Danish Cinnamon Snails

Recipe View Activate the Yeast: In a mixing bowl, pour in the warm milk and crumble the yeast cakes into it. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Combine the milk and yeast in the bowl. Add the softened butter, eggs, sugar, cardamom, salt, and 3 1/2 cups of flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour until it pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (5 minutes)

Recipe View First Rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size. (30 minutes)

Recipe View Prepare the Filling: In a separate bowl, beat together the softened butter and sugar until light and creamy. Stir in the ground cinnamon until well combined. Set aside. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Shape the Snails: Lightly flour a clean work surface. Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead for about 3 minutes until firm and elastic. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Spread each rectangle evenly with half of the cinnamon-butter filling. (15 minutes)

Recipe View Stack and Roll: Carefully stack the dough rectangles on top of each other, filling-side up. Starting with the edge closest to you, tightly roll the dough into a log. Use a sharp knife or dough scraper to cut the log into 1-inch-thick slices. (10 minutes)

Recipe View Second Rise: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease a baking dish or two cake pans. Place the cinnamon roll slices on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart. For pull-apart rolls, arrange them in the prepared baking dish or cake pans, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Let the rolls rest at room temperature for 20 minutes to allow for a second rise. (20 minutes)

Recipe View Bake: Bake the rolls in the preheated oven until golden brown. For individual rolls, this should take about 10 minutes. For pull-apart rolls, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) after the initial 10 minutes and continue baking until the sides are fully set, about 10 minutes more. If the rolls are browning too quickly, cover them loosely with aluminum foil. (20 minutes)

Recipe View Cool and Enjoy: Remove the baked cinnamon snails from the oven and let them cool slightly on a wire rack before serving. Enjoy warm with coffee or tea.