Cardamom Buns

I'm so excited that we've booked a trip to Copenhagen for February that I just had to bake some buns to celebrate. I love the flavour of cardamom so thought I'd try a variation on the regular cinnamon ones I make.

I must say that sometimes I find making them a labour of love. Although I can't pretend I don't cheat and use the dough hook on my Kitchen Aid. I also leave them to prove overnight in the fridge so they get plenty of time to relax and do their thing. As folding and shaping goes, I've given up trying to tightly roll long lengths of dough and loosing filling whilst slicing.

The method of shaping is a little more relaxed even if it does take more time doing each bun individually.  I take individual strips, cut mostly down the centre to make a dough pair of trousers. Twist each leg, knot a few times and then tuck under and seal underneath.  I prefer this look too!

C A R D A M O M   B U N S
(Makes 12, recipe adapted from BBC)

20 cardamom pods

350ml full fat milk

125g unsalted butter, cubed

500g strong white bread flour

150g golden caster sugar

7g fast action dried yeast

1/2tsp salt

1/2tsp ground cinnamon

vegetable/sunflower oil for greasing

1 egg, beaten

• Break open 10 cardamom pods and add them to the milk in a small pan. Heat gently until the milk starts to steam without boiling. Add 50g butter to the milk and stir until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, 75g sugar, yeast, salt and cinnamon. Add the milk and mix with a dough hook until the ingredients have combined to form a soft ball of dough. Continue to beat for up to 5 minutes until the dough ball is soft, smooth and shiny.
• Lightly oil the edges of the mixing bowl, loosely cover with cling film and leave to prove for 2 hours, until doubled in size. Alternatively, leave to prove overnight in the fridge allowing 30 minutes in the morning for it to get to room temperature.
• Crack the remaining cardamom pods and blitz in a food processing to make a powder. Combine with 75g sugar. In a bowl mix all of the cardamom sugar but 2tbsp with the remaining butter until smooth.
• Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Remove the dough from the bowl onto a well floured work surface. Knock the air out and roll to form a rectangle. Spread the cardamom butter mix over the entire surface of the dough rectangle.
• Longest side facing you, fold the top third down to the centre and the bottom third up, like an envelope. Score 12 even slices before cutting (I find scissors handy). Unfold each individual piece and slice each strip down the centre leaving a little at the end, like a pair of trousers. Twist each half outwards a few times before knotting together and tucking the ends under each bun.
• Place all buns evenly spaced onto the prepared baking trays. Cover the buns with some lightly oiled cling film and leave in a warm place to prove again once again. This time for 30 minutes - 1 hour, until doubled in size.
• Heat the oven to 190 degrees.
• Once the buns have finished their second prove, brush each with beaten egg and scatter over some sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.
• Whilst the buns are baking, tip the reserved 2tbsp of sugar to a pan along with 50ml of water. Bring to the boil and remove to cool. Once the buns are baked, remove to a wire rack and brush with the sugar syrup 2-3 times as they cool.

Buns will keep in an airtight container for a few days, or in the freezer for 6 months - just heat them up in the oven before serving.

Please do send over any Copenhagen recommendations, I'd love to know. In the mean time I'm eating buns every day for breakfast and doughnuts all day long at work because who needs any self control after Christmas? On a more serious note - if anyone has seen my will power...

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