Sunday 10 April 2011

⸨⸩ 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:

8 comments:

  1. Flying the flag for Finland! Great to see some moorish örfilar on your blog. Recipes are for sharing and to experiment with. I still need to make your carrot cake. xx

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  2. They look delicious! I went to Finland in February and it was beautiful! Can't wait to try these out!

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  3. These sound fantastic - I love pastries, I love cardamom and cinnamon is my all time favourite spice. I'm always wary about making yeasted dough as it seems a bit faffy, but I think I really must overcome my reluctance and make these.

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  4. Hanna ~ they are delicious!
    Choclette ~ I sometimes feel that way about bread: all the kneading and knocking back:
    the only faff with these beauties is waiting for the prove:
    if you're home all day anyway then do it do it: they are SO worth it:

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  5. Slapped ear, it sounds so funny in English (: Anyway, I do love them and don´t bake them that much as they would be always gone anyway. But maybe just a few one day soon.

    Thank you so much for your kind and supportive comment and congratulations. Enjoyed to visit your other blog and see the spring arriving to Uk a lot. What a green island you live in (even a very big island).

    Happy new week!

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  6. Certainly takes patience to make. And the translated name 'Slapped ear' would raise a few eyebrows.

    I'm not that keen on cardamon, I think its those 'Indian' spiced teas my mother used to make when I was young that put me off them, but that was a long while ago, I should try cardamon again as my tastes have changed.

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  7. Fantastic, my mother is Finnish and makes these all the time. As naughty children we had 'slapped ears' all the time, and she would pinch my nose too, don't know if there is a pastry called pinched noses though! I'll try this recipe, but not sure if it will be as good as mums!

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  8. with your eclectic palate mangocheeks, I'm surprised you don't like cardamon! I never liked mushrooms as a kid but love them now:
    {still not jazzed by gooseberries though}

    Jome ~ maybe you can get hold of Mum's recipe and share!
    a lovely memory, thank you ☯

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