Cream-filled Danish Swirls

Cream-filled Danish swirls, also known as “Danish swirls” or “Kanelbullar” in the cinnamon-spiced version, are a staple in Nordic pastry, similar to the well-known “cinnamon rolls.” This version will include a creamy touch, to make them even more tempting.

Ingredients

• 500 g of 00 flour
• 250 ml of lukewarm milk
• 12 g of fresh yeast
• 100 g of sugar
• 100 g of softened butter
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch of salt
• Zest of 1 lemon (for an aromatic note)

For the custard:

• 250 ml of milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 70 g of sugar
• 20 g of flour
• 1 vanilla pod

For the icing:

• 100 g of icing sugar
• A few tablespoons of water or lemon juice

Preparation

1. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk with a teaspoon of sugar.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the remaining sugar, the softened butter, the egg, the pinch of salt, and the lemon zest.
3. Add the milk with the yeast to the flour mixture and knead until you have a smooth dough.
4. Let it rise in a warm, draught-free place for about an hour or until it has doubled in volume.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the custard by heating the milk with the vanilla. Whisk the yolks with the sugar, then add the sifted flour. Gradually pour in the hot milk, mixing, and then put back on the heat until the cream thickens. Let it cool.
6. Roll out the dough into a rectangle, spread the custard on top, and roll up along the long side, then cut into slices about 2 cm thick.
7. Place the swirls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, let rise again for 30 minutes.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
9. For the icing, mix the icing sugar with water or lemon juice until you have a thick but pourable consistency. Pour the icing over the swirls while they are still warm.

Curiosity

In Scandinavia, these sweets are typically enjoyed during “fika,” which is a break time to enjoy coffee and something sweet with friends or colleagues. The cream swirls can be enriched with additions like raisins or cinnamon, for variations on the traditional theme.

I remind you that, as a variation of a foreign recipe, I brought the recipe closer to Italian habits and tastes, for example by adding lemon zest to the dough for a touch of freshness and aroma. Buon appetito!