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.

Hot Cross Buns

Had I really thought about it, I would have prepped more the night before but after a long, hard day at work I managed only to get the ingredients measured and ready for the next morning.  So the hot cross buns didn’t quite make it for morning tea but they were ready by lunchtime.

I’d been inspired to make hot cross buns after a trip to the supermarket to buy some Easter goods for a farewell at work.  The sad offerings of eight squashed, dark and inedible looking hot cross buns made me want to go and spend $3 each on some good ones but it wasn’t my money to splash around.  Of course I didn’t eat any of them, such was their lack of appeal. So what better time to try to make them myself?

I’ve had a couple of hot cross bun recipes lurking in my recipe folder for years now and chose this one from the now defunct (I think?) Notebook magazine.  I replaced the stated plain 00 flour for high-grade flour and added a pinch each of nutmeg and cinnamon.  Next time I might add a little more spice but other than that I was really happy with how they turned out.

I thought I was going to have an epic fail on piping those crosses but I was surprised at how easy it was.  I think last week’s Easter cupcake icing was still fresh in my mind.

What really amazed me was how excited I was the whole morning it took me to do them (don’t be put off, there’s a lot of down time for the dough in there).  Isn’t it great to be excited about something? I’ve missed that!

Hot Cross Buns

Makes 16 

1½ cups (375ml) warm milk

2 tsp (7g) dried yeast

¼ cup (55g) caster sugar

60g butter, melted

1 egg, lightly whisked

4½ cups (675g) high-grade flour

1 tsp salt

3 tsp mixed spice

a pinch each of ground cinnamon and nutmeg

1 cup (170g) sultanas

¼ cup (45g) currants

¼ cup (50g) mixed peel

1/3 cup (80ml) cold water

Glaze: ½ cup (170g) apricot jam

Combine the milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a measuring jug.  Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 10 minutes or until frothy (I use the hot water cupboard for this.)

Once the above is ready, add the melted butter and egg to the mix and whisk to combine.

In a large bowl or cake mixer bowl, sift together 4 (600g) cups of the flour  (keeping the remainder for the paste for the crosses), salt and spices then mix in the sugar.  Add the sultanas, currants and mixed peel and stir to combine.  Make a well in the centre, pour in the milk mixture and stir to bring the dough together.  If you’re kneading by hand, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes.  Alternatively, using the dough hook attachment on the cake mixer, turn the mixer to a slow speed and knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and elastic. 

Place the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and transfer to a warm, draught free place for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.  Grease and line a 23cm square cake tin (I used two smaller ones).  Punch the dough down with your fist.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes or until it is smooth and elastic.

Divide dough into 16 even pieces and shape each into a ball.  Place them close to each other in the tin(s), then set aside for 30 minutes in (yes, you guessed!) a warm, draught free place until dough has risen 2cm.

Mix the remaining flour and water together to form a smooth paste.  Place in an icing bag with small round piping nozzle or in a plastic bag with the end snipped off.  Pipe a continuous line down the centre of each row of buns, lengthways and widthways, to form crosses.

Bake the buns for 10 minutes at 200°C.  Reduce heat to 180°C and cook for a further 20 minutes, until dark golden and cooked through.  The buns will be ready when they sound hollow when tapped on the base.

Use the baking paper to lift them onto a wire rack to cool. 

Meanwhile, heat the apricot jam over a high heat in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, for two minutes until jam melts.  Sieve the jam into a small bowl and brush the tops of the hot cross buns with it.

Leave to cool.  Serve with butter and/or jam.  They are also very good toasted. 

These are best eaten on the day. The buns themselves were fine the next day but the crosses hardened so I removed them (they just lifted off, still leaving a cross indent).

Loving Edinburgh

Parsnip and Nutmeg Soup with divine breads

It really doesn’t matter whether it’s a rare heatwave (yeah, I got to experience one for the first time in years) or freezing with sleet and snow, for Edinburgh is truly a beautiful city.  The weather has settled into how I usually remember it – overcast, sometimes drizzle and just nudging double figures in temperature.  It doesn’t stop us. We are out every day, walking practically everywhere.

Flat whites with dark chocolate squares 

I could hardly wait to hit Peter’s Yard for a takeout flat white and cardamom bun.  There is something about the cafe's setting on Middle Meadow Walk; the modern architecture contrasting with, but not outdoing, the old; the lightness of air inside; and of course the food, that makes it hard for me to pass by.

I don’t feel guilty that I devoured the spicy bun before I left the shop, just explaining why there’s no photo.  As compensation, here's some snapshots of what we've eaten there on our visits so far.

