This is not a breadmachine recipe but I used the Dough cycle of my
breadmachine and made a beautiful, exceptionally delicious bread with a
soft, tender crumb. This recipe definitely goes in my Favorite Recipes booklet.
Took 2 jelly rolled up ropes and twisted them and put to rise in a large
round cake pan. It rose quite a bit over the pan and came out looking like
a huge crown. My tip is to bake in a large springform pan so that it isalot
easier to take out of the pan. I greased my cake pan well but it stuck but
I was still able to pull it out with a little work.
Below are the original instructions and then below them are my instructions
of how I prepared it. This recipe was absolutely wonderful.And definitely
serve with the Almond Butter. That just finishes it off beautifully.
I used cardamom not nutmeg and these are two very different flavors so I
can't say what it would taste like with nutmeg. Cardamom is a very
expensive spice but boy am I glad I bought it -- this recipe is definitely
worth spending the money for cardamom. The bad part is I can't stop eating it.
I had some leftover frozen Almond Cardamom Crumb Streusal from some Almond
Pull Apart Rolls I had made back in December so I decided to use it to fill
the bread. This to me just gave it a nice, subtle, extra flavor. It does
have quite a few ingredients so maybe just a brown sugar/cardamom mixture
(w ith only maybe 1/4 tsp cardamom as it is very strong) similar to the
ones used in cinnamon rolls with brown sugar/cinnamon would also work just
as well. Or just plain like the original recipe with the almond butter is
probably good. I also put a glaze on top. Below is the recipe and then my
changes.
Braided Cardamom Bread
Flavored with cardamom, this favorite Scandinavian coffee bread tastes
wonderful served with Amaretto Butter.
BREAD
4 to 4 1/2 cups Flour (I had to use the 4 1/2 cups)
2 pkg. Active Dry Yeast (I used 3 tsp)
1/2 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cardamom or Nutmeg
1 cup Water, heated to 120 to 130 F.
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, melted
3 Eggs
TOPPING
1 Egg
1 Tbsp. Milk
1/4 cup sliced Almonds
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large mixing bowl,
combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt and cardamom or nutmeg. Add hot
water, margarine and eggs. Mix at low speed until moistened; beat 2 minutes
at medium speed. Stir in 2 to 2 1/2 cups flour to form stiff dough. Cover
tighly with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 4 days.
Grease 2 cookie sheets. On lightly floured surface, divide chilled doughin
half; divide each part into thirds. On a lightly floured surface, roll each
piece into a 16-inch rope. Place 3 ropes lengthwise on each greased cookie
sheet. Braid ropes loosely from center to each end. Pinch ends together;
tuck under to seal. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and cloth towel; let
rise in warm place (80 to 85 F.) until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 F.
Uncover dough. In small bowl, beat egg and milk; brush on loaves. Sprinkle
with almonds. Bake at 375 F. for 18 to 28 minutes or until loaves sound
hollow when lightly tapped. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool
completely. Yields 2 (16-slice) loaves.
Following is the way I prepared it:
Add all the ingredients for the bread into the bread pan and process on
Dough cycle. Check the dough consistency and add flour or water to obtain
the correct dough consistency. When the dough cycle is complete pull out of
the bread pan and let rest, covered, on a lightly greased surface for about
5 to 10 minutes. (I did not chill the dough like the recipe called for).
Prepare the Almond Cardamom Streusal or a brown sugar and cardamom mixture
similar to the mixture for cinnamon rolls but only use 1/4 to 1/2 tsp
cardamom because it is very strong. (The original recipe did not call for
this so you can leave this out if desired. I just think it gives it an
extra good flavor).
Cut the dough in half and roll out each half into a 26 x 9 inch rectangle.
Spread with 2 tbsp melted butter and sprinkle with Almond Cardamom Crumb
Streusal or brown sugar/cardamom mixture and press this down into the
dough. Roll up tightly jellyroll style. Do the same with the other half.
Place the two pieces next to each other and twist them together. Brush the
ends of the dough rope with a little water. Place this twist into a large
springform pan or large round cake pan and press the ends together to seal.
Make sure the pan has a nonstick coating or is very well greased as the
dough tends to stick to the pan.
Uncover dough. In small bowl, beat egg and milk; brush on loaves. Sprinkle
with more of the streusal and almonds. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 18 to 28
minutes or until loaves sound hollow when lightly tapped. Cover top with
foil if it is overbrowning on top. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.
Cool completely. Top off with some Almond glaze and serve with Almond Butter.
Almond Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 - 2 Tbsp sour cream or whipping cream
1/4 tsp almond extract
Amaretto Butter
This almond-flavored whipped butter is wonderful with Braided Cardamom Bread.
1/2 cup Butter, softened
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
3 Tbsp. Amaretto, OR 1/2 tsp. Almond Extract with 2 Tbsp. Water
In small bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in powdered sugar
and amaretto. Cover; store in refrigerator up to 2 week or freeze up to 1
month. Allow to soften before serving.
Almond Cardamom Crumb Streusal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp almond flour (very well grounded almonds)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
pinch of salt
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks
3/4 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Thoroughly mix flour, almond flour, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, brown sugar
and sugar into large bowl. Scatter over the chunks of butter and using
pastry blender, cut butter into flour until reduced to small chunks.
Sprinkle in almond and vanilla extracts. With fingertips, knead mixture
together until large and small moist, sandy texture lumps are formed.
Rosemary