A cinnamon roll (also sweet roll, cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl and cinnamon snail) is a sweet pastry served commonly in Northern Europe and North America. It consists of a rolled sheet of yeast dough onto which a cinnamon and sugar mixture (and raisins or chopped grapes in some cases) is sprinkled over a thin coat of butter. The dough is then rolled, cut into individual portions, and baked. In North America, cinnamon rolls are frequently topped with icing (often confectioner's sugar based) or glaze of some sort. In northern Europe, nib sugar is often used instead of icing.
Comparable to the cinnamon roll is the honey bun, which is part of the donut family. It is not to be confused with a Danish pastry.
In Sweden, the country of its presumed origin, the cinnamon roll takes the name of kanelbulle (literally: "cinnamon bun") and on October 4, "kanelbullens dag" (Cinnamon roll day) is celebrated in Sweden.[1] [2] A German variety originating in Hamburg and its surroundings is the Franzbrötchen.
The size of a cinnamon roll varies from place to place, but many vendors supply a smaller size about 5 cm in diameter and a larger size about 10 cm to a side. The largest variety can be found in Finland, called Korvapuusti, where it can be up to 20 cm in diameter and weighing 200 grams (about 7 ounces).[3]
The Finnish "Boston cake" is a "cake" made by baking cinnamon rolls in a round cake pan instead of separated, so that they stick together to form a round cake.[4]
A honey bun is a version of the cinnamon bun that is popular in the southeast United States. According to Mrs. Freshley's website; "A honey bun is a fried yeast pastry that contains honey and a swirl of cinnamon in the dough and is glazed with icing. According to legend, Howard Griffin of Griffin Pie Co. in Greensboro, North Carolina, developed the first honey bun in 1954. Flowers Foods acquired Griffin Pie Co. in 1983. Although the Greensboro bakery is now closed, honey buns remain a best-seller for Flowers." Unlike cinnamon buns, which are generally the product of bakeries, honey buns are common convenience store and vending machine fare. Normally sold individually wrapped, alone or in boxes of 6 or more, they are a popular grab-and-go breakfast, eaten cold or heated in a microwave oven. Honey bun is often an important food item for American prisons.[5]