Danish Cinnamon Twist (Kanelstang)

Traditional recipe for Danish Cinnamon Twist also known as Kanelstang. This recipe is is an old
fashion recipe which has been made in Denmark for many years. Simple, easy-to-make and very
delicious.
Prep Time45 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 45 mins
Course: Danish Pastry, Dessert
Cuisine: Danish
Keyword: Nordic dessert
Servings: 10 people
Author: NordicFoodLiving.com

Ingredients

Dough:

 1 oz active dry yeast or 1/2 oz instant dry yeast - alternative to fresh yeast
 1 1/4 cups milk
 2 eggs
  3 tbsp sugar
 1 tsp salt
 1 tsp ground cardamom
 18 oz all-purpose flour

Vanilla Cream:

 1 portion vanilla cream

Filling:

 7 oz butter, soft
 7 oz brown sugar
 4 tbsp ground cinnamon

Decoration:

 1 egg (beaten)
 some sugar icing
 4 oz chopped hazelnuts

Vanilla Cream:

1. Start by making a portion of vanilla cream. You can use the powder vanilla cream from
the super market which only needs to be mixed with milk. However, I strongly
recommend to make your own and homemade vanilla cream. You can follow my recipe
for vanilla cream which is super easy.

Vanilla Cream Ingredients

 4 tbsp sugar

 2 tbsp corn starch

 1 1/4 cups milk 1.5%

 seeds from a vanilla bean

Instructions

1. Put all the ingredients in a sauce pan including the empty vanilla bean. Whisk it well
together.

2. Heat up on medium heat, while whisking constantly, until the cream is boiling and
getting thicker.
 3. When the cream has your preferred consistency; take it off the heat and pour it in a bowl.

4. Remove the empty vanilla bean and let the cream cool off.

Dough:

1. Warm the milk and pour it in a large bowl. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk. If
you are using dry/active yeast, add this later together with the flour. 
2. In the milk; add sugar, salt, cardamom, and the eggs. Stir well.
3. Add the flour stepwise and knead well. Continue adding flour until the dough does not
stick to your fingers anymore. The same applied to dough mixed using a stand mixer.
4. Cover the bowl with a clean dishcloth and set aside some place warm. Let it rise for about
30 minutes.

Filling:

1. While the dough is rising; In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the filling. Set
aside.

The Danish Cinnamon Twist (Kanelstang):

1. Knead the risen dough a little and divide it into two equally sized pieces.
2. Using a rolling pin; roll out the two dough pieces into two rectangles (35x45 cm - 14x18
inch).
3. Equally distribute the filling and the vanilla cream on the two rectangles. Start with the
filling.
4. Roll the dough together into two logs.
5. Use a pair of scissors; snip half way through the logs and fold the dough to one side.
Continue snipping and folding the dough with a distances between each snip of about 2
cm (3/4 inch). See the picture in this recipe for better understanding.
6. Beat an egg and brush the cinnamon twists with it. Sprinkle the twists with chopped
hazelnuts.
7. Preheat the oven to 200 C (400 F) and bake the twists one-by-one for about 20 minutes. 
8. When the twists are baked and cooled off; decorate them with icing.