Skoleboller

Here's another one of those pesky Norwegian recipes. I made these for my birthday yesterday, and they actually turned out really well for a first attempt!

These lovely sweet buns with a hint of warming cardamom, with a custard cream center, finished off with icing and dessicated coconut - surely that is a lot of good things in one go?

"Skoleboller" means school buns, and if you skip the dessicated coconut, they'll be "Sommer boller" - Summer buns, because of the little sun in the middle.

I had to use two recipe references here, as the recipe for the dough used a store-bought custard filling, whereas it is SO easy to whip up that you might as well make it yourself!

PS. If you live in the UK, you can usually get fresh yeast in the Polish shops (I always go there for either that or kefir, or both!), lovely people *smiles*

Skoleboller
(Makes 10-12)

For the dough:
600g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp baking powder
325ml milk
100g butter, melted
50g fresh yeast

For the custard filling:
1 egg
100ml milk
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla sugar
1 tbsp cornflour

Extra:
One egg
Icing made of icing sugar and a bit of water
Dessicated coconut

- Start by making the dough: Mix all the dry ingredients in a big baking bowl, and make a well in the middle.

- In a small pot, melt the butter on low heat and add the milk, once it reaches 37ºC (you can dip your finger into it and almost not feel the liquid because it is body temperature). Take the casserole off the heat and crumble the yeast into it, stir until it is aaaaall dissolved. Pour into the well and make a dough. Kneading it until well combined. Place in the baking bowl covered in the warmest spot in the house/flat/whereveryouare (my spot was in the cubboard with the boiler - why have I not thought of that before?!).

- Leave it for about hald an hour until it has doubled in size.

- Now, pre-heat the oven to 225ºC.

- On a floured surface roll out the dough in 10-12 pieces and roll them into little buns. Place them on a baking paper clad baking tray and repeat with the remaining buns. Make a little well in the middle (like with thumb-print cookies only a little bigger).

- On to the eggy custard! Have all the ingredients for the custard in a little casserole, and whisk it free from lumps, nice and smooth. After about 3-5 minutes it will thicken. Don't worry if it curdles, that's OK. Just take the pot off the heat and whisk in another splash of milk. The custard can be a little lumpy anyway, cause it's going into the well! Take one teaspoon's worth of the custard and place it in the well. Let it rise for a second time for another 10-15 minutes.

- Brush the buns with the egg, and place in the middle of the oven and bake the buns for about 12-15 minutes until nice and golden. Cool for a little bit.

Work station!

- Now comes the fun part! Make icing by using a cup or two with icing sugar and a little bit of water. Have a bowl of dessicated coconut next to it. First dip the top of the bun in icing (unless you wanna use a frosting bag and do it a little bit tidier - that's totally cool!) and then in the coconut - simples! Set them aside and let the icing dry a little, before serving.

Ta-Dah! (This was after I had quality checked, and thus there might be one missing...) Sweet, sticky fingers and happy faces is what you get if you prescribe them a skolebolle ^ ^

I cannot think of much that beats a nice, warm, sweet pastry on an early Autumns eve! What is your favourite bake, and have you tried these before?

I am so happy and humbled by how many people turned up to celebrate with me last night, and I couldn't have asked for a better present! I hope you have a great day *smiles*


Original source:
http://www.tine.no/oppskrifter/bakst/sot-gjarbakst/skolebr%C3%B8d
And
Haugesund Husmorsskoles Kokebok, p. 96

- Jules