Autumn is here!
It may not be the case wherever you are, but here in Birmingham in the UK, the weather is turning cool, rainy and very autumnal. The same can’t be said for Sofie in Austin, Texas, where it’s definitely cooling down from the terrible summer heat, but it’s not quite fall temperatures yet. That being said, we LOVE the autumn and we have been waiting to share cozy recipes with you! Honestly, it is the best season for “hygge,” or coziness. Nothing is better than wrapping up in a blanket with a mug of tea and a good book while it’s raining outside. And you can’t forget a delicious slice of cake or pastry to really make the most of the cozy vibes!
Today’s Recipe
Needless to say, today’s recipe was inspired by this season. We love taking classic Scandinavian food and putting a fun twist on it, which is how today’s recipe came about. Kanelsnegle (cinnamon snails/rolls) are one of the best pastries in existence, and apple and cinnamon are iconic fall flavors, so how could you go wrong with a combo of the two? This recipe is for apple cinnamon rolls, and honestly, you have to try them.
To us, the worst part about an apple recipe is when it doesn’t really taste like apple. The cinnamon or caramel or whatever other flavor there is completely overpowers the apple, and it becomes almost boring. With this recipe, we set out to make sure that it tasted like apple, which is why it has a bit of grated apple in the dough and bigger chunks of apple in the filling. Don’t worry, the chunks still go a bit soft in the oven, leaving you with a great texture and that delicious fresh and tangy apple flavor! Of course, you can always pre-cook them if you want even softer apples and add more cinnamon or vanilla if you aren’t a fan of the apple flavor like we are.
Making Æblesnegle
If you have made regular cinnamon rolls before, don’t worry, this recipe is pretty much the same. And if you haven’t, then this is the perfect time to try it out! We start by making the dough and letting that have its bulk rise. In the meantime, we mix our filling and prep the apples. We then roll out the dough, top with the filling, and roll this up into a log. The trickiest bit comes next, which involves slicing the log. Some people like to use string or floss to do this, but we find that a sharp, serrated knife also does the trick. Plus, even if they look a bit messy, they are going to rise for a second time, and that usually makes them look pretty again!
Once they have risen for a second time, brush them with egg wash and bake. After they have baked and cooled, we love to top them with a classic icing of powdered sugar and water, with a little bit of cinnamon added! However, I think a caramel or chocolate drizzle would also be a delicious alternative!
You really can’t go wrong with these amazing autumnal cinnamon rolls – try them out and let us know how it goes 😊
Æblesnegle (Apple Cinnamon Rolls)
Ingredients
Dough
- 150 milliliters milk
- 2 tsp instant yeast (2.25 tsp active-dry yeast, 17.5g fresh yeast)
- 1 egg yolk
- 120 grams grated apple; weighed after squeezing out the liquid! (from about 2 medium apples)
- 50 grams sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or vaniljesukker, if you happen to have it!)
- 1/2 tsp cardamom (optional)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 375 grams all-purpose flour
- 42 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg for egg wash
Remonce (Filling)
- 113 grams (one stick) unsalted or salted butter, softened
- 150 grams brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt (if using salted butter, don't add this)
- 190 grams apple, chopped (from 1.5-2 medium apples)
Icing
- Powdered sugar
- Water or milk
- Cinnamon
Instructions
- Heat up the milk, either in the microwave or in a saucepan, until it is "fingervarm" (finger warm), meaning it should feel warm to the touch but not hot. You don't want to kill the yeast! Add the yeast and a bit of the sugar from the recipe and stir to dissolve. Let it rest 5-10 minutes until it begins to froth and bubble a little bit. (If your yeast doesn't do anything, it may be expired. Check the expiration date on the package and start over with new yeast!)
- While the yeast sits, grate a few apples and squeeze out the liquid. If weighing the grated apple, be sure to weigh it after you squeeze out the liquid.
- Combine the egg yolk, grated apple, remaining sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well.
- Add the milk and yeast mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine.
- Slowly add the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon. Once the dough starts to come together, you can start kneading. Note: you may not need to add all of the flour, which is why we recommend adding it slowly and gauging how dry the dough appears. You can always add more flour as you knead, but it's very difficult to get moisture back into the dough once it is too dry.
- Add the softened butter and knead until smooth and elastic, probably around 5-10 minutes. Add a bit of flour if the dough sticks to your hands or the surface. If you prefer not to get your hands messy and covered in butter, feel free to use a stand mixer for this step. The texture of your dough before its first rise should be soft and smooth, not sticky and not too dry.
- Cover and let your dough rise for about 45 minutes, or until doubled in size. You can use the "poke" test to check whether your dough is done rising; if you poke the dough and it leaves an indentation and doesn't spring back immediately, it should be ready!
- For the filling, combine softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and stir together until you get a smooth paste.
- While the dough rises, chop up 1.5-2 medium sized apples into small chunks. If you're not sure about the size of your apples, start with less! You can always chop up more apple to add before you roll up the dough. Cutting them up smaller ensures they soften when they bake.
- Once your dough has doubled in size, roll it out into a rectangle that is about a quarter of an inch (0.5cm) thick (should be about 11" by 16" or 12" by 17" in size).
- Spread your cinnamon and butter filling evenly on top.
- Sprinkle over the apples in an even layer. You may have some apple leftover!
- Roll up the dough into a log. You'll want to roll from the shorter edge of the rectangle, so that your buns have more swirls.
- Cut the log into 1-1.5 inch (3cm) thick pieces; we cut ours into 12 pieces.
- Place the buns (plenty of space in between!) on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Cover the buns loosely with cling film or a clean dishtowel and let them rise another 45 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- You can use the "poke" test to check whether your dough is done rising; if you poke the dough and it leaves an indentation and doesn't spring back immediately, it should be ready! The apples may also "weep" a bit of liquid as they are sitting; we haven't had this cause any issues, but there may be a little bit of liquid around the buns!
- Make your egg wash (1 egg whisked together with a splash of water until there are no more gloopy streaks of egg white), then brush over the buns.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, perhaps a few minutes longer if not using a convection oven. Once they are done, transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes.
- Combine powdered sugar, a bit of cinnamon, and water/milk until you reach your desired icing consistency. Remember, a little bit of liquid goes a long way, so start with a cup of powdered sugar and a tiny bit of water or milk! Pour or drizzle over the kanelsnegle and enjoy!
