Julekake (Norwegian Cardamom Scented Christmas Bread)
Julekake is a very fragrant Norwegian cardamom scented Christmas bread
Ingredients
- 2 tea spn active dry yeast
- 1/4 cup lukewarm water
- 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
- 1 egg
- 50 gm 3 and 1/2 tbl spn butter, soft at room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 4 to 5 pods cardamom powdered
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup mixed candied fruit or peel I used dried papaya and dried pineapple
- 1/4 cup golden or dark raisins
Glaze
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp milk
- Chopped almonds
Instructions
- Take the lukewarm water, 1 tbl spn (from 1/4 cup) sugar and add yeast to it.
- Keep it aside till the yeast becomes active (frothy).
- Add remaining milk, sugar, egg, butter, salt and mix it well.
- Now add powdered cardamom, flour and knead till a smooth dough is formed.
- Knead for some time to get a elastic dough.
- Spread the dough on a flat surface and sprinkle the fruits and raisins on it.
- Roll the dough and knead lightly so that the fruits are spread across the dough.
- Brush a big bowl with some oil and keep the dough in it.
- Cover with a wet cloth and leave it aside till it doubles in volume (about 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours)
- Lightly deflate the dough and shape it into a ball.
- Keep on a oiled baking sheet (or a baking pan like I did) and leave it aside for another 45mins.
- Preheat the oven at 350F for 10mins.
- Lightly beat the egg with milk. Brush this mixture on the dough.
- Spread the almonds on top of dough.
- Bake for about 30mins or till bread is golden brown, cover the bread with a foil if it is browning too fast.
- Cool the bread completely before cutting it.