If you're using homemade jam, be sure to make the jam ahead of time and place in the fridge to cool down. You can find our recipe here! Combine the water, butter, sugar, and salt in a saucepan and place on the stove on medium to medium-high heat. You want to bring the mixture to a point where it is just boiling so that when you add the flour, it will thicken to the right consistency!
Once the butter mixture melts and starts to bubble a bit around the edges, add the flour in all at once and stir vigorously. You should hear the mixture sizzling slightly as the flour absorbs the liquid. Keep stirring over medium to medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes, until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the saucepan and comes away cleanly. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
Next, add the 3 eggs to the cooled dough mixture, one at a time! Mix vigorously after adding each egg. The mixture should become homogeneous before you add the next.
Once all 3 eggs are in, continue stirring for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is smooth and you get a V shape when you lift up the spatula from the batter.
Preheat oven to 390 degrees F (200 degrees C) - you can make these on either regular or convection oven settings. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Brush the parchment paper with a little bit of water before piping. If the paper lifts up when you pipe, you can also add a bit of batter underneath the paper to help it stick to the baking sheet.
Add the choux pastry dough to a piping bag or just a gallon zip lock bag with a hole cut off the corner.
Pipe the mixture onto your baking sheet into either 12 or 9 circular blobs that are approximately 2.5-3.5 inches (~6-9 cm) in diameter. We tend to make twelve buns, but 9 buns would probably be more of an accurate size for fastelavnsboller! Make sure they are spaced at least 1 inch apart as they will expand in the oven.
Then, dip your finger in some water and flatten the points of the blobs, or else they will burn in the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes if using a convection oven. If they haven't puffed up yet and they don't look evenly golden in color, lower oven temperature to 350 F (175 C) and bake for another 5-10 minutes. If your oven is on a regular setting, it will likely take at least 25 minutes for the choux pastry to begin to turn golden; if they are still not done after 25 minutes, lower the oven temp to 350F (175C) and check after another 5-10 minutes. Continue to check in on the size/color in 5 minute increments. The buns should puff, have cracks across the surface, and be evenly golden in color. Do NOT open the oven too early or your vandbakkelser will collapse!
Once the vandbakkelser are out of the oven, let them cool.
While the buns are cooling, prepare the raspberry cream cheese whipped cream.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a medium mixing bowl (using a handheld mixer) begin whipping the cold cream cheese on its own, for a few minutes. We're aiming to whip a little bit of air into it so it's easier to mix with the cream.
Add in 2 heaping tablespoons of raspberry jam to the cream cheese, and whisk it until it is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed.
Once the jam is incorporated, start streaming in the cream while running the mixer on low. When all the cream has been added, run the mixer on medium/high speed for just about 30 seconds to incorporate.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add in vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
Now, whip the mixture until you reach soft peaks.
At this stage, add in the powdered sugar.
Continue whisking until you reach stiff peaks. Give the mixture a few folds with a spatula to make sure everything is mixed together well. If not using immediately, place in the fridge until you are ready.
Once the buns are cool, cut them in half using a serrated knife.
Put your whipped mixture into a piping bag with a star tip (you can also just spoon this on if you prefer!)
Place a layer of raspberry jam on the bottom of the buns.
Pipe two rings of the whipped filling around the edge of the base of the bun, leaving a hole in the center. Note: we are pretty liberal with the amount of whipped filling, but if you prefer less, you may have leftovers!
Fill the hole with more jam, a fresh raspberry, or both!
Add the top of the bun and decorate with a dot of the whipped filling and a fresh raspberry. You could also make a simple icing if you want!
Repeat until all the buns are filled, and enjoy! Make sure to refrigerate any leftover buns, and if you do end up with leftover filling, keep it in the fridge as well.