![]() A Swedish cinnamon bun or kanelbulle with pearl sugar | |
Alternative names | Cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl, cinnamon Danish, cinnamon snail |
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Type | Sweet roll |
Place of origin | ![]() |
Region or state | Northern Europe |
Main ingredients | Flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter (or any other solid fat) |
A cinnamon roll (also known as cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl, cinnamon Danish and cinnamon snail) is a sweet roll commonly served in Northern Europe (mainly in Nordic countries, but also in Austria, Estonia and Germany) and North America. In Sweden it is called kanelbulle, in Denmark it is known as kanelsnegl, in Norway it is known as kanelbolle, skillingsbolle, kanelsnurr, or kanel i svingene, in Finland it is known as korvapuusti, in Iceland it is known as kanilsnúður, and in Estonia it is known as kaneelirull. [1] [2] [3] In Austria and Germany, it is called Zimtschnecke. In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, it is called osie hniezdo/vosí hnízdo (meaning 'wasp nest').
A cinnamon roll consists of a rolled sheet of yeast-leavened dough onto which a cinnamon and sugar mixture (and brown sugar, raisins or other ingredients in some cases) is sprinkled over a thin coat of butter. The dough is then rolled, cut into individual portions and baked. The deep fried version is cinnamon roll or cinnamon bun doughnut. Its main ingredients are flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter, which provide a robust and sweet flavor.
Roman spice traders introduced the Sri Lankan cinnamon spice to Europe.
The spice later began to be used in Swedish pastries, with the modern kanelbulle (lit. ''cinnamon bun'') being created after the first world war. Since 1999, [4] [5] October 4 has been promoted as Cinnamon Roll Day (Kanelbullens dag), a national theme day, acknowledged by a significant portion of the Swedish population. [6] [7] Swedish kanelbulle dough typically also contains cardamom (powder or buds), giving it a distinctive flavour.
The size of a cinnamon roll varies from place to place, but many vendors supply a smaller size about 5 centimeters (2.0 in) in diameter and a larger size about 10 cm (3.9 in) to a side. The larger variety can be found in Finland, called korvapuusti (lit. 'a 'cuff on the ear'', fig. "pulling someone's ear for disciplining"), where it can be up to 20 cm (7.9 in) in diameter and weigh up to 200 g (7.1 oz). [8]
Haga, a district in Gothenburg, Sweden, is well known for its very large cinnamon rolls. These cinnamon rolls are called hagabullar or Queen of the Kitchen. Hagabullar are usually 30 centimeters (12 in) or more in diameter and are, despite their size, not considered a communal roll. [9]
The Swedish Butterkaka and Finnish bostonkakku ("Boston cake") is a cake made by baking cinnamon rolls in a round cake pan instead of baking them separately, so that they stick together to form a large, round cake. [10]
A German variety, which closely follows the form of the Scandinavian pastry, originating in Hamburg and its surroundings is the Franzbrötchen , a cinnamon pastry inspired by the non-cinnamon French croissant.
American cinnamon rolls are frequently large, baked in a pan and topped with icing (usually confectioners' sugar-based) and are sometimes fried, finished with glaze, and served as a variation of a raised donut. There are also regional combinations: in the American Midwest, especially Nebraska and Kansas, cinnamon rolls are commonly eaten with chili. [11]
In Canada, they are known as cinnamon rolls or cinnamon buns. They are usually self-glazed and not iced, nor do they usually have raisins. [12] [13] They can have so much cinnamon that they are spicy and hot to the taste.
In Austria and Germany they are widely available at supermarkets and bakeries. Along with Topfengolatsche, Buttercroissant and Faschingskrapfen they are a typical pastry to have with afternoon coffee.
In Slovakia, these pastries are usually shaped into small, round forms resembling beehives or wasps' nests. In the Czech Republic, they can also be found in a conical spiral shape. It is most often filled with cinnamon filling, or it may have nut, cocoa or vanilla pudding. Typical ingredients include wheat flour, milk, butter, sugar, eggs and yeast. Cinnamon buns are particularly popular during the Christmas season in both Slovakia and the Czech Republic. They form part of the traditional Christmas baking repertoire in many households, alongside other festive treats like vanilla crescents (vanilkové rožteky) and linzer cookies.
In Sweden and Finland, cinnamon rolls are traditionally enjoyed during a fika, which is a get-together, including consumption of coffee and or baked goods. A fika is typically had in the afternoon. By coworkers during a break, by friends or by family. National Cinnamon Bun Day (Kanelbullens dag) is observed on October 4 in Sweden and Finland. [14]
In Denmark, cinnamon buns are especially popular on Wednesdays, where an extra large variant called the Wednesday snail is sold. This tradition was especially invented during the 1990s [15] where the national football team usually played their games on Wednesdays.
In North America, it is commonly eaten for breakfast or dessert. When eaten for a breakfast in the U.S., it may be served with cream cheese frosting. [16]
A cookie or biscuit is a baked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat, and sweet. It usually contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of oil, fat, or butter. It may include other ingredients such as raisins, oats, chocolate chips, or nuts.
Swedish cuisine is the traditional food of Sweden. Due to Sweden's large north-to-south expanse, there are regional differences between the cuisine of North and South Sweden.
