Cardamon Bread

Photo credit: Larsen's Danish Bakery

 

I love this recipe for Cardamon Bread that I got from Sarah Perkins. It is easy to make and always satisfies! Unfortunately, I’ve become lazy. I live less than a mile away from a Scandinavian bakery that always has cardamon braids and rolls available. This is the same bakery that supplies our church with the breads on Julfest. I like the  braids sliced and slathered with butter and topped with a good cheddar cheese. Though some folks I know think mixing the savory and the sweet is a sin.

This year for Christmas I decided I would buy my cardamon bread. There were plenty of other things that I needed to make from scratch, I could cut corners and not make this. So, at mid-day on Christmas Eve I headed to Larsen’s Bakery "http://www.larsensbakery.com/index.php". The small store front was  packed A line of 30 or 40 people was snaking in front of the display case. Finally, 45 minutes after entering the store I walked out, two loaves of cardamon bread and one loaf of cinnamon bread in hand. 

The next day, as I began to prep the appetizers for the big Christmas dinner, I could not find the cardamon bread. Then I saw an empty bag under the china hutch and another under the table. I had forgotten to move the bread out of the reach of the dogs when we left for the house on Christmas Eve to watch a play at the Seattle Public Theater and consume our traditional Chinese dinner in Seattle’s International District. I had wondered why the dogs were a bit lethargic on Christmas Eve. Interestingly, they left the loaf of cinnamon bread untouched. I guess dogs can have discerning palates!
 
Swedish Cardamon Bread

1 cup milk
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter
½ tsp salt
6-8 cardamom pods, crushed
4 eggs
1 pkg yeast + 1 tsp sugar
5 cups flour
(set yeast in ½ cup hot water)

Scald milk, add butter. Cool to room temperature.

In mixer, beat eggs, add sugar, salt, cardamom, yeast, and milk mixture. Blend in flour and beat well.

Set aside to rise until doubled.

Shape into rolls or braids. Rise again until doubled.

Bake braids at 350F for 15-20 minutes. Bake rolls at 375F for 10-15 minutes.

FROSTING: (double it!)

2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
2 Tbsp milk or cream
½ tsp almond extract