Fastelavnsbolle - Norwegian traditional, festive buns with cream and jam

RECIPE
Fastelavnsbolle

Shrovetide buns

Fastelavn, originally a feast before fasting, is now a fun celebration where children dress up and enjoy sweet fastelavnsboller – buns filled with cream and jam.

For Norwegians (and everyone else!) who love their buns, it’s the perfect excuse to indulge!

Fastelavnsboller

Ingredients:

100 g butter

1 l wheat flour

100 ml sugar

0.5 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cardamom

350 ml milk

1 tsp baking powder

50 g fresh yeast

1 egg (for brushing)

Cream filling:

300 ml whipped cream

12 tbsp strawberry jam

2 tbsp powdered sugar

Source: Matprat.no

Method:

1. Slice butter into cubes and leave them to soften at room temperature.

2. Add flour, sugar, salt, cardamom, milk and baking powder into a large bowl and crumble the fresh yeast into the mixture.

3. Knead the dough well by hand, or with a food processor for about 15 minutes.

4. Add the butter cubes and knead the dough for about 10 minutes, until it becomes soft and elastic. Feel free to take a 'gluten test' towards the end of the kneading: stretch the dough - if it feels short, it should be kneaded a little more. If it's elastic and supple, it's ready to be left to rise.

5. Cover the dough and leave it to rise for about 45 minutes until it's doubled in size.

6. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, divide it into 12 equal pieces and roll the pieces into buns. Leave the buns to rise in a warm place.

7. Brush the buns with the beaten egg and bake them in the middle of the oven at 200°C for 10-15 minutes. Cool the buns on a wire rack.

8. Whisk the cream into whipped cream. It should be slightly firm but not clotted.

9. Slice off the tops of the buns and add the cream and jam to the bottom half. Put the other half on as a lid and sprinkle a thin layer of powdered sugar on top.

Get your buns right with our dictionary

Hveteboller – sweet buns.
Rosinboller – sweet buns with raisins.
Sjokoladeboller – sweet buns with chocolate.

Kanelboller/kanelsnurrer/kanelknuter – large buns baked with a cinnamon and sugar filling.

Skillingsboller – cinnamon buns from Bergen in Fjord Norway, first brought there from Germany centuries ago during the Hanseatic period. Still widely available, and a must-eat when in Bergen.

Skolebrød – translates as “school buns”. Large buns with custard and shredded coconut.

Solboller – large buns with a “sun” of custard that is eaten to celebrate the return of the sun after the polar night in Northern Norway.

Fastelavnsboller – sweet buns filled with cream or jam and served to mark the beginning of the forty days of Lent (fasting is optional, though …)

Prinsessekake – a dream of a cake made of buns with cinnamon swirls, custard, and a thick icing.

Berlinerboller – fried doughnut-like buns with no central hole, filled with jam or chocolate (Berliner).

Norwegian fastelavnsboller
Norwegian sweet buns in the making
Norwegian sweet buns in the making

Et voilà! Enjoy!

Norwegians are believed to eat the most buns in the world (scientifically unproven, but we’re convinced!). And we’re also at the top of the list when it comes to bread consumption. On average, each of us eats 38.5 kilos a year!

Bread – our favourite food

P.S. If you're gluten intolerant, check out our tips for gluten-free alternatives!

Gluten free food and restaurants in Norway

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