Lemon Meringue Pie and Blueberry Pastry

Exterior, Peter's Yard

a chelsea morning

Sometimes you don’t do things because you think they are going to be difficult.  Let me rephrase that.  Sometimes I don’t do things because I think they are going to be difficult.  Pizza dough once fell into that category.  That is until a work colleague casually claimed she made it from scratch.  I gazed in wonder.  How could that be, I thought, when I really should have been saying how easy is that?  Now, we often have pizza evenings where we break the rule of eating dinner a la table with slabs of pizza on wooden boards in front of the TV.  It’s usually a weekend affair when I can afford the time of letting the dough rise.   

Anyway, I digress.  I am talking about Chelsea buns (sorry to surprise you, moving so rapidly from savoury to sweet).   Truth is I had all but forgotten about Chelsea buns until I saw a few recipes for them last year.  Then I waited for THE moment when I could tackle them.  That moment came one weekend not so long ago but long enough in blog time.  I could digress even more to explain why I have totally lost one week where I did not post a blog.  But I won’t.  I’ve wasted enough time already.  So here it is.

chelsea buns

1 egg

1 cup lukewarm water

3 ½ tsps active dry yeast

1 cup high grade flour

1 tsp sugar

2½ cups high grade flour

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp salt

50g butter, softened

70g butter, melted

2 tsp mixed spice

½ cup sultanas

¼ cup dried cranberries (You don’t have to use these.  I just seem to be having lots of cranberry moments.)

Sugar syrup

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup water

Make this while the buns are cooking in the oven by stirring together over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved. If you want to vary the amount, it's equal amounts of sugar and water.

White icing

1/3 cup icing sugar, sifted

a little milk – about 1 tbsp

For the buns

In a small bowl, beat the first five ingredients until smooth.  Put somewhere warm for 10-15 minutes until the mixture is frothy.  On colder days, I put mine in the hot water cupboard.

Sift flour (that will be 2½ cups), with the ¼ cup of sugar and the salt into the mixing bowl of a cake mixer with a dough hook.  Make a well in the centre and pour in the frothy mix, bringing it all together into a dough.  Add the softened butter at the end.

Attach the dough hook and knead the dough for about five minutes until it is elastic and shiny.  If you are doing this by hand, put dough on a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth. 

Place dough in a lightly oiled large bowl, cover with cling wrap or a tea towel and leave in a warm place (back to the hot water cupboard!) for 40 minutes.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface.  I used a Teflon mat as I find it is easier to manoeuvre the dough and, as I discovered, it has other uses later.  Press gently with your hands, and then roll out to a rectangle about 30cm wide and 36cm long. 

Mix the melted butter and the 2 tsp mixed spice together.  Using a pastry brush, spread across the entire surface of the dough.  Mix the sultanas and cranberries together and scatter evenly over the dough.  With the Teflon mat, roll up the long edge as tightly as possible. If you’ve been paying attention at the sushi bar, you’ll know how to do this.  Otherwise, you’ll be like me and flounder a bit but the mat certainly makes it easier to roll up.  I’m sorry I did not take a photo of this step – it was an intense moment.

Cut into 3cm thick pieces.  You should get about 12-15 buns.  I don't like them too large.  If you need to, reshape them gently to little round shapes or scrolls.  Place in a greased and lined cake tin or baking dish.  I used two 20cm square cake tins. This is the better looking of the two. I think they look quite cosy in their little tin, don’t you?

Cover and leave for 40 minutes in a warm place.  Preheat oven to 200ºC.

Put the scrolls in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and dough is well cooked.  Keep a close eye on them.  I just turned my back for a few minutes when they were quite pale and when I looked again I thought they had had an instant spray tan they were that brown.  

Remove from oven and brush with sugar syrup immediately.  Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto a cake rack. 

 

White icing (optional)

Sift icing sugar into a small bowl and add enough milk to make icing into a drizzling consistency.

When buns are cool (if you can wait for them to cool, that is), drizzle with the icing. This is the time to let your inner Jackson Pollock run wild. 

This is easy.  I was surprised how well they turned out.  Don’t forget to factor in that you have to let the dough rise on two occasions so start early. 

I couldn’t imagine having Chelsea buns without the icing – that is my memory of them – but many recipes do show them naked - well, just modestly covered with the sugar syrup.  If you’re like me, the sticky white icing, the cranberries and the sultanas will be the best bits.  In fact, I can think of no reason why you can’t add more…