I love the taste of cardamom! This bread is one we really enjoy. It makes 3 loaves, perfect for freezing or giving as gifts. I like to top it off with some almond flavored icing and sprinkle it with sliced almonds.
This Christmas I had a hard time finding cardamom. One grocery store said it was just too expensive to carry. Wally's had the already ground kind..pretty expensive too. So I checked our other grocery store and they had fresh cardamom for a decent price. I was beginning to get worried we wouldn't have our bread this year!
Here's the recipe:
Cardamom Bread
This Christmas I had a hard time finding cardamom. One grocery store said it was just too expensive to carry. Wally's had the already ground kind..pretty expensive too. So I checked our other grocery store and they had fresh cardamom for a decent price. I was beginning to get worried we wouldn't have our bread this year!
Here's the recipe:
Cardamom Bread
2 pkgs. dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1/3 c. warm water
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. oil
1 c. warm milk
3 beaten eggs {save 1 T.to mix with 1 T water for egg wash over bread}
3 heaping tsp. freshly ground cardamom
5 1/2 -6 c. flour
decorative or pearl sugar
Dissolve yeast and 1 tsp. sugar in warm water. Mix yeast with 1/2 c. sugar, salt. oil, milk, eggs, cardamom, and 2 c. flour. Let stand 15 minutes.
Stir in 3 1/2-4 c. flour.Knead 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl. let rise 30 minutes.
Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Divide each part into three 18" long strands and braid together. Place each braid on a greased cookie sheet and let rise 30 minutes. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with decorative or pearl sugar. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
When cooled, frost with almond flavored icing and top with sliced almonds.
These sweet breads are perfect for the holidays. when I begin I simply cannot stop.
ReplyDeleteI have to try this it sounds fantastic.
ReplyDeleteOoohhhh, I love the taste of cardamom too and always try to add it into stuff whenever I can. This bread sounds like a must try for me.
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! I adore cardamom, and this looks like a perfect bread to share, Laurie.
ReplyDeleteWe used to make this every year around the holidays, but we usually put red and green tinted granulated sugar. Yours looks great too!!
ReplyDeleteAhhhhh.....Cardamon Bread! LOVE this special bread. Yours looks just d'lish with that thick layer of almond flavored icing on top. YUM!
ReplyDeleteI ended going to a local health food store and getting my cardamon from the "bulk" area so that I didn't have to pay an outrageous arm and a leg for it at the grocery store. This way I could choose just how much I wanted. It actually seemed more reasonable in price and quantity this way for me.
Merry Christmas Laurie!