Bolludagur

Rose Monday in Iceland

In Iceland, Rose Monday is now called “bolludagur”, or “ball day”. The custom of traditionally baking such "balls" on Shrove Monday and eating large quantities of them (before the start of Lent) was probably introduced to Iceland by Danish bakers at the end of the 19th century. Since 1910, references to the "bolludagur" have been regularly found in Iceland.

However, there were probably predecessors to this tradition before - you can find a recipe for "bolludagsbollur" in an Icelandic cookbook from 1858. The cookbook is by Þóra Andrea Nikólína Jónsdóttir (1813 – 1861). She was the daughter of an Icelandic father and a Danish mother and came to Iceland with her parents as a child when she was around 10 years old. She later married here and lived as a housewife in Akureyri with her husband, an Icelandic goldsmith. In 1858 she published her home economics and cookbook, the "ný matreiðslubók", i.e. the "new cookbook". By the way, the cookbook also mentions "langaföstu snúðar", in Danish "Fastelavnsbollur", or "Lenten dumplings". The dough is based on classic Jólabrauð, with spices and raisins or lemon peel/orange peel, which was then baked in small portions on the stove top rubbed with butter.


Classic "bolludagsbollur"

The classic "bolludagsbollur" were initially prepared, as at Þ.AN Jónsdóttir, from Jólakaka dough, although later they usually left out raisins or something similar and baked "rolls" from this dough, which were then often added with butter and spread jam.

Later there were more and more recipes with yeast dough...

...and nowadays there are often cream puffs made from choux pastry, usually covered in chocolate.

However, attempts by a fish company in the 1930s to participate in the "bolludagur" with their "fish balls" were not successful - the classic "bolludagsbollur" are and remain sweet, usually filled with cream, jam and chocolate.


Homemade or bought?

It is estimated that Icelandic bakers now sell around 1 million bales for the "bolludagur". It is also very common to bake your own “balls”. I've read estimates that on average every Icelander eats at least 5 to 6 of these "bales" on Shrove Monday. The proportion of purchased and homemade "bolludagsbollur" should therefore be roughly balanced.

If you also want to bake "bolludagsbollur", you will of course also find corresponding recipes here in the blog - both the classic ones made from Jólakaka dough and (a little more modern) from a modified yeast dough and (even more modern) from choux pastry .

[Translated from here.]