What is a fastelavnsbolle?
If you’ve spent time in Scandinavia during January and February, you’ve probably seen a surge of excitement around fastelavnsboller. Social media fills up with people trying new flavors at popular bakeries and sharing their rankings. Although the online buzz is relatively recent, these sweet buns have long been an important part of Scandinavian food culture. In a dark winter, a perfectly baked fastelavnsbolle brings a little cheer — and of course the tradition ties back to the holiday of Fastelavn and indulging before Lent.
Today’s recipe for raspberry fastelavnsboller
Fastelavnsboller come in many forms. Historically they began as simple soft wheat buns, later evolved to include vanilla cream, and today appear filled with everything from pastry cream to jam and cream cheese. Common doughs include enriched wheat dough, laminated Danish pastry, and choux pastry. For this recipe we chose choux pastry and built a raspberry cheesecake–inspired filling: a combination of raspberry jam and a tangy cream-cheese whipped cream that pairs beautifully with crisp, tender choux buns.
Cheesecake-inspired flavors
Although Danes usually avoid adding actual cheese to pastries, cream cheese is a welcome choice for fillings and frostings. A tangy cream cheese whipped cream complements raspberry jam perfectly. The balance of sweet and tart jam with a lightly sweetened, airy cream-cheese filling tucked into crisp choux buns creates a delicious contrast of textures and flavors. The recipe below explains how to make the choux, prepare the raspberry cream cheese whipped cream, and assemble the buns.
Ingredients you’ll need
Choux pastry requires only butter, water, sugar, salt, flour, and eggs. For best results, use room-temperature eggs. The filling needs cream cheese, heavy cream, raspberry jam, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, powdered sugar, and optional fresh raspberries for decoration. Raspberry jam can be substituted with other berry jams or fruit preserves. If you prefer, omit cream cheese and use whipped cream alone or substitute mascarpone or ricotta for a different texture.
How to make these choux pastry raspberry fastelavnsboller
Making choux pastry is straightforward but sensitive to technique. Follow the steps for the right dough consistency and resist opening the oven while the buns bake to avoid collapse. The filling is quick and easy: blend cream cheese with raspberry jam, then fold in whipped cream to soft and finally stiff peaks. To assemble, cut cooled buns in half, spread jam on the bottom, pipe rings of the raspberry cream-cheese filling leaving a center well, fill the center with more jam or a fresh raspberry, replace the top, and finish with a small dollop of cream and a raspberry.
Choux Pastry Raspberry Fastelavnsboller
Pin Recipe
IMPORTANT NOTE:
This recipe is developed using a digital scale and metric measurements. Results may vary with cup measurements. We test in a convection (fan) oven.
Ingredients
DOUGH
- 240 ml water
- 100 grams unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 150 grams all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, room temperature (if using medium eggs, you may need a little more)
FILLING / DECORATION
- 170 grams cream cheese, cold
- 350 ml heavy cream
- 2 tbsp raspberry jam
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 45 grams powdered sugar (adjust to taste)
- Fresh raspberries (optional)
Instructions
- If making homemade jam, prepare it ahead and chill.
- Combine water, butter, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium to medium-high heat and bring just to a boil.
- Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously. Cook 1–2 minutes until the dough pulls away from the pan. Transfer to a bowl and cool 5–10 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all eggs are incorporated, stir 1–2 minutes until smooth and the batter forms a V when lifted with a spatula.
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lightly wet the parchment so it stays flat. Pipe choux into 12 (or 9 larger) rounds about 6–9 cm in diameter, spacing at least 1 inch apart.
- Dip a finger in water and flatten any sharp peaks to prevent burning.
- Bake about 20 minutes in a convection oven. If they need more color or puffing, reduce heat to 175°C / 350°F and bake another 5–10 minutes. For conventional ovens expect 25–35 minutes. Do not open the oven early or buns may collapse. They should puff, crack slightly, and be evenly golden.
- Remove from oven and cool completely.
- Prepare the filling: whip cold cream cheese briefly to aerate, then mix in 2 heaping tablespoons raspberry jam. With the mixer on low, stream in the cold heavy cream, then increase speed briefly to combine.
- Add vanilla and a pinch of salt. Whip to soft peaks, then add powdered sugar and continue to stiff peaks. Fold gently and chill if not using immediately.
- Slice cooled buns in half. Spread a layer of jam on the bottom, pipe two rings of the whipped cream-cheese mixture leaving a center well, and fill the center with jam and/or a fresh raspberry.
- Replace the top, add a small dollop of filling and a raspberry on top for decoration. Refrigerate leftovers and any extra filling.