Sweet Rolls with Aromatic Cardamom

by | Favorite Foods, Recipes

I have two recipes here for an easy version of Cardamom rolls and the old fashioned one that I like to bake for my family at Christmas time. the difference is in details, such as prep time and whether a simple glaze or a sugar and sliced almond finish is used for the rolls. Also, the amount made is quite different!

Easy Cardamom Rolls

Try these easy sweet rolls that are prepared the day before baking. The cardamom spice gives a warm aromatic fragrance to delicious yeast sweet rolls. A simple sugar glaze finishes the perfect breakfast roll.

glazed sweet roll

Easy Cardamom Yeast Rolls

Ground cardamom flavors yeast breads with a sweet, yet refreshing, nuance.
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Prep Time 1 day
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 16 rolls
Course: Bread
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • 1 cup butter unsalted + more for buttering pans
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 4 1/2 cups flour + more for kneading
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 4 teaspoons ground cardamom
  • 3/4 cup confectioners sugar

Method
 

  1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water (about 110°). Let sit until foamy bubbles form on surface, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 1/2 cup butter in a pan over low heat and let cool just until warm. Let remaining 1/2 cup butter soften in a warm place until spreadable.
  2. To the yeast, add melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 4 1/2 cups flour, and salt. Stir or mix in a standing mixer with a dough hook until smooth, 5 minutes. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour
  3. Butter two 9-in. cake pans. When dough has doubled, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 2-ft. square, spread with softened butter, and sprinkle with brown sugar and cardamom. Roll dough into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Cut log into 16 pieces and arrange, cut sides up, in a single layer in cake pans. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°. Remove plastic wrap from rolls and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes.
Glaze
  1. Meanwhile, make glaze: Whisk together 1/4 cup milk and 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Remove rolls from pans and drizzle with half of this thin glaze. Add remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar to remaining glaze and drizzle over rolls. Serve warm.

Notes

These are "overnight rolls" which are prepared and then refrigerated overnight. Then they are baked the next day.

My Traditional Christmas Cardamom Rolls

cardamom yeast rolls

Christmas Cardamom Rolls

Sweet rolls that are flavored with cardamom spice and given a beautiful finish with a sprinkling of sugar and almonds. These are the favorite for my family, and although they take time to make, they are worth it!
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Prep Time 1 day
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 day
Servings: 54 rolls
Course: Bread
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough:
  • 2 envelopes active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup very warm water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2  cups milk
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom heaping
  • 8 1/2-9 cups flour sifted
Sugar/ Almond topping
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 cup almonds chopped or sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar

Method
 

  1. Heat oven to 375° F.
    Grease two 13x9x2 inch baking pans.
  2. Sprinkle yeast over warm water;stir in 1 tsp. of the sugar Stir to dissolve yeast and let stand til bubbly(10 minutes).
  3. Combine milk,remaining sugar and butter in medium size saucepan; heat til butter melts. Pour in large bowl; cool to lukewarm. Stir in yeast mix. Beat in eggs and cardamom.
  4. Beat in 6 cups flour until completely blended. Gradually stir in enough flour to make soft dough. Turn out on lightly floured surface; knead til smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes) adding only enough flour to keep from sticking. 
  5. Place dough in large greased bowl; turn to coat. Cover. Let rise away from drafts 1 hour or til double. 
  6. Punch dough down; cover; let rise 45 minutes or til almost double. Punch down again. Turn out on lightly floured surface; knead a few times; invert bowl over dough; let rest 10 minutes 
  7. Divide dough in quarters, keeping dough covered with bowl until ready to shape.
  8. Roll 1/4 dough on lightly floured surface to a 11x6 inch rectangle. Cut into fourteen 6x3/4 inch strips.
    Roll each strip with palms of hands to a six inch rope. Place fingertip on one end of rope and loosely bring other end around to spiral; pinch to seal. Repeat with remaining dough.
    Place spirals in prepared pans, dividing evenly. Cover with damp towel. Let rise in warm place,away from drafts, 30 minutes or til double.
  9. Beat egg white in small bowl; brush over rolls. Sprinkle with mixture of the sugar and chopped almonds.
  10. Bake at 375℉ for 15 minutes til light golden brown.

