On Sunday, February 14th, Danes celebrate Fastelavn, a beloved children's festival with deep Christian roots, signaling the 40-day Lenten period before Easter. Kids don costumes, bash candies from a wooden barrel, and savor fastelavnboller—a tradition now embraced by young and old alike.
“Boller op, boller ned, boller i min mave, hvis jeg ingen boller får laver jeg ballade…”
“Buns up high, buns down low, buns in my tummy—if I don't get any, there'll be trouble!” Children belt out this catchy tune at doorsteps, eagerly awaiting treats.
While the Netherlands dances the polonaise into the night, Denmark's Fastelavn (Shrove Tuesday) delights primarily the little ones with costumes, songs, and sweets. The iconic “beating the cat out of the barrel” (slå kat af tønden) endures: a barrel painted with a black cat—symbolizing evil from witch-hunting eras—is stuffed with candy and whacked with a stick. The first to knock out the bottom becomes Cat Queen (Kattedronning), and the one destroying the last piece is Cat King (Kattekonge).
Hmmm… fastelavnboller
These indulgent buns vary in style but start with pastry dough filled with cream and dusted with powdered sugar. Bakeries see queues in the week leading up, but home bakers shine on Fastelavn Sunday. Our tried-and-true recipe guarantees success.
Recipe: Classic Fastelavnboller with Laminated Dough, Pastry Cream, and Whipped Cream
Ingredients for 8 large buns
Pastry Cream:
1 egg
25 g sugar
15 g flour
1/2 vanilla pod
1.25 dl milk
Laminated Dough (keep all ingredients cold):
25 g yeast
2 dl lukewarm milk
approx. 400 g wheat flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
200 g butter
1 egg for brushing
Chocolate Glaze
0.5 dl whole milk
25 g sugar
30 g butter
1 tbsp cocoa powder
50 g dark chocolate, chopped
Topping
5 dl whipping cream
raspberry powder
Method:
Pastry Cream: Whisk egg and sugar until fluffy, then add flour. Boil milk with vanilla pod. Remove pod, scrape seeds into egg mixture, and stir in hot milk. Return to pan, heat while stirring until thickened (just shy of boiling). Cool in a bowl.
Chocolate Glaze: In a saucepan, melt milk, sugar, and butter over medium heat. Whisk in cocoa, then add chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Set aside.
Laminated Dough: Dissolve yeast in half the milk, then add remaining milk. Mix in 300 g flour, sugar, and salt to form dough. On a floured surface, roll to 36 x 26 cm rectangle. Grate cold butter onto center; fold sides over like a letter. Roll to double length, fold in half, and repeat twice more. Roll final to 32 x 22 cm; chill 15 minutes.
Divide into 8 squares. Spoon pastry cream into each center, gather corners to seal into balls. Place seam-side down on parchment-lined tray; proof 1 hour under a tea towel. Preheat fan oven to 190°C. Brush with egg, bake 16-18 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool on rack.
Assemble & Serve: Whip cream just before serving; pipe onto split buns. Drizzle with chocolate glaze, dust with raspberry powder. Enjoy fresh for peak flavor!
Velbekomme (Enjoy your meal)!
