Hey Asheville area people! If you want to catch me live for some early holiday shopping, I’ll be at the Enka-Candler Holiday market this Saturday, November 11 from 11-5. I’ll be hawking my wares, including pastries, cakes, and biscotti, as well as sending out info regarding holiday baking classes and orders. Come on out and support some cool local businesses, and grab a pastry or ten while you’re at it!
I’ll be posting holiday 2023 class and ordering announcements here in a few days, so stay tuned.
Shameless plugs aside, let’s dive into today’s recipe: korvapuusti!
Korvapuusti are Finnish cinnamon ears and are, as Husband says it best (and I tell people at markets), “cinnamon rolls with more edge.” The dough is lighter than a traditional cinnamon roll, and the outside is crisped up with browning from the eggwash and cinnamon sugar filling. It’s also less sweet than a cinnamon roll (no icing), which is a win in my book.
The coolest part is the shape: instead of cutting warm dough into straight wheels, you’re cutting refrigerated dough (which holds its shape more easily) into triangles, and then pressing them in the middle to form “ears” on each side. It’s a simple trick that makes for an attractive pastry in a fun and different form.
If you top these with pearl sugar before baking (which I highly recommend), be sure to use the smaller Swedish pearl sugar and not larger Belgian pearl sugar.
I’ll give you the recipe today, and likely post pictures and/or a how-to video for shaping. For now, words will have to do. Go forth and make cinnamon ears!
Korvapuusti (Finnish Cinnamon Ears)
These are a fun break from cinnamon rolls in shape and texture, and cardamom gives them a little more pop. For best results, use freshly ground spices.
you will need:
- 4 ½ tsp dried yeast
- 1 c warm water
- ½ c melted butter
- ½ c sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 3 large eggs
- 4 ½ – 5 c all-purpose flour For the filling and glaze:
- ½ c very soft butter
- ½ c sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 beaten egg
- 1-2 tbsp water
- Swedish pearl sugar or sanding sugar
Directions
- In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water, and allow to bloom for 5 minutes. Stir in melted butter, sugar, salt, cardamom, eggs, and 4 ½ c flour, and mix until dough is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
- Lightly flour a work surface, and turn dough out onto the counter. Knead lightly until the dough is no longer sticky (about 1-2 minutes), then divide the dough into 2 parts. Roll out one part to make a 12×24 inch rectangle. Spread ¼ c softened butter evenly onto the rectangle, sprinkle with ¼ sugar, and ½ tbsp cinnamon. Roll up, starting with the long side. Cut the roll diagonally into 10-12 pieces, depending on how big you want your rolls to be (they will look like triangles, as opposed to straight wheels like cinnamon rolls). Turn each triangle so it rests on the long side. Using your thumbs, press down on the center of each triangle, forcing the outer edges upwards into “ears.” (Don’t worry if this looks weird on the raw dough – it’ll be more obvious once they bake!) Place ears onto prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Let rise until puffy, about 20-30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine beaten egg with water, and brush each roll with the eggwash, then sprinkle with pearl sugar or sanding sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden.
The Crunchy Baker 