Dreaming of Swedish Cardamom Buns

If you're going to crack open your blog after a long period of absence, it'd have to be a pretty special post. Well, look who's here - Swedish cardamom buns!

I have been pining for these since I got back from Edinburgh a couple of months ago. Yes, I miss my family. Yes I miss my friends. I miss the constant company and the constant chitter chatter. And walking everywhere inhaling the architecture. But foodwise I have not stopped thinking about the cardamom buns at Peter's Yard (and yes, I have trumpeted about these before here).

At the first chance I got, and after an eighteen month absence, I braved the Edinburgh wind chill for a brisk walk to the Swedish cafe for the usual flat white and cardamom bun. This time I managed to get both sisters there. Much younger sister (her words, not mine) swooned over the cinnamon buns and was hesitant to diversify. Middle sister kept to other fancies. All of us had lunch there one afternoon - the only time I didn't have a cardamom bun because, let me tell you, their soups, served with chunks of wholesome bread and silky butter, are delicious too.

So, short of planning a weekly visit to Edinbugh from New Zealand, all I've been doing since my return is sifting through the photographs and dreaming about them.

Then I googled and found this recipe for Swedish Cardamom Buns on the FixFeastFlair blog. I was a little hesitant as I have tried other recipes without success, but the comments on this post seemed positive and it was all so well mapped out.

I'm not going to lie, it did take a lot of the day to get this done but this was more to do with my speed, lack of pre-planning and waiting for dough to rise rather than any problems with the recipe. In fact the whole process was relatively easy and, as I said before, explained thoroughly with lots of hints and a video on how to twirl up those buns.

I had managed to grind the spices the day before which was a big help and also a sensory wonder as the sharp, exotic scent of cardamom hit me. As the recipe states, use cardamom pods and remove all the seeds (this is a very meditative process, especially while you ponder the rewards to come) and crush in a grinder. It is absolutely worth it as the flavour is way more intense.

Just after the first rise, I discovered the newly-bought jar of yeast had expired the day before which made me a trifle deflated (along with the dough). At that point I nearly gave up as I didn't think they would be successful without the rise but thankfully I didn't.

I halved the recipe (as there is only two of us) which made the strands shorter to work with in the final execution.  So there I was, more like a contortionist than a baker. Of course I didn't reach the perfection of FixFeastFlair's design, nor Peter's Yard (although my sister did think I'd pinched one of their photos) but for a novice bun twister I think I did okay.

So, how did they compare to Peter's Yard? Well, I absolutely loved them! I couldn't compare them side by side but I'd swear the flavour was all there and I was ecstatic. The dough was less dense than the cafe one and I actually preferred that.

This is an absolute keeper recipe. Thanks to Alana at Fix Feast Flair who has made me a very happy person.

If you want to have a go, the recipe is here on FixFeastFlair.  If you are in Edinburgh, you can find Peter's Yard or Soderburg cafes here.

etcetera ... fabulous Fridays

I work 4 days a week so when Fridays come around, I try to do something special.  Now that may mean catching up with a friend, going to a movie or sampling some of the cafes that keep on opening up in Auckland.  It seems that every week there is a new café or restaurant, or two or three, on the scene.  How do they all survive?

Last Friday, although strictly speaking it was last week’s Friday, not yesterday (confused?), I had such a lovely day where everything turned out just the way I’d want.

First up I headed for coffee and cake at L’Oeuf in Mt Albert.  I must be one of the few who haven’t had un oeuf at L’Oeuf (an egg for those without the benefit of my school taught French), mainly because I seldom go out for breakfast or brunch – I will have had my breakfast early and by mid-morning I am more than ready for a coffee, especially after a drive into the city.  Anyhow, in my book, cake and coffee go so much better than eggs and coffee (just saying…). 

Do you ever get that anxious feeling when you step inside somewhere new?  I do, but at L’Oeuf I was instantly made to feel genuinely welcome by the waitstaff. So much so that after all their warm attention I practically skipped out the door.  Great service, guys. 

I chose this delicious pear and cardamom cake, along with a latte.  The waitress placed them in front of me and explained they had a new barista so if anything was not up to scratch I was to let them know (it was all perfect).  Later she came by to check and to have a little chat.

Now the really annoying thing is that I used to live close to this cafe and now I don’t.  I sat there wishing L’Oeuf had been around then.  C’est la vie.

Moving on and a short drive to the Capitol Cinema to see Wadjda.  This is a little gem of a movie about a spirited young girl (played so captivatingly by Waad Mohammed that it’s almost like watching a documentary) who comes up with some ingenuous ways to save money for a bike she covets.  As we follow her daily life and attendance at a strict religious school, the film gently illustrates the restrictions of women and children in Saudi Arabia. Directed by a female Saudi Arabian, the movie explores the issues simply and effectively and in a way that leaves you with hope.  My feminist hackles rose several times but I was heartened a few days later hearing a radio movie reviewer say that since the film’s release, bicycle areas had been introduced in Saudi Arabia for young girls to use (one of the problems Wadjda faced was that it wasn’t seemly for girls to ride bikes in public).

The last thing to put a smile on my face before leaving the city behind was missing all the normal Friday afternoon traffic and cruising home with no delays.  Bliss.

Orange blossom & pistachio shortbread crescents

These were another of my Christmas bakes that didn’t make the post before Christmas deadline (self-inflicted and unrealistic deadline so doesn’t really count, does it?). 

They do look very festive with their dusting of snowy icing sugar, but they are so melt-in-the mouth gorgeous you would not want to limit your tasting to just once a year, believe me. 

I have been pestering one of our book club members for his wife’s recipe for a similar biscuit.  I’ve decided it’s either a secret recipe not to be divulged or he has forgotten, so I set about looking for something similar.  I feel like I have hit gold with this one. They could easily be my favourite biscuit with their oh-so-delicate flavour and texture and crunchy bites of nuttiness.

If you can’t be bothered shaping them into crescents – which is rather fiddly I admit and, as you can see, mine are more large and rustic than perfectly formed – I am sure little rounds would taste just as good. 

Orange blossom & pistachio shortbread crescents

200g butter, softened

¼ cup caster sugar

1 egg yolk

½ tsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp Limoncello

½ tsp ground cardamom

¼ cup shelled pistachios, chopped finely

1½ cups standard flour

½ tsp baking powder

For the topping

2 tbsp Limoncello

1 tbsp orange blossom water

¾ cup icing sugar

Preheat oven to 160°C. Lightly grease a couple of baking trays or line with baking paper.

With an electric beater, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla, one tablespoon of the Limoncello and the cardamom and pistachios.

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl and then stir into the wet mixture to combine.

Spoon out about one tablespoon of the mixture at a time and roll on a lightly floured board into a tube shape about 5-6cm long and 2cm wide.  Place on the baking trays.  To get the crescent shape, I used a tiny round bowl (from my old tin of petit four tins and cutters below) turned upside down as a prop to mould each biscuit around to make a crescent and shaped the ends slightly (or just shape roughly with your hands).  Repeat for each biscuit.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until pale, golden and firm to touch.  Remove from the oven and leave on the tray for 5-10 minutes.

For the topping, mix the rosewater and the Limoncello together and, using a pastry brush, brush the top of each crescent whilst still warm.  Once you’ve done this, dust all the biscuits with a good amount of sifted icing sugar and leave to cool on a wire rack.

Recipe adapted from one by Allyson Gofton in “Bake”


Alessandra has reminded me to enter these for Sweet New Zealand - a monthly blogging event created by her - and so I shall and here is the link.