Pistachio cardamom rolls
This recipe uses a mixer to make the dough. I used to make my doughs by hand before i got my mixer and that used to work just fine. Although I haven’t made this exact recipe by hand, i’ve made similar ones, so i think it is very possible. In the method section, i’ve written how i used to do it by hand in light gray.
I would have loved to test this recipe by hand, but it is unfortunately not possible for me to knead for longer periods using my hands anymore. So if you make it, please let me know how it goes.
Ingredients
for the dough
Lukewarm whole milk, 150 g
Sugar, 2 tbsp
Dry yeast, 2 tsp
Oil, 2 tbsp
Flour, 200 g
Salt, 1/2 tsp
Cardamom powder, 1 tsp (from whole pods)*
for the filling
Ground up pistachios, 75 g
Powdered sugar, 150 g
Cardamom powder, 3-4 tsp (from whole pods)*
About 2-3 tbsp water
additional ingredients
Melted butter, 2 tbsp (to brush the rolls after baking)
Notes
*You’ll need about 20-25 whole cardamom pods for this recipe, which makes about 4-5 tsp cardamom powder. You’ll need one tsp for the dough and 3-4 tsp for the filling. I make the cardamom powder by grinding the whole pods in my miniblender. I also add the skins to the rolls, as the skins have a lot of flavor, so please dont throw them away. Also, i love cardamom, but feel free to use less.
There is a lot of filling in the rolls, so if you make the filling as i’ve written, some of it might leek out of the bottom of the rolls, so i usually either scoop it up and swirl it on top of the rolls or eat it as a treat with a spoon. I just love a lot of filling.
But, with that being said, i know pistachios are very expensive, so the filling can totally be halved or you could use another nut like walnuts that traditionally go so well with cardamom.
Method
Whisk lukewarm water with sugar and yeast until dissolved.
Add oil, half of the flour, 1 tsp cardamom powder and salt. Mix with the paddle attachment of your mixer for about 5 minutes. I like to start out with the paddle attachment as i feel like it kneads the dough better than the dough hook at this stage. If you don’t have a mixer, use a wooden spoon to “knead” the dough. If 5 minutes is too long, a couple of minutes is fine too.
Gradually add the flour, about 1 tbsp at a time, mixing in between until you have about 1-2 tbsp flour left.
Change to the dough hook and knead for a couple of minutes. If the dough is too sticky and does not pull completely from the sides of the bowl, add the flour and knead for an additional few minutes. Again, if you don’t have a mixer, now is the time to use your hands and knead as well as you can. I usually knead dough on the counter (and not in the bowl), using the palms of my hands and sort of rolling and pressing the dough against the counter, using one hand at a time (the same way pasta dough is kneaded if you’ve made that before).
Once the dough is smooth, oil either the same or another bowl and from the dough to a ball with oil while smoothing it out. Let it rise covered in a warm spot for about 30 minutes or until more than doubled in size. I like to heat up my oven on the lowest setting for two minutes, turn it off, and let my dough rise in there. Just make sure your oven isn’t too hot.
In the meantime, mix all ingredients for the filling. Make sure to use as little water as possible, but use enough so that it is spreadable.
Flour a surface, and roll out the dough.
Add the filling in an even layer, roll it up (make sure it is tightly rolled).
Divide it into 8-10 rolls using floss. Begin from the middle of the dough, then just keep halving until you have 8-10 rolls.
Transfer to a parchment lined baking dish, cover and let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Bake at 175 C (350 F) for about 25-30 minutes or until golden.
Once baked, brush with melted butter and enjoy.
