I believe that all Estonians who have read Astrid Lindgren´s Karlsson stories remember how he wrote on the wall to the housekeeper Hildur Bock or Husbocken (Est. Majasokk, English translation Housegoat) "There should be more cinnamon in your damn expensive rolls " (Sinu neetult kallites saiades peaks olema rohkem kaneeli)! Quite right! I have never eaten a cinnamon roll with too much cinnamon in it.
The cinnamon rolls are very popular in the Northern countries of Europe, Estonia included. The memory of the warm buttery cinnamon rolls coming out of the oven is one that stays in the mind for ever and just a thought about these rolls makes people smile. It is difficult, I would say impossible, to eat just one of the freshly baked rolls.
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| Cinnamon rolls, a favourite of millions northerners |
I thought to celebrate this year´s cinnamon roll day a little differently, with pink rolls.
Beetroot cinnamon rolls
Ingredients for the dough:
300g flour
70g sugar
20g fresh yeast
1dl warm milk
1 egg
75g soft butter
a pinch of salt
a pinch of ground cardamom
1 small raw beetroot, finely grated (ca 100-120g)
The filling:
70g soft butter
sugar
cinnamon
Mix the yeast with warm milk. Place the flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the warm milk with yeast, the egg, soft butter, a pinch of salt and the other of cardamom. Add the grated beetroot. Mix the ingredients together until a homogeneous dough is formed.
Cover the bowl with a teatowel and keep it in a warm place (avoid draft!) for about an hour or until the dough has doubled in volume.
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| Be generous with the filling |
Spread some flour on the working table and place the dough in the flour. Roll the dough so that it is covered loosely with flour to avoid sticking to the table. Spread the dough or use the rolling pin to form just about 1cm thick layer. Spread the soft butter more or less evenly on the dough, sprinkle with sugar and as much cinnamon as you like. It is better for the final outcome to be generous with the filling.
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| An way of non-sticky baking |
Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
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| Leave rolls to raise a little more |
Roll the dough lengthwise into a long roulade and cut ca 3cm pieces.
Please them on a baking tray covered with baking paper or use the muffin tray. I used small pieces of baking paper in the muffin tray to avoid sticking. Leave under a teatowel for 20 minutes to raise for the second time.
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| Cinnamon rolls with beetroot |
Cinnamon loaf