In Due Season

February is a strange month. Sometimes it brings a taste of spring, sometimes a return to winter with a vengeance. Today it is cold– almost colder than it’s been all winter– but the sun is shining fiercely, and somewhere nearby, birds are singing. Have they seen singing all winter, without my notice? Or do they, like me, sense the end of winter and sing accordingly?

There’s a bit of hope, a promise of warmth and green-growing shoots, that takes me briefly out of the long dreariness of late winter, and fills me with joy. It’s much like the season of Lent, which begins next week. A time of somber reflection, or quietness, restraint, and preparation, there is nevertheless an undercurrent of hope bubbling throughout the 40 days. Like the song of a robin, heard (or noticed) for the first time in months, the promise of rebirth at Easter wakes my heart from a winter slumber, and fills me with joy.

Semlor, a traditional Swedish treat for Shrove Tuesday (the day prior to Ash Wednesday,) are a delightful bit of indulgence before the restraint of Lent. Flavored with a touch of cardamom and filled with whipped cream and almond paste, they make a pretty and irresistible dessert. It is said that this delicious little bun killed King Adolf Frederik of Sweden, when he ended a heavy meal with 14 of them (and washed them down with a bottle of champagne!)

Semlor (Swedish Cream Buns)

from christinascucina.com

You can use store-bought almond paste or almond filling in place of the homemade, if you prefer. Look for the kind in cans, as it will be have a more spreadable texture than the kind that comes in slabs. Yield: 18 buns

• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1/3 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons yeast
• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 egg yolk, white reserved
• 1 Tablespoon heavy cream
• 1/2 cup ground blanched almonds
• 3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• whipped cream
• confectioner’s sugar for dusting

1. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, 1/2 t. sugar, and yeast. Let sit 5 minutes, or until it bubbles. Add the milk, melted butter, remaining sugar, salt, cardamom, and egg. Combine well.
2. With the mixer on low, or stirring by hand, slowly add the flour. When it is all incorporated, knead by hand or with the stand mixer until the dough is smooth and elastic.
3. Cover the dough and let rise 1 hour, or until doubled.
4. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and turn it onto a lightly floured counter. Form it into 18 buns, and place them on 2 greased or lined baking trays.
5. Whisk the egg yolk and cream together in a small bowl. Brush each bun with some on the mixture, then place the trays in a cold oven to rise. (A bowl of boiling water in the bottom of the oven will help keep the buns moist and the oven a good temperature for proving.)
6. Once the buns have doubled in size, remove them from the oven and preheat it to 350 F. Bake the buns 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. While the buns are baking, prepare the almond paste. Whip the reserved egg white until it forms soft peaks, then fold in the almonds and confectioner’s sugar.
8. Once the Semlor are completely cooled, assemble them. With a small, sharp knife, cut the top off the bun. Cut downward on a angle, so the top of the bun, when removed, had a conical shape and there is a small cavity in the base of the bun. Spread a teaspoon or so of almond paste in the cavity, then dollop or pipe a generous amount of whipped cream over it. Gently replace the top of the bun, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.