Viennese Brioche Dumplings

While Buchteln are originally from Bohemia, one of the countries that lost its national identity after being swallowed up by the Austrian Empire, today they’re thought of as thoroughly Viennese. Small balls of rich dough (here I’m using brioche dough) usually filled with jam, Buchteln are baked in a heavily buttered pan so that the bases become quite crisp. They are served with just a sprinkling of icing sugar or with a vanilla custard sauce. I love pastries like this that are