December 20-- Advent at ADAFT 2015!

Cinnamon is a big deal in Denmark, featuring prominently in baked goods. This caused a friend from South Africa to comment on how Danish baking all tasted like Christmas baking. A year or two ago, this proud tradition came under threat when new EU policies (based on some evidence that eating too much cinnamon can cause some health problems) limited the amount of cinnamon that can be put into baked goods.

Fortunately, member countries could apply for exemptions for seasonal items and cultural significant baked goods. Denmark sought an exemption for their cinnamon snails. We all breathed a big sigh of relief when it was granted.

Anyway, this time of year, some baked goods use a bit more cardamom. That follows in a tradition from Sweden, where cardamom features heavily. I had the opportunity to try a Swedish cardamom bun a while back, and let me tell you, it's not for the faint of heart. After eating it, I felt like I had a cardamom pod tucked into each cheek for the next three hours. Crazy.