Bolludagur Buns - Icelandic Cream-Filled Buns

These fabulous cream-filled buns are served in Iceland on Bolludagur - Buns Day - the Monday preceding Ash Wednesday. Posted for ZWT 6 - SCANDANAVIA.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 20
• Yields: 20 buns

Ingredients

• 1  cup water
• 1⁄2 cup butter
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  cup flour
• 3  large eggs
• 1  cup  whipping cream
• 2  tablespoons  vanilla sugar (or 2 tsp. vanilla extract plus 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar)
• 1⁄4 cup  raspberry jam
• 7  ounces  microwavable  dipping chocolate

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. In a large saucepan over a medium-high burner, stir together water, butter, salt and sugar until butter is melted.
3. Add flour and beat quickly until mixture thickens and pulls away from the side of the pan. Remove pan from heat.
4. Vigorously whisk in one egg at a time until batter is the consistency of thick pudding.
5. Drop heaping tablespoons of the batter on a parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheet.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown (Note: Do not open the oven door during this cooking period because your buns will fall – and no one likes fallen buns).
7. Transfer buns to racks to cool.
8. Whip together the cream and vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract and powdered sugar) until stiff peaks form.
9. When buns have cooled, slice each one in half and spread lower half with raspberry jam. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, place the remaining half on top, and ice with melted chocolate.
10. Yield: 20 Bolludagur Buns.