Gooey Cardamom Rolls

These may not be the most beautiful rolls on the internet, but they are definitely the most flavorful and inventive. This dough is so pillowy-soft, and the cardamom and brown sugar mixture is enhanced by a little bit of lemon zest, which brings the flavors all together. Topped with a little more cardamom in the icing, this is going to be your new breakfast obsession.

Serves: 5

Time: roughly 2 hours

Ingredients:

Dough

• 6 tbsp warm whole milk (110°F)

• 1 tsp of active dry yeast

• 2 tbsp melted butter

• 1 egg, room temp

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 1 1/2 cups bread flour

• 1/4 tsp salt

Filling

• 1/2 cup softened butter

• 2/3 cup brown sugar

• 1 tsp ground cardamom

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 1/4-1/2 tsp salt

Icing

• 2/3 cup powdered sugar

• 2 tbsp whole milk

• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

• 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

• pinch of salt

Method:

1. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the warm milk, yeast, melted butter, egg, and sugar until well combined.

2. Remove the bowl from the mixer and add in the bread flour and salt. Mix with a spoon until a shaggy dough begins to form. Put the bowl back on the stand mixer (using the dough hook attachment) and knead the dough for 5 minutes, or until a smooth (not too-sticky) dough forms. If you do not have a stand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand on a clean, lightly floured surface.

3. Place dough in a well-oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap and a clean tea towel for about an hour.

4. For the filling: in a small bowl mix together the brown sugar, cardamom, salt, and lemon zest until combined.

5. Once the dough has doubled in size, lay it out on a clean, lightly floured work surface and roll into a 7”x5” rectangle. Spread the softened butter all over the dough, leaving a 1/4” border all around the dough untouched. Sprinkle on the sugar-cardamom mixture all over the butter, patting it in very gently.

6. Roll the dough up from the 5” side and roll it up very gently and tightly. Slice the log into 5 rolls with a serrated knife. Place the rolls in a greased baking dish or pie plate covered with plastic wrap and a clean tea towel for 30 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls for 13-15 minutes, or until just lightly golden.

8. For the icing: whisk the powdered sugar, milk, cardamom, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl until smooth. Add more sugar or milk depending on the consistency you prefer.

9. Let the rolls cool for 5-10 minutes before icing. Serve and enjoy! :)