Cinnamon Hearts for Valentine's Day (and Beyond)
·Make the yeast starter
Warm the milk until lukewarm. Stir in a spoonful of sugar, then crumble in the yeast. Leave it in a warm spot for a few minutes until bubbles form on the surface — that's your sign the starter is ready.
Prepare the dough
Mix the sugar, cardamom and a pinch of salt into the flour. Pour in the melted margarine and crack in the egg. Add the starter and knead into a soft dough.
Let the dough rise
Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap and leave the dough to rise for about an hour, until it has doubled in size.
Make the cinnamon filling
Melt the margarine and stir in the sugar and cinnamon.
Divide the dough
Once risen, divide the dough into two portions and work with them one at a time.
Cut out the strips
Roll out one half of the dough into a rectangle with the longer side measuring about 25 cm. Spread with half of the cinnamon filling. Cut the dough into strips 2 cm wide and 25 cm long.
Shape the hearts
Roll each strip inward from both ends toward the middle. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pinch one end into a point to form a heart shape. One batch of dough makes about two trays of hearts, roughly 20 pieces in total.
Bake
Bake in an oven preheated to 180 °C for 15–20 minutes, until golden.