A Danish pastry is a multilayered, laminated sweet pastry in the viennoiserie tradition. It is thought that some bakery techniques were brought to Denmark by Austrian bakers, and originated the name of this pastry. The danish recipe is however different from the Viennese one and has since developed into a Danish specialty.
A semla, vastlakukkel, laskiaispulla, Swedish eclair, fastlagsbulle/fastelavnsbolle or vēja kūkas is a traditional sweet roll made in various forms in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Estonia, and Latvia, associated with Lent and especially Shrove Tuesday in most countries, Shrove Monday in Denmark, parts of southern Sweden, Iceland and Faroe Islands or Sunday of Fastelavn in Norway. In Sweden it is most commonly known as just semla, but is also known as fettisdagsbulle, lit. 'Fat Tuesday bun' or 'Shrove Tuesday bun'. In the southern parts of Sweden, as well as in Swedish-speaking Finland, it is known as fastlagsbulle. In Poland it is known as ptyś. In Estonia it is called vastlakukkel. In Norway and Denmark it is called fastelavnsbolle. In Iceland, it is known as a bolla and served on Bolludagur. In Faroe Islands it is called Føstulávintsbolli, and is served on Føstulávintsmánadagur. In Latvia, it is called vēja kūkas. Semla served in a bowl of hot milk is hetvägg.
A rusk is a hard, dry biscuit or a twice-baked bread. It is sometimes used as a teether for babies. In some cultures, rusk is made of cake, rather than bread: this is sometimes referred to as cake rusk. In the UK, the name also refers to a wheat-based food additive.
Czech cuisine has both influenced and been influenced by the cuisines of surrounding countries and nations. Many of the cakes and pastries that are popular in Central Europe originated within the Czech lands. Contemporary Czech cuisine is more meat-based than in previous periods; the current abundance of farmable meat has enriched its presence in regional cuisine. Traditionally, meat has been reserved for once-weekly consumption, typically on weekends.
A teacake in England is generally a light yeast-based sweet bun containing dried fruit, typically served toasted and buttered. In the U.S. teacakes can be cookies or small cakes. In Sweden, they are soft, round, flat wheat breads made with milk and a little sugar, and used to make buttered ham or cheese sandwiches. In India and Australia, a teacake is more like a butter cake. Tea refers to the popular beverage to which these baked goods are an accompaniment.
A saffron bun, Cornishtea treat bun or revel bun, is a rich, spiced yeast-leavened sweet bun that is flavoured with saffron and contains dried fruit including currants and raisins similar to a teacake. The main ingredients are plain flour, butter, yeast, caster sugar, currants and sultanas. Larger versions baked in a loaf tin are known as saffron cake.
A nut roll is a pastry consisting of a sweet yeast dough that is rolled out very thin, spread with a nut paste made from ground nuts and a sweetener like honey, then rolled up into a log shape. This 'log' is either left long and straight or is often bent into a horseshoe shape, egg washed, baked, and then sliced crosswise. Nut rolls resemble a jelly roll but usually with more layers of dough and filling, and resemble strudels but with fewer and less delicate dough layers. Fillings commonly have as their main ingredient ground walnuts or poppy seeds.
Kue is an Indonesian bite-sized snack or dessert food. Kue is a fairly broad term in Indonesian to describe a wide variety of snacks including cakes, cookies, fritters, pies, scones, and patisserie. Kue are made from a variety of ingredients in various forms; some are steamed, fried or baked. They are popular snacks in Indonesia, which has the largest variety of kue. Because of the countries' historical colonial ties, Koeé (kue) is also popular in the Netherlands.
Bread is a staple food of Finland. It is served with almost every meal and many different types are produced domestically.
Cardamom breads, including the Finnish pulla and Swedish kardemummabröd and kardemummabullar, are a group of enriched breads or pastry flavored with cardamom. They are eaten throughout the year, typically with coffee or tea.
The poppy seed roll is a pastry consisting of a roll of sweet yeast bread with a dense, rich, bittersweet filling of poppy seed. An alternative filling is a paste of minced walnuts, or minced chestnuts.
Butterkaka, or systerkaka is a pastry composed of rolled buns. The buns are made in the usual way, similar to cinnamon rolls, by rolling out the yeast dough, adding the almond–cinnamon filling, rolling it up, and cutting the log into smaller rolls. These are laid beside each other, with one cut surface down, in a baking pan, and during the process of rising and baking, the buns stick together. Butterkaka is often garnished with vanilla custard and glaze.
A Heißwecke, HICE-veck-ə,, also called a Heißewecke or Hedewig, is a traditional type of currant bun within the German-speaking region of Europe that goes back to at least to the Late Middle Ages. In North and Northwest Germany it is eaten before the beginning of the pre-Easter fasting period known as Lent, especially from Rose Monday (Rosenmontag) to Ash Wednesday (Aschermittwoch). It is a sweet bread roll made with milk and wheat flour that is eaten hot, hence the name: Heißwecken literally means "hot rolls". Heißwecken are predominantly eaten in the area influenced by the Hanseatic League i.e. most of northern Europe from what is now the Netherlands to Poland and the Baltic Sea coast. It has numerous dialectical names that are almost all derived from the term Heißwecken. The most common are Hedewäggen, Hetwegge, Heiteweggen and Heetwich.