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:
