Globecooking recipe : Korvapuusti, cinnamon rolls (Finland)

Yesterday, I made  Korvapuusti, one of the recipes from the Finnish-themed Kitchen Trotter box and I have to say, I was underwhelmed. They were OK but very bland and you could hardly detect the cinnamon-flavour at all. I'd already decided that, should I make them again, I'd definitely increase the quantity of cinnamon that the recipe called for. Having had a quick google, I've found a recipe that sounds and looks much nicer, over at My Blue and White Kitchen. Her recipe uses a filling made with butter, sugar and about 2tbsp of cinnamon (as well as cardamom), rather than the measly 1tsp (and no butter or sugar) that my recipe used. It's not just the recipe that is better though - Sini also shows how to get the traditional shape that corresponds perfectly with the name Korvapuusti, which means Slapped Ears ! (Click through to Sini's recipe and look at the pictures - it'll make sense !)

The Kitchen Trotter box provided a sachet of Korvapuusti mix but, once I looked at the list of ingredients, I really couldn't see the point - all it contains is flour, sugar, powdered butter, wheat gluten, salt and a few unnecessary additives such as colouring, wheat enzymes and antioxydants. It would be so easy and more authentic to make it from scratch with flour.

I'll give you the recipe I used, but I recommend you head over to the recipe I linked to above, which looks much tastier and more authentic. I'll be using it then next time I make them for sure !

Korvapuusti

ingredients :

100g Korvapuusti mix (basically flour - see above)

1 egg

30ml water
1 tsp dried yeast
30g softened or melted butter

1tsp cinnamon (I suggest using more)

50g pearl sugar

Beat the egg and put half aside for later. Add the flour mix, the dried yeast and the water to the bowl.

Knead for fifteen minutes until you get a nice ball of dough. This was incredibly sticky so I added a couple of spoonfuls of flour to help it out.

Eventually, by using a silicon spatula to scrape off the sides, I got a reasonable ball of dough, but it was still very sticky.

Leave for an hour in a warm place with a damp, clean tea-towel over the bowl, for the yeast to work its magic.

Roll the dough out onto a floured surface.

The recipe said to cover the dough with softened or melted butter. As it was cold in the kitchen and my butter was rock hard, I decided to melt it. With hindsight, this was a bad idea. As a filling, it disappeared and it also made the dough even stickier to work with. Definitely use softened butter or even a good margarine/butter spread if you have to.

Sprinkle with cinnamon. In my opinion, 1tsp is not enough so just go with your instinct. I'd also add a sprinkle of sugar. In fact, creaming the butter, sugar and cinnamon together before spreading it on the dough would be even better.

Roll the dough up like a Swiss roll. Try to keep it tight (but mine was too sticky and drowning in melted butter). 

Cut into pieces and lay them, spiral-side up, on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Brush with the remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Leave to rise for another hour.

Bake at 180° for 15 minutes. They're best eaten warm.

And I'd say they're even better if you forget the Kitchen Trotter recipe altogether and use the one from My Blue and White Kitchen !

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Fancy trying some more Finnish cuisine? How about Joulukinkku (crumbed roast pork) or Lanttulaatikka (mashed swede side dish) ?