Voisilmäpulla – Finnish Cardamom Buns

While we are chilling at our favorite cabin by the sea and celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary today I invite you to a virtual kaffeeklatsch with some Voisilmäpulla – Finnish Caradmom Buns.

As tradition has it I’ve been celebrating our anniversary on the blog with a Finnish recipe. Why Finnland you may ask. Well we received a surprise honeymoon trip to Finnland for our wedding and I love to relive that week, learn more about the culture and the dishes.

Here are the ingredients:

For dough:

• 250 ml lukewarm milk
• 1 package dry yeast (for 500 g flour)
• 100 gr. butter
• 70 g sugar – I substituted with erythritol
• 1 tbsp cardamom
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp salt
• 500 gr. all-purpose flour – and a little more until dough was perfect

For filling:

• 500 gr. butter, very soft
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1-2 tsp vanilla sugar / one package of vanilla sugar
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 egg to wash
• pearl sugar to sprinkle on top

Let’s do some baking

1. In a large mixing bowl combine lukewarm milk and yeast. Whisk and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
2. Melt butter and let it cool.
3. Add sugar and cardamom into milk mixture and whisk a little.
4. Add egg, salt. Slowly add in butter. Butter might still be warm so be sure to be constantly whisking while adding it, otherwise you might accidentally cook the egg.
5. Add flour little by little while whisking in between each batch.
6. After adding all the flour continue kneading by hand. or machine – the longer the better but make it at least 5 minutes. Put the bowl in a warm spot in your kitchen and let it rise to be double in size.
7. While you are waiting for dough to rise, make the filling. Add sugar, vanilla sugar and cardamom to soft butter and mix them all using a fork or a spoon to get a smooth cream.
8. Put the buttery cream on a piece of plastic wrap and shape it into a thin log. Put the log in the freezer until you need it.
9. When the dough is doubled, take it out of the bowl.
10. Lightly flour your work surface. Transfer the dough gently onto the surface and make little balls.
11. Put the balls on baking trays with baking sheet on. Cover with clean kitchen towels and let them proof for 30 minutes.

I prefer making yeast dough the night before and just let it rest in the oven (not heated) until I am ready to bake in the morning. I usually have the buns formed already. Makes for wonderful Sunday brunch.

12. Preheat the oven to 225C.

13. When the oven is ready and dough balls rise for 30 minutes, prepare them for oven: using your thumb, make a deep well in the middle of each bun.

14. Brush the surface of the buns with beaten egg.

14. Take butter filling out of freezer and cut equal size pieces. Put one piece of butter filling into each hole.

15. Sprinkle pearl sugar on the bun.

16. Put the buns in the oven, in middle rack and bake for 12-15 minutes, until they nicely brown.

Now enjoy these Voisilmäpulla – Finnish Cardamom Buns while still slightly warm. They are best when fresh from the oven.

I have quite a collection of previous recipes. So much so that we can through a real big party. I can recommend them all. Like Pannakakku which I made earlier this week – a favorite of the husband. I also really like the Lohekeiito – it’s been too long since I made that one.

Have you ever had a Finnish dish? Which one would you make yourself if you had to pick one? Do you have a special tradition on your anniversary? Is there a food that is linked to your wedding or an anniversary?