured with cardamon, which have a marzipan type filling, and come topped with fresh whipped cream and icing sugar.
They are rather heavenly and I managed to grab a few from my favourite Swedish bakeries in London, Bageriet and Scandinavian Kitchen, while they were "in season" but I did always find them rather doughy and heavy, I guess that's where the fattening up comes in, which is why I was so intrigued by a new foodie trend sweeping across Stockholm's cool bakeries: the cremla!
Yes, you heard it right! Following on from the now legendary cronut, a croissant + donut hybrid, the cremlar combines the much lighter and flakier texture of a croissant with the wonderful and unique fillings of a semlor bun! Even better no baking is involved and it tastes in my opinion superior to the the classic semlor!
Make sure you get a top notch fresh croissant as cremlar foundation, don't go for that gross packaged up supermarket stuff, and then it is a matter of a bit of cream whipping, almond mixture making and assembly before you've got yourself a rather stunning and incredibly yummy cremlor that you'd definitely queue for at a Hipster Scandi bakery for!
I bought the almond paste used in the recipe ready made from Scandinavian Kitchen but you can find pretty straight forward recipes like this one to make your own if you dont have a specialised shop near you.
This was a serious game changer and equally good as indulgent weekend breakfast as it was as dessert.
Mark my words, the cremlar will make global waves soon so get on it (and eating it) before everyone else, you won't regret it!
MAKES 10
INGREDIENTS
ALMOND FILLING
CREAM
FOR SERVING
Yes, you heard it right! Following on from the now legendary cronut, a croissant + donut hybrid, the cremlar combines the much lighter and flakier texture of a croissant with the wonderful and unique fillings of a semlor bun! Even better no baking is involved and it tastes in my opinion superior to the the classic semlor!
Make sure you get a top notch fresh croissant as cremlar foundation, don't go for that gross packaged up supermarket stuff, and then it is a matter of a bit of cream whipping, almond mixture making and assembly before you've got yourself a rather stunning and incredibly yummy cremlor that you'd definitely queue for at a Hipster Scandi bakery for!
I bought the almond paste used in the recipe ready made from Scandinavian Kitchen but you can find pretty straight forward recipes like this one to make your own if you dont have a specialised shop near you.
This was a serious game changer and equally good as indulgent weekend breakfast as it was as dessert.
Mark my words, the cremlar will make global waves soon so get on it (and eating it) before everyone else, you won't regret it!
MAKES 10
INGREDIENTS
- 5 large croissants (if you live in London get them from the Dusty Knuckle Bakery, seriously best croissants in town)
ALMOND FILLING
- 150 g almond paste (bought or made from scratch)
- 50 g almonds, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tsp cardamom pods, crushed
CREAM
- 200 ml double cream
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp toasted almond flakes
FOR SERVING
- Powdered sugar
METHOD
- Cut the croissants across the middle.
- Cut the ends of the croissants and reserve for later.
- Scoop out a little bit of the croissant middle to create space for your fillings
- Spoon in some of the almond filling, pipe or spoon whipped cream on top.
- Place the end bit of the croissant on top of the cream.
- Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar and repeat with the rest of your croissants!
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