Cashew Cream Buns with Strawberry Jam

2. April, 2009

The Monday, seven weeks before Easter, the tradition in Iceland is to serve Bollur (buns) and the day is called Bolludagur (Bun Day). This is the only day you are allowed to whack your parents on the bum (without repercussions) and you can even do that with a home made, colourful stick! When you manage to do that you have to shout Bolla Bolla!! (Bun Bun!!). The person on the receiving end of this attack must provide one bun for each attack. The attacker should be fully dressed and the victim should be undressed (those are the rules) but fortunately nobody follows them and kids happily attack their parents at every opportunity. In Iceland we are under a lot of influence from Denmark and Norway when considering baked goods (we were no culinary experts in the old days I'm afraid) and I think that the Danish serve very similar buns. The buns are sometimes called Rjómabollur in Icelandic or Cream Buns and are usually filled with cream and jam (or mousse) and often made with a chocolate topping as well. There are usually two types of buns; one is soft and almost rubbery (egg based) and the other is more like traditional, sweet bread. I prefer the soft type. When I was little and was served the other type I used to scoop out the cream and the jam and chuck the bread away or give it to my horses (much to other the horror of my friends who devoured every bun they ate).

This is my gluten free and lactose free version of soft cream buns. I use cashew cream instead of normal cream and I make my own strawberry jam although you can use any organic jam you prefer. The buns taste delicious and I prefer them to the version which contains gluten even if I am not gluten intolerant. You can serve the buns with regular cream if course if you prefer.

Note that the potato flour, rice flour and corn flour need to be very finely milled, almost powdered (they usually are, by default). Please ensure you follow the instructions carefully as not doing so will result in a lumpy dough. Note that you will need a hand mixer (or a stand mixer). If possible turn off the fan if using a convection oven (the buns don't like the hot air too much).

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Glutenfree buns perfect with a cashew cream and strawberry jam filling

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This recipe is:

Gluten free
Lactose (dairy) free
Nut free

Cashew Cream Buns with Strawberry Jam

Makes 10-12 buns

Ingredients

100 millilitres (3½ fluid oz) water
4 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons agave nectar
100 grams (3½ oz) potato flour
25 grams (¾ oz) rice flour
20 grams (½ oz) corn flour
1 egg (please use free range eggs)
50 grams (1½ oz) dark chocolate (with raw cane sugar), optional

Preparation

Heat the 100 millilitres water, 2 tablespoons agave nectar and the 4 tablespoons coconut oil in the saucepan until boiling.
In a medium bowl, sift together the 100 grams potato flour, 25 grams rice flour and 20 grams corn flour.
Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Add the flour mixture to the saucepan, one tablespoon at a time. With a wooden spoon, stir thoroughly after each tablespoon until the batter is lump free. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture until the batter becomes loose from the saucepan. The batter should be smooth and absolutely lump free.
Allow the batter to cool completely.
Carefully stir in the egg with a hand mixer.
The batter should be firm enough to sit inside a spoon upside down without dropping. If the batter is runny, add a little potato flour and mix thoroughly.
Place baking parchment on a baking tray.
Drop a heaped tablespoon of batter onto the baking tray, or you can use a piping bag.
Bake at 170 degrees Celsius/325 Fahrenheit/Gas Mark 3, for 20 minutes. Note that it is better not to use a fan assisted oven. Also note that you should NOT open the oven door until after the 20 minutes are up.
It is popular in Iceland to dip the bun tops in chocolate. To do this chop the 50 grams chocolate into uniform pieces to ensure even melting.
Place a metal or glass bowl that fits snugly over the top of a saucepan.
Be careful to avoid ALL contact with water (even a few drops will ruin the chocolate).
Fill the small saucepan with water, just enough to provide heat but not so much that the bottom of the bowl touches the water. Heat the saucepan over low heat until it begins to simmer, then turn heat off and place the chocolate bowl over the water. Let the chocolate begin to melt, and then stir it gently with a dry spoon. When almost all of the chocolate is melted, lift the bowl from the saucepan and place on the table. Stir continuously until it is shiny, smooth, and completely melted.
Now dip the bun tops upside down in the chocolate and let cool on a serving plate.
Serve with strawberry or blueberry jam as well as whipped cream or cashew cream (or soy cream).

Tips

The buns should be enjoyed on the day they are made as they will go stale quite quickly.
You can use maple syrup instead of the agave nectar.
If the coconut oil is cold (in which case it becomes solid), place the jar in a bowl filled with hot water for a couple of minutes.