I’m making cinnamon rolls the Scandinavian way today. Seriously delicious.

I saw this recipe on the Norwegian food blog Matmisjonen a while ago, translated it loosely, printed it out, and saved it for a rainy day… like today, when it is cold, gray, and rainy and cinnamon rolls would be the perfect thing.

I had a few adjustments to make, including the number it makes: I got 26. I’m still figuring out the equivalent of 1kg flour… I hope I have it right now. This conversion site has it as 1 kg = 8 cups, but that was clearly too much the first time around. The second time, 8 cups was just fine. Feel free to adjust my estimation as you see fit.

Cinnamon Twists
6-8 cups all-purpose flour
3-4 tsp ground cardamom
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
1.5 Tbsp dry active yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
6 dl lukewarm milk (your Pyrex measuring cup should also have deciliters on it)
2/3 c butter at room temperature and in chunks
1/2 cup melted butter, cinnamon, and white sugar for filling
Pearl sugar for topping (optional)

In an electric mixer with the paddle, mix yeast and milk with 2 T sugar and let proof for 5 minutes. Add the egg, cardamom, salt, and sugar. Start the mixer and add flour a cup at a time. Switch to the dough hook when it gets thick. Add the butter chunks and mix on medium-high for 7-10 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic and let rise till doubled (about 1 hour).

Place half the dough on a floured board and roll out to a large rectangle about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle generously with sugar and cinnamon. Fold the rectangle in thirds using the long sides so you have a long, thin rectangle. Using a very sharp knife (or thread) cut into strips about 1+ inch thick. Pull the three-ply strips, twist the two ends in opposite directions, then fold the ends around and tuck one end up into the center to make a bun shape. (See the Matmisjonen link above for more pictures. You can also look at “How to Twist a Cinnamon Bun” by Brontë Aurell on YouTube.) Repeat with remaining dough and place them on a large baking sheet covered in a silicone mat. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 420F. Brush with the rest of the melted butter and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake them for 10-15 minutes, rotating trays halfway through and watching so they don’t burn.

Variations: I also tried making half the dough with raspberry jam instead of cinnamon. (I still used some butter and a little sugar.) They were a total mess to twist and shape, but are still very, very tasty.

The last picture is of chocolate-almond twists. I melted 1/3 cup butter and mixed in 2oz almond paste, then spread that on the rolled-out dough. I sprinkled Trader Joe’s almond meal and chopped chocolate chips down the middle before folding, cutting and twisting.

Enjoy!

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