Glad Kanelbullens Dag!

Leave it the Swedes to invent a holiday for their favorite pastry! On October 4th, as with other modern Swedish traditions (think St. Lucia and Waffle Day), the focus is on food. Cinnamon buns are a national institution in Sweden, but it wasn't until 1999 that Kanelbullens dag (Cinnamon Bun Day) began as a way for Hembakningsrådet (the Home Baking Council) to commemorate their 40th anniversary.

I chose the Joy of Cooking Swedish Coffee Cake dough recipe, which has a super quick knead and calls for lots of butter that is layered and rolled like croissant pastry. The recipe includes cardamom and I added cinnamon to the dough as well. It rises in the refrigerator for several hours and then is rolled thin, brushed with butter, and spread with brown sugar and cinnamon; then rolled the long way then sliced into buns for the final rise. A nice caramel forms under the rolls if you sift a layer of sugar over the buttered bottom. Add a sweet topping of glaze to the cooled buns to make this a special treat for family, friends, and coworkers.