⸨⸩ nordic noms

I was curious when my Finnish friend Anna

mentioned she had baked some 'slapped ears':

she described these little spiced buns

that are shaped as their name implies:

how delighted I was when she gave me the

recipe, written on a paper bag

complete with diagrams for rolling and

cutting:

Anna says they can be frozen then gently

reheated in the oven for unexpected guests:

korvapuusti {slapped ears}

you will need ~ 

for the dough ....

570ml luke warm milk

150g caster sugar

45g fresh yeast {or dried equivalent}

1 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds

180g melted butter

1 medium egg

1kg plain flour

for the filling ....

100g softened unsalted butter

150g soft brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

to make the dough

put the  flour into a big bowl then add the

milk, sugar, yeast cardamon, egg

and melted butter:

gradually incorporate all the ingredients 

and mix until it forms a ball:

sprinkle the top with a little flour

cover with a teatowel and leave

in a warm place for about an hour:

after an hour, punch down the dough lightly

and flour your worktop surface:

using a rolling pin, roll your dough

into a large rectangle 

{about half a cm thick, 30 x 80 cms}

now the filling

spread the butter evenly all over the dough

and sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar:

you could add some grated apple too:

roll the dough up from the long side

and cut into triangles about 6cms on the

longest side:

{with the longest side downwards}

press them in the middle so 

the sides protrude a little:

transfer the buns onto lined baking trays

⬆ Anna's little drawing shows 

how to cut and press your ear shapes:

cover with a teatowel and leave in a 

warm place to prove again:

Anna glazes hers with a beaten egg and

sprinkles with pearl sugar: 

preheat the oven to 220°c/ gas 7

bake your 'ears' for 15 ~ 20 minutes

until nicely browned:

{watch them though as they can burn real quick!}

while they were cooking I heated a tablespoon of fresh 

lemon juice with a couple of tablespoons of

caster sugar:

remove the 'ears' from the oven and brush with the glaze:

as you can see, one of them got a bit

brown!

still tasted gorgeous and best eaten warm: