Vastlakuklid

Overall Latvian and Estonian traditions are very similar which, if such minor detail as completely different language is excluded, makes living in Estonia much easier. There is, however, one thing that I never had seen in Latvia. It is vastlakuklid - special buns that are prepared for Vastlapäev, or Shrove Tuesday in English, or Meteņi in Latvian. In Latvia the day is called also Vastlāvis which makes it very similar to Estonian Vastlapäev. Making of fire, sledging, eating lots of pork and pea-soup are all common activities for both countries on this day. But I have never seen anything like vastlakuklid in Latvia. Anyhow, vastlakukel is very simple bun from plain wheat flour, and whipped cream is put on top of it. Jam can be added to one's liking. Looks something like this. I suppose that in Latvian it could be called meteņu rausis, for example.
While living in Estonia, Vastlapäev has been perfect reason to go sledging. Not this year, however, simply because the winter has been disastrous and there has been practically no snow around Tallinn. As we had kids living with us, then we had to do something. As sledging was out of question, then instead I decided to make vastlakuklid together with kids. Whipped cream is not my favourite thing, so I decided to make slight variation. Also, I wanted to make bit more fun, and an ambitious plan was born to prepare buns filled with cottage cheese cream in such way that they would remind little swans. I had also seen it a little bit on morning TV that such thing is possible :)
Well, seeing "a little bit" was not enough, and our "swans" didn't bake particularly the way as they should. Our meteņu rauši looked a bit different from traditional ones.

The taste, however, was good, better than whipped cream to my satisfaction! Besides it seems, that although we didn't get swans, kids liked it anyway :)