Swedish Cinnamon Knots
Cinnamon Knots
The better part of September and October are always hectic in our family. Over the course of six weeks, we celebrate our wedding anniversary, our three children’s and two of my closest friends’ birthdays. By the end of it all, I’ve usually had more than my fair share of streamers, popping balloons and layer cakes.
However, riding right on the heels of our busy time, is my godchild Ester’s birthday, too. Because Ester’s mom is Danish, delicious, airy whipped cream and fresh fruit layer cakes are always served at the birthday party. However, according to Ester’s Swedish father, there’s no need to eat cake – Swedish cinnamon buns, or kanelbullar, are what a special day like this calls for.
Luckily for us, Ester’s dad is a master at making the buns. A few years back, I helped him make some, and it was amazing to see how with just a handful of common ingredients, he produced the most soft and flavorful sweet treats.
Unlike the American cinnamon buns I grew up on in Ohio, traditional Swedish cinnamon buns are generally less sweet and gooey, with no icing, but just a sprinkle of sugar on top. Basically, it’s a sweetened bun, not a dessert-like pastry, and so after six weeks of indulging in loads of sweetness, a Swedish bun wins over another serving of cake every time.
When we opened Kantine four months ago, it seemed only fitting to include cinnamon buns on the menu, and we now produce dozens and dozens of a variation called cinnamon knot each week. It’s the exact same dough and filling as the swirled, common bun, but because of a unique shaping technique, the finished bun resembles a pile of silky ribbons instead.
While making the recipe is easy enough for the home cook, twisting and tying the dough is a little tricky to try and explain in words, so we’ve included a short video below that shows you how to twist and tie the dough so it looks just like the real thing.
[tasty-recipe id="2296"]