Sunday Snapshot {Laskiaispullat}

Growing up in Finland we celebrated "Laskiais-Sunday" and "Laskiais-Tuesday", and traditionally would eat split-pea soup, go sledding and have these "Laskiaispullat"-baked treats.

I am really bad at celebrating my home country's traditions and making Finnish foods (except at Christmas time where we celebrate almost 100% in Finnish way), so I actually had to rely on google and wikipedia today to explain to the kids what Laskiainen is. This was my first time celebrating Laskiainen in the States in all my eighteen years of being here (if I remember correctly).



This is what I found out on Wikipedia: These special treats are called semlas, and they are typically eaten on Shrove Tuesday (or Shrove Sunday). It is originally a church holiday (a day before Lent starts). I don't remember following Lent during my childhood, or really being too aware of the meaning of Shrove Sunday, I just remember the fun sledding, the-not-so-favorite-split-pea-soup and the yummy semlas. Reading the Finnish Wikipedia page, I learned how this holiday is now more of a celebration of winter ending and spring coming in Finland.




Missy, Mr. A and Little Miss helped me make the semlas. My recipe called for the almond paste filling or jam filling, and I chose jam - I really don't care for the almond paste taste.




They turned out so delicious! We used milk, yeast, little salt, honey, cardamom, flour and melted butter on the dough, and made whipped cream to put inside along with raspberry jam. Yummy with hot chocolate and tea, especially after going sledding!

The recipe with apprx measures and loose directions:

2 cups milk
2 packets of dry yeast
2 cups sugar (I used about 1 1/2 cup of honey)
2 eggs
cardamom to taste (I used 1/2 Tbls)
a pinch of salt
6-7 cups flour
about 1.5 sticks of butter, melted

Filling: whipped cream, jam and/or marzipan or almond paste.
On top: pearl sugar or powdered sugar. (we did none)

Heat the milk to lukewarm and add the yeast, mix. Add salt, sugar, eggs and cardamom. Mix, then add most of the flour. Beat the batter vigorously. Add the cooled melted butter and knead the dough until smooth. If necessary, add remaining flour. Let it rise for about an hour. Knead the dough lightly, shaping into rolls. Let them rise for a little while.

Brush with egg and sprinkle pearl sugar on top if desired (or finely chopped almonds). Bake the buns in the oven at 450 F degrees apprx 12 minutes. Cut the cooled buns and put a tablespoon of jam and whipped cream in between the bun. You can decorate buns by sprinkling powdered sugar over them through a sieve.


I'm linking this blog post again to Sunday Snapshot. Please go visit Stephanie's blog Ni Hao Y'All for other entries.



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Meillä vietettiin tänään ensimmäistä kertaa Laskiaissunnuntaita. Olen surkea viettämään suomalaisia juhlapäiviä (tosin joulu on meillä melkein 100% suomalainen), joten jouduin turvautumaan googlen ja wikipedia apuun, kun selitin lapsille mikä Laskiainen on. En muista että meidän perhe olisi paastonnut Laskiaisen jälkeen, mutta voi olla etten vaan muista. Sen sijaan muistan hauskat pulkkamäet, hernekeiton (joka ei ole suosikkiani) sekä ihanat laskiaispullat - hillolla, koska en tykkää mantelinmausta pullan sisällä.

Tämän päivän laskiaispullien reseptin löysin täältä, mutta sokerin sijaan käytimme hunajaa, ja kermavaahdon makeutimme fruktoosisokerilla. Herkkuja niistä tuli!