Monday, May 5, 2008

Cardamom coffee rolls and loads of gifts

Cardamom coffee rolls

These delicious and incredibly tender rolls are the result of a recipe taken from the book I won at Allen’s giveaway a couple of weeks ago. But that’s not all: Allen is such a dear that he sent me not only the book but also lots of other gifts!

Allen's gifts

Inside the huge box, there were dried cherries, lavender and 2 products from the Martha Stewart line: a gorgeous plate (the one holding the roll on the photo) and the beautiful and wonderful recipe box! The one I have been meaning to buy for months. I was going to buy it later this year, since Joao and I were planning a trip to the US. Unfortunately, it will have to be postponed to 2009.

Allen's gifts

I was so glad with my presents I started screaming and jumping around the house – Tom Cruise/Oprah’s couch style. :)

Allen, thank you very, very much for your kindness and generosity, my friend.

Cardamom coffee rolls

Cardamom coffee rolls
from A Baker's Odyssey

Sponge:
1 cup (240ml) whole milk
1 ½ cups (210g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 package (2 ¼ teaspoons) active or dry yeast

Dough:
½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (½ stick – 56g) unsalted butter, very soft
1 teaspoon ground cardamom, preferably freshly ground
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups (175g) unbleached all purpose flour, plus more if needed

Topping:
¼ cup sliced or slivered almonds, chopped into small pieces – I preferred not to chop them
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, preferably freshly ground
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash

To make the sponge: scald the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat – you’ll see steam rising from the surface of the milk and small bubbles forming around the edges. Remove the pan from the heat and cool the milk until it is between 120 and 130ºF (48 – 54ºC).
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and yeast. Add the hot milk and whisk to make a smooth, thick batter. Bang the whisk on the rim of the bowl to remove any clinging batter, and scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise until the sponge has double in volume, about 1 hour.

To make the dough by hand, scrape the sponge into a large bowl. Whisk in the sugar, egg, egg yolk, butter, cardamom and salt. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth and very elastic. Stir in the flour and beat again for 5 minutes. The dough should be elastic, soft and just slightly sticky. Sprinkle your work surface with 2 tablespoons flour and place the dough on it. Knead for 2-3 minutes, until the dough is only slightly tacky. Wash and dry the bowl, lightly oil it or coat with cooking spray, and replace the dough in the bowl, turning to coat.

To make the dough with a stand mixer (which is what I did): scrape the sponge into the mixer bowl and add the sugar, egg, egg yolk, butter, cardamom and salt. Attach the flat beater and beat on low speed for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes or until the dough becomes ropy, masses onto the beater and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Scrape the bowl and beater, and remove the paddle. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour. Attach the dough hook and knead on low speed, then increase the speed to medium to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes to make a soft, elastic, slightly sticky dough. Scrape the bowl and remove the dough hook.
Sprinkle the dough with 1 tablespoon flour. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ hours.
Sprinkle your work surface lightly with flour, and scrape the dough onto it with a pastry scraper. Turn to coat both sides of the dough lightly with flour. Divide the dough into 15 equal portions with a pastry scraper or a sharp knife. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.

Butter a 13x9x2in (32x22x5cm) baking pan or coat with cooking spray. Shape each piece of dough into a ball, sealing the seam on the underside of the dough firmly. Place the balls seam side down in the pan, 3 across and 5 down, leaving a bit of space between them. Coat the tops of the rolls lightly with cooking spray and drape a sheet of plastic wrap loosely over them. Let rise until the rolls have doubled in size, about 1 hour. The rolls will be touching each other with small gaps between them.

Adjust an oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 375ºF/190ºC (I chose to bake them in the center of the oven).
To make the topping, stir together the almonds, sugar and cardamom in a small bowl.
When the rolls have risen, uncover them and brush them with the egg wash. Sprinkle with the almond mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the rolls are nicely browned, the nuts are toasted and the rolls spring back when gently pressed. Cool the rolls in their pan on a wire tack for 10 minutes, then, with a wide metal spatula, remove them from the pan and set them on the wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or in a plastic bag, the rolls can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 days. They can be reheated successfully, one at a time, in a microwave oven set on defrost for about 30 seconds. The rolls can be frozen once completely cool. Place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer them to a heavy-duty plastic resealable plastic bag and freeze for up to 1 month. To refresh them, thaw them completely in their wrapping, then unwrap the rolls, place them on a baking sheet and pop into a preheated 325ºF/165ºC oven for about 10 minutes.

Makes 15

42 comments:

LyB said...

Patricia, you made me laugh, I imagined you jumping up and down! lol! Those rolls look delicious, I'm sure you'll be posting lots of recipes from that book, from the looks of it! :)

Sarah said...

Congrats on the gifts! Those rolls sound absolutely stunning.

Deborah said...

These rolls look delicious, and that recipe box is too cute!!

Mumsy said...

Love all the things you got!

Would you believe that just this morning I was dreaming of cardamom? I got out my jar and smelled it for awhile and tried to think of what to make. I think I must make those rolls!

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Now, that care package definitely beats the heck out of receiving bills. How gracious of Allen to do that, and how sweet of you to share it with us.

Silvia - Magnolia Wedding Planner said...

wow how great are those gifts you are lucky having a friend like this..look at that gorgeous plate..:-) fantastic and fantastic also the recipe.
I've taken note and will try
Thank you a lot darling it'a always a pleasure visiting your blog!
Silvia

Anonymous said...

I adore cardamom so this just looks wildly for me. And they are so lovely looking!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful package Allen has shared with you Patricia. Good to see you put it into use straight away. Those cardamom rolls sound divine!

Cookie baker Lynn said...

