Cinnamon and Walnut Muffins

With a crunchy filling...

Cinnamon and walnut muffins

280 g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
60 g white sugar
1 egg
150 ml sour cream
180 ml milk
60 ml sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla essence

Filling:
85 g light brown soft sugar
85 g chopped walnuts
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Prepare the filling by combining all the ingredients and keep aside.

In a bowl sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and sugar.

In another bowl, beat the egg with a fork and stir in milk, sour cream, oil and vanilla essence.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until just combined.

Spoon half the batter into the muffin cases. Add half of the filling mixture. Spoon the rest of the batter and top with the filling mixture left.

Bake for 23 minutes in a preheated oven (195C).

Another Danish goodie... Kanelsnurrer (Cinnamon buns)

This weekend I've gone for a sweet bread... These buns are really soft and fluffy!
It's another Meyers' recipe, but I've halved it so you get eight buns.

Cinnamon buns

250 ml cold milk
25 g fresh yeast
1 small egg
500 g plain flour
75 g white sugar
7 g salt
6 g ground cardamom
75 g butter

For the filling:
60 g melted butter
75 g white sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

For the topping:
1 egg
Some suggar

Mix the cold milk with the yeast in a bowl. Then add the egg, flour, sugar, salt and cardamom. This has to be mixed until the dough is smooth and shiny, approx 20 minutes on the mixing machine (or by hand if you have the energy!).

Then cut the butter in small dice, add to the dough and mix for another 20 minutes. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rest for 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.

Get the dough out onto a floured surface and roll into a rectangle, approx 25cm x 40cm.

Spread the melted butter on the rolled dough, then sprinkle the sugar and the cinnamon. Fold the dough twice so you get three layers (folding on the 40cm side).

Roll the folded dough again until it's 30 cm x 25 cm. Cut in 8 pieces (which will be 30 cm long).

Now the shaping bit which is a bit tricky... Take each stripe and twist it from the ends, so it looks like a twisted rope. Then holding the stripe with one hand, you need to fold it twice around your index and middle finger and "close" the shape with the hanging bit by pushing it between your fingers.

Put the shaped buns on a baking tray and leave uncovered to rise for approx 2 hours until doubled in size.

Brush the buns with the beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in the oven at 200C for 13 minutes and then leave to cool down on a wire rack.