Shrove buns are a traditional pastry that originally came to Finland from Sweden, where they are called semlor.
According to the most traditional recipes, the sweet buns should be filled with almond paste and whipped cream and decorated with powdered sugar. In Finland they have also been served with a strawberry or raspberry jam filling for over half a century at least, and both varieties have their own passionate fans.
So what makes a perfect shrove bun? It should be light and airy and melt in your mouth. The dough should have a hint of cardamom. The whipped cream should be sweetened to perfection and have just the right consistency. It should have a light coating of powdered sugar. And the centre should be hollowed out just enough to hold the filling, which should be almond paste… or jam!