These cinnamon-flavored rings have been rolling in front of my eyes for days. The well-known delicacy originated in Sweden.
And it appears that this time of year is theirs. As a matter of fact, why not give them a chance?
I've already set myself the task of making homemade bread and avoiding store-bought bread for a while, so why not use the oven, while it's already hot. 😉
This recipe, like all others, has been modified, and the final outcome is cinnamon-hazelnut rolls.
You will need the following ingredients to make the dough:
1 egg 125 mL milk 125 mL water 40g yeast 50g sugar
90g melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, flour (550 g)
Put all of the dry ingredients in a bowl, then combine the lukewarm milk and water and add to the dry ingredients. Finally, melt the butter (be careful not to overheat it), add to the rest.
It's interesting that I read a couple of recipes on three different websites and compared them all, from the writing style to the way the ingredients are listed and the method of preparation, all of them was basically the same.
I was confused when I discovered that 550 grams of flour was far too much during the dough's preparation. Approximately 100 grams remained in the bowl. Therefore feel free to ditch around 100 gr in case of preparing.
The dough should be smooth and elastic, which we will achieve by kneading for a long time; elasticity is accelerated by breaking down the gluten in the flour. If you have a powerful mixer, feel free to use it.
Place the dough in a warm place to double in size after it has been made. The radiator is my favorite spot.
It's time to make the filling; I made it myself, though the base for all recipes is essentially the same.
powdered sugar (150 g)
2-3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
If you want, you can add a handful of ground hazelnuts ( I did it)
I almost forgot, adding a bit of grated lemon or orange peel will not go wrong - on the contrary, the aroma will not be felt too strongly because cinnamon is one of the stronger spices, but you will enjoy the smell while making the dough.
I divided the dough into two parts because I wanted smaller rolls, but you could also make a large one and get fewer large pieces. Roll out the dough to a maximum thickness of 3-4 cm with a rolling pin, then cover with a mixture of powdered sugar, cinnamon, and milk.
Cut into slices and arrange in a baking pan, leaving some space between each. Of course, I had to put some in muffin cups to see if there was a difference in shape.
Cover them, place them back in a warm place, and give them a few more minutes to grow.
Preheat the oven to 200°F.
They didn't burn, thankfully, but they were over-baked, at least in terms of color. The cocoa in the filling certainly helped with that. There are definitely shape differences; the baskets almost formed roses, while the ones in the pan fit nicely into the width.
The bottom is still a decent color. :P
The team that did not have muffin baskets came out of the oven much fresher, or more prepared to be photographed.
Allow them to cool for a few minutes before sprinkling them with frosting.
Cinnamon rolls are also known for the white glaze that is drizzled on top. There are variations on the theme; some add butter, others mascarpone cheese, and I made something third by adding a piece (about 50 g of feta cheese) to the glaze in addition to the hazelnuts.
I had no idea how good the combination was. If you like less-sweet desserts, don't be concerned about the amount of sugar in the glaze; in this case, the feta cheese neutralized the excess of aggressive sweet artificial taste, added creaminess, little reminds on salted caramel.
