Best 5 Swedish Cardamom Braids Recipes

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image

In the realm of sweet and aromatic pastries, few treats can rival the alluring charm of Swedish cardamom braids. These delectable pastries, also known as Kardemummabullar, have captured the hearts and taste buds of many with their irresistible combination of soft, fluffy dough, a generous filling of cardamom-infused sugar, and a delightful glaze. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion, seeking a cozy afternoon snack, or simply indulging in a moment of culinary bliss, Swedish cardamom braids offer an enchanting culinary experience that will transport you to the heart of Swedish baking traditions.

Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!

SWEDISH CARDAMOM BRAIDS



Swedish Cardamom Braids image

"Swedish people love their coffee-especially with this classic coffee cake. The recipe came from my father's aunt, and I can remember my mother crushing cardamom seeds to make it. Back then, you couldn't buy cardamom already ground." -Harriet Meola, Mauldin, South Carolina

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 1h5m

Yield 2 loaves (12 slices each).

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1-1/4 cups warm 2% milk (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
2-1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
TOPPING:
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, egg yolks, cardamom, salt and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., 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; divide in half. Divide each half into three portions. On a lightly floured surface, shape each portion into a 16-in.-long rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. , Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks. Brush warm loaves with butter. Combine the pecans, sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over loaves.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 175 calories, Fat 7g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 39mg cholesterol, Sodium 54mg sodium, Carbohydrate 25g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 4g protein.

NORWEGIAN CARDAMOM BREAD BRAIDS



Norwegian Cardamom Bread Braids image

This treasured recipe reflects my Norwegian heritage. The subtle hint of cardamom is undeniably good. -Sally Nelson, Tempe, Arizona

Provided by Taste of Home

Time 55m

Yield 4 loaves (10 slices each)

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1-1/2 cups warm whole milk (110° to 115°)
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 to 10 cups all-purpose flour
Additional sugar

Steps:

  • In a bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add warm milk, sugar, butter, 2 eggs, cardamom, salt and 6 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., 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 1-1/4 hours., Punch dough down; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Divide into fourths. Divide each portion into thirds; shape each into a 12-in. rope. Place three ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled, about 45 minutes., Preheat oven to 375°. Beat remaining egg; brush over loaves. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 164 calories, Fat 3g fat (2g saturated fat), Cholesterol 23mg cholesterol, Sodium 63mg sodium, Carbohydrate 30g carbohydrate (8g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 4g protein.

SWEDISH CARDAMOM BRAID



Swedish Cardamom Braid image

Make and share this Swedish Cardamom Braid recipe from Food.com.

Provided by pattikay in L.A.

Categories     Yeast Breads

Time 3h5m

Yield 1 loaf

Number Of Ingredients 12

3 cups flour
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/2 cup hot water
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg, room temp
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/3 cup raisins
1 egg white, slightly beat with
2 tablespoons sugar

Steps:

  • In a mixing bowl, measure 1 cup flour and add the dry ingredients.
  • Blend with a wooden spoon. pour in the hot water and stir with 25 strong strokes, or for 2 minutes with the mixer flat beater.
  • Cut the soft butter into several pieces and drop into the batterlike dough.
  • Add the egg, cardamom and raisins.
  • Stir in additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, first with the spoon and then by hand, or with the beater and then the dough hook.
  • The dough will form a rough mass and clean the sides of the bowl.
  • Because of the large amount of butter, the dough will not be sticky. It should be firm, but not stiff.
  • Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. With a strong push turn fold action, knead till the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes, or knead with the mixer under the dough hook for the same length of time.
  • Return the dough to the bowl; cover with plastic wrap and put aside at room temperature till the dough has doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
  • Punch down the dough and turn it onto a floured surface; knead briefly to work out air bubbles.
  • Divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Roll each part under your palms into a strand 14 inches long.
  • Beginning in the middle of the strands, braid loosely to one end. Reverse the loaf and again braid from middle to end.
  • Pinch the ends closed and place on a baking sheet.
  • Cover the dough with wax paper and leave till doubled in bulk and puffy to the touch, about 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F 20 minutes before baking.
  • Before baking, brush the braid with the egg white glaze.
  • Bake till the crust is rich brown, about 45 minutes.
  • A wooden toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
  • Remove braid from the oven. Use a metal spatula to lift it off the baking sheet, because the hot loaf will be fragile and might break.
  • Cool on a wire rack.
  • This bread keeps well and toasts beautifully and also freezes well.

