Fettisdagsbulle :-)

Mardi Gras (literally means Fat Tuesday) is today...Shrove Tuesday, Fettisdagen.. the last day you could indulge before you'd have to begin the fasting of Lent.The tradition in Sweden used to be to serve a "fettisdagsbulle" (Fat Tuesday Bun) then, a sweet-roll (a sweet yeast bread), hollowed out and filled with almond paste and whipped cream. Some people would serve it in a shallow bowl with hot milk, and it was called "hetvägg" (hot wall). The roll has two other names - fastlagsbulle (fastlag = the days just before lent) and semla (from the latin word Semilia - flour made from the very best wheat). No matter what you call it - it's delicious!These days, the rolls appear in Swedish bakeries from January to Easter... But, living here in the US, I choose to make them only for Fat Tuesday - it makes them a little more special, I think. :-)