Countdown to Christmas - Swedish Cardamom Wreaths

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If the aromas coming from fall kitchens give me shivers, I must admit that those drifting from Christmas kitchens make me positively weak-kneed. I think it is the addition of cardamom to the spice mix that does me in. I was raised in a row house that shared a common basement with five other families and during the lead-up to the holidays that basement was the place to be. The baking went on for days at a time, and as the more pedestrian aromas of cinnamon and nutmeg mingled with those of ginger and cloves, the unforgettable fragrance of the spice mix and cardamom actually permeated linens hung to dry. It gave new meaning to the phrase sweet dreams. Our Swedish and German neighbors took Christmas baking to heart and each of them made a version of the cardamom coffee ring I'm featuring today. They differed mainly in the quantity of eggs and butter that was used, but the finished cakes they shared with neighbors were remarkably similar in form and taste. Like many children, I was fascinated with the braiding and twisting that was used to shape the cakes and I loved to see them rise. I suspect my love of bread, the baking and eating of it, had it origins in those kitchens and that basement which captured and held the aromas of Christmas. I, unfortunately, have no vintage recipes to share with today, but this version, which comes from Taste of Home magazine, comes awfully close to the ones I remember. I do hope you'll give it a try. Here is how cardamom wreaths are made.

Swedish Cardamom Wreaths...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients:
4-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2-1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 teaspoons salt
7 to 7-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon milk
Toasted sliced almonds
Coarse or granulated sugar or confectioners' sugar glaze

Directions:
1) In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 3 eggs, evaporated milk, yeast mixture, sour cream, orange peel, cardamom, salt and 6 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
2) Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; turn onto a floured surface. Divide into six portions. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape each portion into a 24-in. rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid. Form into a ring; pinch ends tightly together. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
3) Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
4) Beat milk and remaining egg; brush over wreaths. Sprinkle with almonds and sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 loaves

                    

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Pistachio Coffee Ring

Unshelled Pistachios - Flickr Creative Commons ASA License



Pistachio Kernels - Photobucket Creative Commons ASA License





From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...My husband loves pistachio nuts, so when I saw this recipe I had to give it a try. It was developed by James Beard and I've never been disappointed with his recipes. I think I began this adventure with expectations that were too high. This is the type of bread that old timers called a race track. The race track is formed when a rectangle of dough, covered or smeared with a filling, is rolled into a cylinder that, when cut, will show spiral tracks of whatever was used as a filling. Now comes the hard part. I hate to contradict a master, but Beard thought this to be "one of the best breads of this kind I have ever had." I found this to be a very ordinary bread made expensive by its use of pistachio nuts. There is nothing wrong with it, but neither is there anything here that's worthy of commendation. If you like coffee breads, or are a fan of pistachios, you may like this bread, so I'm posting the recipe with reservations. While it is gorgeous to look at, it's too sweet to be a bread and not sweet enough to be a coffee cake. I'll let you judge for yourself. Here's the recipe.

Pistachio Coffee Ring...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided use
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup warm milk
8 tablespoons softened butter, divided use
2 teaspoons salt
3 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shelled, salted pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
1) Combine yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar and water in a large mixing bowl. Set aside to proof, about 5 minutes. Add milk, 4 tablespoons butter, salt and 1/2 cup granulated sugar to yeast mixture. Add flour, a cup at a time, beating well after each addition. I used 3-1/2 cups flour to mix and 1/2 cup to knead.
2) Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form into a ball, place in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
3) Melt reserved 4 tablespoons butter. Set aside. Grease a cookie sheet or baking pan. Set aside. Punch dough down and turn onto a floured board. Let relax for about 10 minutes. Roll into a 18 x 12-inch rectangle. Brush surface of dough with butter. Sprinkle with reserved sugar and pistachio nuts. Using long end, roll dough as for a jelly roll, sealing each seam as you roll. Join ends of roll and seal together to form a ring. Transfer ring to baking sheet. Slice 2/3 of the way into ring at 3/4-inch intervals. Twist each slice to right so filling is facing upwards. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush surface of ring with beaten egg. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until nicely brown. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 12 servings.

Other coffee rings can be found at:
Recipes for the Future - Almond/Pecan Coffee Ring
Annie's Eats - Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
breadbasketcase - Chocolate Almond Coffee Cake Ring

This recipe is linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting