#Bullar (Cinnamon buns)

Hello Everyone,

It is about time that I did a post on this delightful childhood memory. Bullar, or cinnamon buns, are delicious (and normally addictive) Swedish pastries. I used to eat these a lot when I was younger and growing up, I learnt how to make them myself at home so that I could enjoy them whenever I wanted to.

These are the ones I made during Christmas but they are nice to make any time of year. To make a batch of 50 Bullar you are going to need;

Ingredients;

For the dough

150 grams Margarine

300 ml Milk

200 ml Water

1/2 tspn Salt

150 ml Golden Syrup (or 150 ml sugar)

1 1/2 tspn Ground Cardamom

1.3 litre Strong White Bread Flour

50 grams Fresh Yeast ( or three satchels of dried yeast if you can't get fresh)

For the filling

100 grams Margarine

100 grams Sugar

2 tbsp Cinnamon

2 tbsp Ground Almonds (Optional)

I know the measurement may seem strange but that's because of the way in which we measure things in Sweden. To get around this, use a measuring jug or the little cup measurers.

To start:

1. Put the oven on 180 degrees centigrades and prepare three trays to start with, placing some baking sheets on top of each.

2. Measure the milk, margarine and water together in a pan (or microwavable bowl) and warm until slightly warm. A test is to put your small finger into the mixture and feel a slight tingling but it shouldn't be burning hot, be very careful not to stick your finger in if it the mixture started to bubble at any point.

3. Using an all in one method, start by measuring three quarters of the flour into a separate bowl (I use a mixer by the way because these is quite a bit of kneading involved).

4. Dig a little ditch in the flour using your baking spatula (or spoon) and crumble in the yeast. Cover the yeast with flour so that nothing else can touch it.

5. In the same bowl, pour in the golden syrup (or sugar), salt and cardamom on the opposite side to where you put the yeast.

6. Using the mixer, begin at a moderate speed and pour in the milk and margarine mixture, which should still be warm, at a slow and steady rate. Sometimes, depending on the type of flour that you use, you might not need all the liquid, so go slowly and don't pour it all in, in case you don't need it. The dough should look slightly sticky but not what I call 'porridge-wet' after you have poured in the mixture. Continue to knead it for ten minutes. The dough should be smooth, soft and bouncy to touch.

7. Dust the finished dough lightly with flour and cover with a layer of cling film and three layers of kitchen towel or even your apron (I should mention at this point that if the bowl you used to knead in is quite small, transfer to a much larger bowl now, because the dough needs room to expand[butter the bowl first though] ). The warmer the better. Place in a warm place in your house, like next to a radiator if like me, you don't have one of those lovely warming cupboards, and let it sit for two hours.

8. In the meantime, mix together the butter, sugar and cinnamon into a thick smooth spread and leave until later.

9. Once it has doubled in size, punch it back down into the bowl and knead it out slightly to get any air bubbles out. Split the dough in two and cover the potion you are not using yet. With your remaining half, begin to roll it out into a rectangular shape that is about 1 cm thick.

10. Spread a generous amount of the cinnamon mix onto the rolled out dough using your baking spatula or butter knife until covered then beginning from the top most part of the dough furthest from you, start rolling the dough together. It's a bit like rolling a Swiss roll, but easier!

11. Using a knife, slice the dough into 2 cm wide disks and place onto the baking trays. Cover with cling film and kitchen towel again, to prove for 30 mins. Repeat process for second half of the dough.

12. Using a brush, lightly spread a mixture of 1 beaten egg and some milk (omit the egg if you are allergic) and place in the oven for 20-30 mins until golden brown and leave to cool on a cooling wrack.

And that's it, fresh yummy bullar for everyone to enjoy. You will notice I didn't say anything about the sugar crystals I place onto the buns. This is because they are not sold here in Britain [I've looked all over for 10 years] and the only place to buy them is in specialist Swedish shops. But a variation in sweden is to top these with flaked almonds which tastes just as wonderful, especially with a cup of coffee or strawberry juice.

Enjoy!

Festival Cake

Hi everyone,

I think a new post has been long over due. To commemorate the oncoming festivities this season and bring out the inner fun in you. Here is a recipe to get your mouth watering.

Enjoy!

 

To make this delicious festive cake you will need;

For the cake:

 375g Soft Butter
375g  Sugar (I used golden caster sugar)
5 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon Orange Extract or grate some orange zest
375g Self-raising flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder (it will come out softer)
50ml Milk

For the icing;

200g Soft Butter (room temperature) 
600g of Icing sugar
25ml of Milk
Half a jar of Jam (I used a Strawberry and Raspberries mix)

To Decorate;

Your choice of delicious sweets!

You need;

two or three 20cm loose bottomed tins (depending on how many layers you want) greased with butter and lined with baking or greaseproof paper.

1) Pre-heat the oven to 180C (Gas Mark 4).
2)Cream butter, sugar and vanilla and orange extract (or zest) together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
3)Beat in one egg at a time, being careful to over whisk the eggs as this will prevent the cake from rising properly. (it is easier if you are using a machine as the egg will blend quicker with the butter mixture) 
4) Sift the flour into the mixture. It is important to sieve your flour at this point because it ensures we get as much air into the cake as possible. Gently fold the mixture into all the ingredients are well incorporated. Add the milk in at this stage.
5) Once well mixed, evenly divide your mixture between the two/three tins and smooth the mixture out with a baking spatula. 
6) Bake in the oven for 40-45 mins (This might be less if you have a really powerful oven, but as a general rule, cakes should take three quarters of an hour to cook.) The cakes are ready when they are firm to the touch and bounce back slightly. Take a small knife through the middle of the cake to make sure, it should come out clean.
7) Cool on a wire rack for a few hours. The cake should not emit any heat at all before you start icing.
8)To make the butter cream icing; mix the butter and milk together until incorporated and gradually sieve the icing sugar into the butter whilst mixing. (I find this easier to do with a mixer, as it can take a while by hand) The icing is ready when it is slightly stiff, smooth and free from lumps.
9)To decorate, add butter cream and jam first to the top of the first cake, then place the second cake on top and cover the top of this with more butter cream (repeat the first step if you have more layers). Evenly spread the sides with butter cream and even the entire cake surface out with a bent palette knife, then pipe on a design of your choice, then finish it off with sweets of your choice ;-)


The cake will keep well for 4 days, if kept in the fridge.