Notes

Times for yeast rolls to raise depends on the temperature of the room. I generally allow for about 6 hours to finish the entire roll making process. But it could take longer, if your rooms are cool. 
The rolls may be baked in two 9 x 13 inch baking pans or four round pie pans.
Simply Organic Cardamom, Certified Organic, Non-GMO | 2.82 oz | Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton
Simply Organic Cardamom, Certified Organic, Non-GMO | 2.82 oz | Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton
Price:$11.99 ($4.25 / Ounce)
Price Disclaimer

If you wish to find out more about Cardamom, see my post with lots of nutrition info, other types of recipes, and trivia facts!

Cardamom Spice, Recipes To Warm Your Heart

For Cookie recipes that are perfect for the Christmas season, I created a page of my favorites, all printable on Hubpages.

Make Your Own Gingerbread House

Make Your Own Gingerbread House

by | Christmas, Recipes

Use this icing recipe to construct a Gingerbread house and decorate it with candies.

Gingerbread House RECIPE FOR ROYAL ICING

Beat together: 1 1/2 cup Warm water 12 Tb. Meringue powder Add: 4 lb. Powdered sugar 1 tsp. Almond extract Beat until icing loses it’s shine and stands in peaks. Beat water and meringue powder until frothy. Add as much p. sugar as necessary. Continue beating until icing stands in peaks. Color as desired. Icing should not be stiff or house will not hold together as long. Add more water to thin the icing if necessary. Makes enough for 2-3 houses. Can half recipe. ROYAL ICING NOTES: Icing will keep about 2 weeks unrefrigerated or may be stored in fridge for months. Seal very tightly so that it doesn’t harden into lumps. (Tupperware or similar container is very good container) Requires heavy-duty table mixer* Any bit of oil will cause this icing to become soupy and unusable. Icing should not be stiff or Gingerbread houses fall apart a lot sooner! You might want to add 1/4 ts Cream of Tartar for additional icing strength.
gingerbread house

Gingerbread

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Course: Cookies
Cuisine: German
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup solid Crisco, melted
  • 1 cup Granulated sugar
  • 1 cup Light Karo
  • 2 Large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp Ginger
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Cloves
  • 1 tsp Nutmeg
  • 5 1/2 cups flour to 5 3/4 Flour or - more for very stiff dough

Method
 

  1. TO MIX GB DOUGH: Pour melted Crisco into mixer bowl. Let cool slightly; add sugar and Karo, blending well. Add eggs, mixing all until smooth and creamy. Add salt, baking soda and spices into mixture and begin to add flour, just a little at a time. Knead the flour in when dough becomes too stiff for the mixer. DON'T HURRY THIS STEP! Continue adding as much flour as the dough will absorb.
  2. TO ROLL OUT DOUGH: Lightly grease baking pans. Roll the dough out, lay pattern pieces on, and cut the desired shapes. Leave a 1" space between each piece so they won't bake together. Remove the excess dough and the pattern pieces.
  3. WINDOWS: Must be cut before baking. You can add crushed hard candy for "a stained glass look." Use "sour ball" candies. Crush them with a hammer before unwrapping the pieces. If pieces bake together, cut them apart immediately after removing from oven, while house parts are still hot and soft. Bake house pieces at 375 degrees for 5-8 minutes. Pieces should not brown. Again, slide the cardboard back under the foil to remove the baked house pieces from the oven. Cool on flat surface.

Notes

ASSEMBLY: To "glue" house together
1. Use a very sturdy tray or 2-3 cardboards to set the house on. Cover cardboard with FDA foil or white freezer paper!.
Three 14" round cardboards together work well for this size house.
2. Using #5 tip in decorator bag, back of house first; pipe out icing on each side-edge of back. Stand the back house piece up and place one side at a time against the back of house. Prop with cans of soup, etc, if it doesn't stay firmly together. Or hold it for a few moments, until house feels like it is staying together.
3. Place icing up the front edges of standing sides. Add house front section. Let dry for 10-15 minutes, then add roof and chimney.
4. Decorate with desired candies using royal icing to hold decorations on.
5. Do "landscaping" last. Let dry and store covered away from dust.

Christmas Ornament Cookies

Before baking the cookie, use a straw to punch a hole to tie a string through. Add the string before baking.
"TREES" can be added on the "lawn" made of ice cream cones, decorating tip #67 or 352. While icing is still wet, sprinkle on multi-colored sugar decorations.
Window shutters for the house can be of gingerbread or candies. Sugar wafer cookies also make nice shutters.

Put a Light in It?

A single tiny light bulb on a chord - the type ceramics shops have - can be inserted through a hole in the bottom of the cardboard your house sits on. This hole must be cut before assembly.
*recipes and directions from Dolores Inlow McCann. Her wonderful site is gone, but her helpful hints remain.

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