I have returned from a fabulous vacation in Sweden, visiting dear friends who took me around the country. We celebrated Flag Day and danced on Midsummer, had fika, the traditional coffee break each day and met so many welcoming Swedes. Other highlights included visiting the house one of my favorite painters, Carl Larsson, touring Dalarna famous for its painted wooden horses, exploring Gotland, including the walled city of Visby, and spending a week on the beautiful island of Fårö, where my friends live. Tack så mycket Lotta och Mats!
Bring the hostages home.
Swedish Cinnamon-Cardamom Buns (Kanelbullar)
Foodie Lit
The Water Spider presents layers of secrets as Carter Hudson journeys into her past and her psyche to find healing in the present. The symbols of secrecy, veil-hidden scars, locked sections of a house, different names and aliases all allude to a labyrinth even in the minds of the main characters. Kimi and Kochina Ahoka, identical twins, have often changed placed to fool friends and teachers. Which one is Carter Hudson? Their mother, Kaya, is the only one who can tell them apart.
Part psychological mystery, partly a story of inner spiritual healing, this novel has twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the end. The twins grew up on a Cherokee reservation in North Carolina. Author Jerri Schlenker artfully weaves Hopi and Cherokee Nation traditions and spiritual beliefs into the novel.
Coffee breaks in Sweden are a fabulous part of life and one that I plan to add to my afternoons! Swedes usually have strong coffee with something sweet—a Kanelbullar, a “vacuum cleaner" pastry, digestif, or slice of a chocolate tart. At times, to be healthier, we had slices of cheese and the delicious Swedish hard bread (knäckerbröd).
In Sweden, I drank coffee all day, along with most Swedes! After a visit to the Vasa Museum, with its restored sunken 17th century war ship, we stopped for a coffee and Kanelbullar, seasoned with cinnamon and cardamom, a traditional Swedish spice. After wandering through Stockholm’s Gamla Stan (Old City), we stopped at one of the numerous cafés for a coffee and mixed nut tart. In Central Sweden’s Dalarna, with its picturesque red houses, we stopped at a hilly look-out and sat on a Victorian sofa for fika and a beautiful view of Lake Siljan.
The Kanelbullar was my favorite and although time consuming and a bit of a learning curve to create the delicate curves, I mastered it. And the time was totally worth it. (I have included more pictures than usual to help you through the process.) A friend who stopped by after I had made them and sent her home with a few, wrote, “Superb pastry! Almost too pretty to eat!”
Swedish Cinnamon-Cardamom Buns
Yield 3 dozen small, 2 1/2 dozen medium
2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 package active dried yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup light vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3--4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Filling
1/2 cup butter or dairy free margarine
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Glaze
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
12 teaspoon cardamom
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Pour warm water into a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let proof for a few minutes. Proofing means to see if bubbles start to form, showing that the yeast is active and alive.
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Add oil, honey and salt. (Pour the honey into the same measuring cup as the oil. The honey will slide right out!) Stir.
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Add the egg. Mix 1 cup flour, cardamom and cinnamon. Pour into yeast mixture and mix. Add flour until the dough becomes difficult to stir.
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Place dough on a clean surface with flour sprinkled on it. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed.
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Form the dough into a ball. Add 1 tablespoon oil into the bowl or use an oil spray. Place dough in bowl, turn once to cover all the dough’s surface with the oil. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and place in a draft free spot. Let dough rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
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Filling: Mix ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
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Turn dough out onto parchment paper large enough to roll out the dough. With a rolling pin, roll dough out to about a 15”X20” rectangle. If sticky, sprinkle the rolling pin with flour.
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Spread the filling on the top of the dough, leaving about 1” around the edges. Fold one side of the dough towards the center and then fold the other side so it covers the other part, something like you would fold a business letter into thirds.
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Gently run the rolling pin over the dough to press out any bubbles. Roll the dough out lightly so it forms an 8”X10” rectangle. These measurements are approximate. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour or overnight. I refrigerated mine overnight as it was a very hot and humid South Carolina summer day and the dough remained soft and somewhat sticky. It is much easier to cut the ribbons of dough when the dough is cold and firm.
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Making the buns: Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, slice the dough into 1/4” wide strips. Take each strip and loosely twist it several times. It will lengthen as you twist it. Gently wrap the strip around 2 of your fingers, leaving about 3”. Remove from your fingers and loop the 3" tail around the dough, tucking in any loose edges. The dough will look like a knot. Place the bun on a parchment line baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough strips. See pictures below for illustrations of this process.
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Place the buns in a draft free spot for a second rising, about 1 additional hour.
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Glaze: Mix glaze ingredients in a pot. Place on low heat and stir until all is dissolved and slightly reduced. Reserve.
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Heat the oven to 375°F (190C).
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Bake the buns for about 15 minutes, or until the buns are golden brown. Place on wire racks. With a pastry brush, drizzle glaze on while buns are still warm.
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Perfect for your fika with coffee. Best eaten on the same day as baked.
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To freeze: Let buns cool to room temperature. Place in a freezer proof bag and place flat in the freezer until frozen. Best used within 3 months.
TIP: The first few buns I twisted were not pretty, although they looked better when baked and tasted fine. I got the hang of it as I went along. Having the dough cold is very helpful, especially on hot, humid days. Twisting the strips is necessary for a nice look. At times, some strands broke. Just pinch them together. You can’t see any repairs once baked. I loosely wound the dough around two fingers, then slid the strands off and using the 3” tail, "tied up" the bun. I also found making the buns a bit smaller was easier. It took me a few times to get the knack of it, so be patient!
Expandthetable suggestions
Lower the sugar: Use stevia or a sugar substitute for honey and brown sugar, following package directions for conversion measurements.
Dairy Free: Use a dairy free margarine in place of butter in filling.
