Recipe:

Finnish Cardamom Coffee Bread

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Makes 2 loaves

This cardamom-scented braided loaf has been a holiday tradition for a Team Member's New England family since relatives brought the recipe back from a year in Finland. Serve the bread toasted and spread with butter alongside strong coffee on early winter mornings. This bread also freezes well. Wrap in plastic wrap and then foil for the best results.

Ingredients

2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting and kneading
1/2 teaspoon salt
15 crushed cardamom pods, hulls removed and discarded, seeds coarsely ground

Method

In a large warm bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in 1/4 cup warm water. Set aside until yeast looks bubbly. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small pan over low heat. Stir in milk and set aside to let cool to lukewarm.

Lightly beat one of the eggs. When yeast mixture looks bubbly, stir in beaten egg and reserved milk mixture.

In a small bowl, combine 2 cups of the flour, 1/2 cup of the sugar, salt and cardamom seeds. Add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture gradually, stirring with a wooden spoon. Mixture should be smooth and elastic. If not, add as much of the remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed.

Dust dough in bowl with a bit more flour, then cover bowl with a dish towel and set aside in a warm place to let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and transfer to a lightly-floured surface. Knead  with your hands until smooth, working in more flour if needed so that dough is just slightly sticky. Divide dough into 6 equal ropes, each about 1 foot long.

Braid 3 ropes loosely into a loaf, tucking loose ends underneath to secure. Repeat with remaining ropes to create 2 loaves total. Transfer loaves to a nonstick or lightly greased baking sheet, arranging them at least 6 inches apart. Cover loaves with a dish towel and set aside in a warm place to let rise again, 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly beat remaining egg. Brush braided, risen loaves with egg and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack to let cool to room temperature, then slice and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving (About 2oz/59g-wt.): 170 calories (60 from fat), 7g total fat, 4g saturated fat, 4g protein, 25g total carbohydrate (less than 1g dietary fiber, 10g sugar), 40mg cholesterol, 90mg sodium

Tags: Family Friendly, Cooking with Kids, Scandinavian, Vegetarian, Low Sodium

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