Today I concocted my very own version of the traditional Swedish Fat Tuesday delicacy. Behold, the pumpkin/maple-nut semla (purists may wish to avert their eyes):

To make your own, you’ll need the following:

• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons warm water
• 1/2 cup pumpkin purée
• 1/4 cup (50g) butter softened
• 1/4 cup dry milk powder
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2-3/4 cups flour
• 2-1/4 teaspoons dry yeast, or 25g fresh yeast

Filling:

• 3/4 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon maple flavoring (or 1 to 2 Tablespoons maple syrup)
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups whipping cream
• granulated sugar

Dissolve yeast in water. Stir in pumpkin purée, sugar, and butter. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Knead with the dough hooks of your mixer or by hand until smooth. Cover and let rise for an hour.

Form small buns (about half the size of your fist), and place on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Cover and let rise for another hour. Bake at 200°C (375°F) for 12-15 minutes. Let cool under a dishtowel. Cut the top off of each bun and set aside the top to use as a “lid.” Scoop out a tablespoon or so of the bread from inside each bun and set aside to use in the filling.

Chop almonds finely (a food processor works best for this). Add sugar, maple flavoring, milk, and the bits of bread you took from inside the buns. Mix well. Whip the cream (add couple of teaspoons of sugar, to taste). Fill the holes in each bun with a heaping spoonful of filling, top with a generous layer of whipped cream, and put the tops back on the buns.

Enjoy!