Spiced Cardamom Twists

If you've never had cardamom, then you need to try this recipe. Cardamom is extremely aromatic with an earthy, ginger-like, spiciness often used in Indian cooking and a lot of Scandinavian baking. The recipe began by rolling out the dough into a large rectangle. After brushing the dough with an egg wash, I covered a quarter of the dough with a cardamom/sugar blend and the other quarter with a cinnamon/sugar blend (because not everyone likes cardamom’s assertive flavor). Next, I spread a small amount of crumbled almond paste over the spice blends and folded over the dough to create an envelope. I cut the dough into one-inch strips and twisted each one in a long rope and topped each with an extra sprinkling of sugar. After proofing for an hour, the twists baked in a 400-degree oven for 11 minutes. The finished twists were flaky, slightly doughy in the center, and very flavorful. I am looking forward to enjoying these with a cup of coffee tomorrow, but for all of the work involved, I don't know if I'll be making these again in the near future.

Next up: Bear Claws