Semla
Semla (plural: semlor ), fastlagsbulle , fettisdagsbulle or hetvägg is a traditional pastry with filling for Lent in Sweden , Finland (there under the name laskiaispulla ) and Estonia (there under the name vastlakukkel ) (see also Laskiainen ). Originally it was a hot wake .
The term semla is related to the German word Semmel , as this pastry was initially offered without a filling.
Traditionally, semlor was served in a deep plate with hot milk, which was sometimes seasoned with a pinch of salt to counteract the sweet basic taste. In some parts of Sweden, cinnamon was also sprinkled over the pastry. In the second half of the 20th century, the semla was increasingly regarded as an ordinary pastry and was eaten without milk. Today some cafes in the bigger cities are starting to serve the semla again in the original way.
Manufacturing
In Sweden, the semla usually consists of a sweetened yeast dough ball , which is often seasoned with cardamom . After baking, a lid is cut from the ball and a hole is made in the remaining pastry. Thereafter filling the hole with almond Massa (a marzipan -like composition ) and plenty of whipped cream. Finally, the lid, sprinkled with powdered sugar, is put back on. In Finland, jam is often used instead of almond massa.
history
Semlor were initially only made on Shrove Tuesday . When the church tradition of fasting waned, this pastry was served every Tuesday during Lent . Meanwhile there is semlor from Christmas to the Easter holidays.