FINNISH CARDAMOM BRAIDS (PULLA)



Finnish Cardamom Braids (Pulla) image

This recipe won first place at a fair. My Finnish grandmother said it was some of the best she had ever tasted. Very good. Makes 3 braids.

Provided by tammy74

Categories     Roll and Bun Recipes

Time 4h

Yield 18

Number Of Ingredients 10

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 ½ cups lukewarm milk
1 cup white sugar
4 tablespoons margarine, melted
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons brewed coffee, or as needed
2 tablespoons Swedish pearl sugar

Steps:

  • Dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit for a few minutes.
  • Mix milk, 1 cup sugar, melted margarine, eggs, and cardamom together in a bowl until well combined. Add 1 1/2 cups flour and the yeast-water mixture; mix until well combined. Add remaining 3 1/2 cups flour and mix well.
  • Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
  • Divide dough into 9 equal balls; roll each ball into a rope. Braid 3 ropes together; repeat twice more so you have 3 braided loaves.
  • Put braided loaves on a greased cookie sheet. Brush with coffee and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Let rise for about 1 hour.
  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  • Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 216.6 calories, Carbohydrate 40.4 g, Cholesterol 22.3 mg, Fat 3.7 g, Fiber 1.1 g, Protein 5.3 g, SaturatedFat 0.9 g, Sodium 44.9 mg, Sugar 13.6 g

SWEDISH CARDAMOM BUNS



Swedish Cardamom Buns image

If you're not sure what green-podded cardamom tastes like, there's no better way to find out than by tasting a Swedish kardemummabulle, a sweet bun perfumed with the southern Indian spice. The best place to try it would be at Fabrique, a Stockholm bakery that has opened a location in New York. Here, the knotted pastry is at its buttery finest, imbued with the piney warmth of the spice. The second-best place to try it would be at home, in your own kitchen, where, with a few adjustments, you can replicate the original. Yours will use less potent forms of cardamom - the store-bought ground version and the whole pods, instead of the fresh, coarsely ground seeds painstakingly removed from their shells - and may look slightly less put-together than those shaped by the professionals. And, unlike cinnamon rolls, these cardamom buns won't rise as tall or be as fluffy - but they will taste so good that no one will care.

Provided by Charlotte Druckman

Categories     pastries, project, dessert

Time 4h

Yield 16 to 18 buns

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 1/4 cups/300 milliliters whole milk
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (from one 1/4-ounce packet)
4 cups/510 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons/90 grams granulated sugar
6 tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter (3/4 stick), softened
2 tablespoons ground cardamom (see Note)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/250 grams unsalted butter (2 1/4 sticks), slightly softened
1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
2 tablespoons ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 large egg
20 green cardamom pods
3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Steps:

  • Prepare the dough: In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, bring the milk to 105 to 110 degrees. Remove it from the heat and pour it into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top, give it a quick whisk and let it rest a few minutes to dissolve and activate. If the yeast looks like it's clumping, whisk it gently.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, butter, cardamom, salt and the yeasted milk. Mix on the lowest setting until just combined and beginning to form a dough, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue on low to knead dough, about 2 minutes. It should go from shaggy and coarse to smooth and shiny. Working inside the bowl, give the dough a couple more kneads by hand to bring it together. You can also knead the dough entirely by hand on a work surface. (It'll take 8 minutes or so.)
  • Line a 9-by-13-inch quarter sheet pan with parchment paper and dump the kneaded dough out onto it. Using your hands, pat and shape the dough into a large rectangular block. Make 4 or 5 shallow, 1/4-inch-deep slashes in the dough with a knife. Cover the baking sheet with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and transfer the dough to the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
  • Make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, cardamom and salt on low speed just to form a granular paste. (It should resemble marzipan.) Don't overbeat it: You don't want it to be too soft or get fluffy. You can also do this by hand in a bowl, combining the ingredients with a spatula or bench scraper.
  • Line two 13-by-18-inch baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  • Remove the dough from the refrigerator - it will have risen, but don't be surprised if the rise isn't significant - and let sit at room temperature for a few minutes so it's not so stiff that you can't roll it out. Place the dough on a thick silicone mat or a very lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out to a roughly 15-by-18-inch rectangle a little more than 1/8-inch thick, with the shorter side facing you. As you roll it in both directions, pause occasionally between rolls to relax the dough by patting it, lifting it and pulling it to straighten out any ripples.
  • Dot the surface of the dough with mounds of the filling. Using an offset spatula, gently spread the filling all over the surface of the dough.
  • With the short side of the dough facing you, fold the top third of the dough down over the middle third of the dough, then fold the bottom third up to cover the remaining dough.
  • Go over the dough with the rolling pin a couple of times, vertically, to flatten the edges, and stretch it a few more inches before cutting and shaping. You want a 12-by-16-inch rectangle (the longer side will be facing you). If any filling oozes out, use your offset spatula to remove it so your workstation doesn't get sticky.
  • Using the straight edge of a ruler and a pastry cutter (or very gently using a small, sharp knife), trim any uneven edges. Cut the dough vertically into 16 1-by-12-inch-long strips. Starting from the end, gently wrap one strip around the tips of your index, middle and fourth finger (or just the index and middle if you've got strong hands), like a bandage, two or three times, letting the dough overlap and working cautiously so it doesn't tear. Place your thumb on top of the wrapped dough, on the side closer to your wrist, to secure the shape, then loop the remaining end of the strand over and through the center of the bun, tucking it under at the base of the bun. You should have a rounded bun made out of bandage-like strips. The knotted part will be unexposed, hidden at the bottom.
  • Place each bun on the prepared baking sheets as you go, patting it down for a flatter shape. Space the buns evenly (you can eyeball it). Leave them to proof at room temperature, uncovered, for about 1 hour. They should expand and soften.
  • Meanwhile, heat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Finish the buns: In a small bowl, using a fork or whisk, beat the egg together with 1 tablespoon water until well combined and frothy.
  • Grind the cardamom pods in a spice grinder, making sure you break down the tough outer husks. Transfer the ground spice to a small bowl and whisk it together with the sugar.
  • Lightly brush each bun with the egg wash, and generously sprinkle the tops of the buns with the cardamom sugar, using about 1/2 teaspoon per bun.
  • Bake for 8 minutes, then lower temperature to 375 degrees, rotate trays completely (180 degrees and top to bottom, bottom to top) and continue baking for an additional 12 minutes. The surface of the buns should be golden brown. (Some butter may seep out of the buns and pool - that's normal - but if you're worried that it will burn on the trays, cover the buns with parchment paper toward the end of baking, once they've reached the desired color.)
  • Let the buns cool for 10 minutes before eating, so the spiced, sweet buttery goo that pools around their edges can harden into crispy candylike edges, or let them cool entirely.

Tips:

  • Use high-quality cardamom for the best flavor.
  • If you don't have a stand mixer, you can make the dough by hand. Just be sure to knead it for at least 10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.
  • Let the dough rise in a warm place for at least 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.
  • When rolling out the dough, be careful not to roll it too thin. The braids should be about 1/4-inch thick.
  • Brush the braids with egg wash before baking. This will help them brown and give them a shiny crust.
  • Bake the braids for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
  • Let the braids cool slightly before serving.

Conclusion:

Swedish cardamom braids are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that is perfect for any occasion. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create a beautiful and flavorful bread that your family and friends will love. So next time you're looking for a special bread to bake, give Swedish cardamom braids a try. You won't be disappointed!

Related Topics