The first vastlakuklid have been spotted in bakeries across Estonia. These delicious fluffy buns filled with whipped cream are served in the weeks leading up to Shrove Tuesday, the last day before the Lenten season.
Here is a recipe for you to make vastlakuklid yourself at home.
Ingredients:
200 ml milk
25g yeast
3 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
100g butter
1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cardamom
600g flour
1 egg for coating buns
Method:
1. All materials must be in room temperature
2. Dissolve yeast with lukewarm milk and sugar
3. Add about half of the quantity of flour, mixed with salt
4. Beat the mixture for a short time. Sprinkle with a little flour, cover the bowl with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for a one hour
5. Add additional flour, cardamom
6. Add melted butter and the beaten egg
7. Knead the dough properly, until it separates from the bowl.
8. Sprinkle with a little flour, cover the bowl with a towel and place in a warm place to rise for one hour until dough is doubled in size. During rising beat the dough two times.
9. Form the dough into rounds buns and place on a tray with baking paper, cover again for 15 minutes for an additional rise.
10. Coat buns with beaten egg before putting into the oven. Bake at 200C 15 minutes.
11. Let the buns cool completely. Cut off a thin slice from top of buns. Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until firm. Pipe the cream onto the buns and cover with a cut-off part.
12. Decorate with icing sugar, strawberries or chocolate drizzle.
If you would like to learn more about the history of vastlakuklid, you can read it here.