Hege’s Cardamom Buns

Soft and fluffy cardamom buns are a classic in many Nordic kitchens. They have a delightful aroma of cardamom and a juicy filling of butter and sugar that melds together during baking. Perfect to serve with a cup of coffee, for weekend treats, or whenever you want to fill your kitchen with the scent of freshly baked yeast goods.

• 470 g all-purpose flour
• 50 g sugar
• 1 packet dry yeast
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 3 dl milk
• 50 g butter
  
  
  Filling
• 100 g melted butter
• 200 g sugar
• 4 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a stand mixer. Add lukewarm milk and egg. Knead for 10 minutes.
2. Add room temperature butter and knead for another 5 minutes.
3. Cover and let the dough rise for one hour.
4. Brush muffin tins with 2 tbsp of the melted butter. Mix the white sugar with the cardamom. Sprinkle the cardamom sugar into the greased tins, turning the tin to coat all sides, then pour the excess cardamom sugar onto a clean work surface to use later. 
5. Turn the dough out onto the counter and roll it into a rectangle.
6. Brush 3 tbsp of the melted butter over the dough.
7. Mix 50 g of the cardamom sugar with 2 tbsp of brown sugar, and sprinkle it over the buttered dough. Use a pizza cutter to cut into 12 equal strips. Then roll up each strip to form 12 buns. Place the buns in the muffin tin.
8. Cover and let them rise for 30 minutes.
9. Bake at 190 degrees, in the middle of the oven for about 16-18 minutes.
10. Carefully remove the warm buns from the tin and place them on a rack to cool for a few minutes. Once the buns are cool enough, lightly brush them with the remaining 2 tbsp of melted butter, then generously coat them with the remaining cardamom sugar mixture.

Let the cardamom buns cool slightly before serving, but they taste best while still a bit warm. The aromatic cardamom and sweet filling make them irresistible, a bake that can quickly become a favorite for both everyday and weekends. Store them in an airtight container, or freeze them if you want fresh buns ready for another day.