Cardamom Bread

Today is Santa Lucia Day!  And ever since we moved to Northbrook this day is filled with special memories.  Our church celebrated it with a breakfast and pageant each year and the ladies wasted no time recruiting our little family.  Here is a picture of Em in the Lucia Choir the first year we were here.  

Both of you sang in the Lucia choir on the first Saturday morning in December for many years.  Of course this meant that you had practiced the songs for many weeks beforehand.  Janet Gundlach, the Lucia choir director, coaxed you children into learning a crazy version of something that sounded a lot like Swedish.  And when you sang your voices sounded like angels in that candle lit room.   


So much preparation went into those mornings, everyone in the church helped in someway. Publicity and ticket sales, Butik and bakery items to be sold, the kitchen crew, decorations and parking lot attendants and of course all the children performing! 










Ty had a turn being one of the children to sit by the "Grandmother" to listen as Laurie Johnson sang "Lissna".  He also got to be the Star Boy one year.  Emily sang in the Lucia Choir and then moved up to be one of the Swedish dancing girls.  It wasn't always fun for you.  Ty quickly out grew wanting to be in the choir.  And almost every year Em and I scrambled to find a pair of red tights that her fit comfortably.

                       I worked in the bakery and then the Butik, finally I was in charge of ordering all the merchandise to sell and also co-chairing the event with Sarah Mohr.  One year I even got to be Lucia!

The morning was magical and I hope you will always have good memories of those special days.  For me, Lucia will always signal the start of the Christmas season!

One of the special treats served at the Lucia Breakfast was cardamom bread.  Now, I have never had any luck with yeast bread baking.  But, one day when Deb Cowger and I were talking on the phone, she told me she was baking cardamom bread and I decided if Deb could do it, then so could I!  So I found a step by step recipe online and have used it with no problems for several years.  If you have lots of time and a stand mixer, you too can bake some yummy cardamom bread.  Happy baking and God Jul!

Cardamom Bread

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Tbsp instant yeast
• 4 cups flour
• 11/4 cups lukewarm milk or water
• 3/4 cup melted butter or oil
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cardamom

1.)  Mix flour, yeast, and cardamom in your mixing bowl.  Set aside.  Eat some Christmas candy.  You deserve a reward.

2.)  Heat milk and stir in sugar until dissolved.  I like to do this in a 4 cup glass measuring cup but do whatever makes you feel like dancing.

3.)  Add the milk and sugar to the flour mixture.  Add 1/2 cup melted butter or oil, too.  Mix on low (if you are using a mixer) until a nice sticky dough forms.

4.)  Change out the mixer blade and use a dough hook.  Knead for a few minutes and then stop.  Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes with a light cover over it (I use a plate and just stick it over the top of the mixing bowl).  This is called autolyse (sounds like auto-lease) and is nap time for the dough during which the gluten relaxes and absorbs moisture.

5.)  During the autolyse, I wash the dishes and paint my baking pan with rest of the melted butter (or oil).  When the twenty minutes is up, begin kneading again and knead in the salt.

6.)  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 6 equal parts.  Let them rise for about 30-45 minutes.  Roll the dough balls into ropes and braid them into 2 loaves on the greased baking pan.  Tuck the ends of the braids under.  Sneak another piece of candy.  I won’t tell.

7.)  Preheat oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Brush the braided loaves with egg and sprinkle it with sugar.  Bake until golden brown (about 30 minutes).


P.S. Happy Birthday Uncle Chuck!