CARDAMOM FLAVOR RECIPES

Steps:

• Melt butter in 2-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring constantly and watching closely, 3-5 minutes or until butter just starts to turn golden brown. Butter will get foamy and bubble. Immediately remove from heat. Pour into bowl; refrigerate 30 minutes or until cooled.
• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Combine cooled browned butter and sugar in bowl; beat at medium speed until well mixed. Add egg yolk, vanilla and cardamom; continue beating until well mixed. Beat at low speed, gradually adding flour, until mixture is no longer crumbly and forms dough.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cookies puff and start to turn light golden brown. Cookies will have cracks in them.
• Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool 1 minute. Roll cookies in powdered sugar while warm and again when completely cooled. Store between sheets of waxed paper in loosely covered container.

Steps:

• For the dough:Warm the milk to 110°F. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to proof for 5 minutes.Place the remaining dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour the proofed yeast mixture on top. Briefly stir with a spatula to form a shaggy dough. Attach to the base of the stand mixer and fit with the dough hook. Knead for 15 minutes on medium-low (I used speed 2 out of 10).Transfer dough to a large, buttered bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.For the filling:When the dough is nearly done rising, beat the butter, sugar, and cardamom together in a small bowl with a hand mixer until well mixed.On a well-buttered surface, gently roll the risen dough out to a 14x20-inch rectangle. Dab the filling evenly over the surface of the dough and spread out evenly with an offset spatula.Grabbing a short end, fold 1/3 of the dough over itself towards the middle, then the other 1/3 (like folding a letter). Roll the dough out again to a 10x14-inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 3/4-inch strips, starting at a folded edge. Cut a strip in half along the length of it, leaving a bit of dough still attached at one end. Twist both "legs" of dough in one direction, then twist the legs around themselves in the opposite direction. Coil the twisted dough around itself in a circle, tucking the end underneath to keep it in place. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough strips, making sure to leave plenty of space between the buns on the baking sheet. You'll most likely need to use two baking sheets.Cover the buns with a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm spot until quite puffy, about 1½ to 2 more hours (check them at one hour if your kitchen is warm). Twenty minutes before the buns are done rising, preheat oven to 425°F. Bake the risen buns for 15–20 minutes, or until deep golden on top, dark brown on the bottom, and cooked through. You can check doneness with an instant read thermometer (the buns should register 200°F).For the topping:While the buns are baking, make the topping. Place the water, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Brush over the hot cardamom buns. Allow to cool for a few minutes, and brush them again. Repeat once more. Sprinkle the buns with the ground cardamom.Serve buns warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days (if they last that long).