Beautiful rolls and what a fun package to receive! Will you be in my neck of the woods in '09? If so, please stop by for a visit!

My Sweet & Saucy said...

What a fun gift and book giveaway! Your rolls turned out lovely looking!

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

These look lovely - I've been finding more and more reasons to use cardamom.

Anonymous said...

They look perfect and delicious! Wow, what a great prize pack too :D

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

What a wonderful surprise to receive so many goodies in one package! The cardamom rolls look beautiful and delicious. I love cardamom in bread -- so fragrant.

Peabody said...

Rolls looks wonderful. What a wonderful gift.

Gigi said...

The rolls look like the perfect weekend breakfast. And woo-hoo on the gifts! Allen is a very nice person.

Cakebrain said...

These rolls look so tender and delicious!

Emily said...

Congrats on winning! Who is this Allen? He sounds amazing. Send me some Martha stuff!

The rolls look GREAT.

Nic said...

I would loved to have seen you jumping up and down! Nice gifts, looks like a super book.
The rolls look very good, nice colour on top,

KJ said...

oh lucky you!!! and your buns look absolutely delicious. I love the cardamom flavour.

Anonymous said...

What great gifts! Dried cherries and that light blue MS recipe box...I would have been jumping around the house, too!

Those rolls look delicious. My mom loves cardamom - perhaps I'll make her a batch for Mother's Day.

Chibog in Chief said...

LOL, for the couch incident ala tom cruise..the rolls are beautiful !! im sure they will be perfect to go with my cappucino :-)

Patricia Scarpin said...

LyB, can you imagine what my neighbors must me thinking?? :D
The book is huge and there are lots of delicious things there to be baked.

Sarah, tks, darling!

Deb, very cute!

Lindsey, that is a sign, my friend. :)

Susan, Allen is just adorable.

Silvia, I am so glad to have you as my reader, thank you for all your support, sweetie!

Cathy, thank you!

Pete, I'll be baking a lot from that book.

Lynn, I'll let you know - that would be so delightful!

Hi Melody! Thank you!

T.W., this was my second time only.

Lorraine, thank you, darling!

Lydia, the smell is really something.

Pea, thank you!

Gigi, he is!

Cakebrain, they were very tender!

Emiline, he is amazing. And so is his blog - you should take a look at it.
I love Martha stuff! :)

Nic, I loved how golden they turned out, too. I don't always get that in breads.

KJ, I am lucky indeed! :)

Amy, I'm sure she would love these.

Dhanggit, they will! :)

Anonymous said...

Oh you are sooo funny! I can just picture you jumping around all Tom Cruise crazy :)

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

I would have jumped all over also. Wonderful gifts. Congrat!

Anonymous said...

What a wonderful prize and gifts! And your rolls look soooo good.

Paz

Clumbsy Cookie said...

Ohhhhh I love cardamom! I've not heared of that book but it sounds interesting. I totally understand the "Cruise moment", care packages are the best!
Os pãezinhos devem ter ficado uma delicia!
By the way you mentioned you were buying that book on a trip to the US, you know I usually buy my books online on a website that ships free worldwide. Since I've discovered it I bought at least 10 books, that arrived in 2-3 days maximum. Want me to send it to you?

Anonymous said...

The rolls look perfect, sweetie! And Tom Cruise-Oprah moment? You're too cute! :P

steph- whisk/spoon said...

wow--that is so nice of allen! and those rools look soooo good. the book must be a winner, and i'm a huge cardamom fan!

RecipeGirl said...

I absolutely adore cardamom so I think I may enjoy these. And they're so beautiful too!

What a guy that Allen is! Nice surprises!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on winning the book! So nice of Allen to send you all this. He is really nice. I love cardamom flavor and this sounds like a great recipe to try. Thanks for sharing!

Toni said...

The rolls look absolutely gorgeous - especially on that plate! Congrats on winning that prize, and how sweet of Alan to include the extras.

sher said...

I love the rolls--and have lusted after one of those Martha Stewart recipe boxes for some time!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Kristen, my neighbors think I'm crazy. :)

Helene, thank you!

Paz, thank you, darling!

Rita, I buy books online from Amazon, that's not a problem. I meant to buy the box on my trip, not a book.
But thank you very much for your generous offer!

Hi sweetie! I'm crazy. :)

Steph, I love cardamom, too!

Recipe Girl, he is amazing. :)

Farida, tks!

Toni, the plate is absolutely gorgeous!

Sher, I love her product line. :)

Helene said...

Fantastic gifts! The rolls look wonderful, already sent to the printer!

Anonymous said...

I love coffee rolls, often more than any other sweet bread product. These sound wonderful with cardamom. Great idea.

Allen said...

Ahhh, Patricia -- the rolls look absolutely wonderful! I'm so happy you enjoyed the package of goodies. I can hardly wait to see how you use the lavender :-)

Kelly-Jane said...

They look so good, your pictures are great too.

Manggy said...

Allen, you completely have all these ladies crushing on you. %$@#! Hahahaha. :P

See, Patricia, I just knew you'd be the perfect person to receive the book! Looks excellent!

Kirby! said...

I went to this Indian place in New York awhile back, and they had Cardamom coffee, which was off the CHAIN!! I am still trying to figure out exactly how they made it because it was really unbelievably delicious. That flavor combination is fabulous.

Anonymous said...

way to go Pat! you're lucky to win that book because i have one too and i think it's a very good book! just look at your cardamom coffee rolls!

Jaime said...

what a nice collection of gifts!

i've never actually tried cardamom before. those rolls look so delicious!

Anonymous said...

A bit late in the day, but I made these rolls this afternoon. I just love cardamom, and oh my, are these rolls ever good. It's a wonderful recipe, and I know I'll be making them again. Thank you.

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