As a bonus, these grilled Steak Kabobs provide the necessary protein that’s imperative for a healthy lifestyle. And the flavors are outrageously delicious! A must-make summer entree.

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A Coke Cake gets its name from the addition of cola into the batter. Besides a little extra oomph from the carbonation, there is a subtle, hard-to-identify flavor from the cola. This Coca-Cola Cake Recipe will become a family favorite!

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With a simple topping of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, this Caprese Pizza is the best vegetarian pizza you’ll ever taste!

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If you have a peanut butter dessert lover you want to spoil, make these delicious, decadent, layered Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars! All the flavors of Tagalong Girl Scout Cookies in every bite!

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Nothing screams party louder than Funfetti Cupcakes that are packed with sprinkles. The swirl of rich vanilla buttercream frosting on each of these Birthday Cupcakes will seal the deal!

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Bursting with flavor, this Sausage and Peppers Recipe is cooked in the oven instead of the stovetop, minimizing the mess that comes with classic skillet Italian Sausage and Peppers. Plus, roasting the vegetables concentrates their deliciousness.

The post Sheet Pan Sausage and Peppers appeared first on That Skinny Chick Can Bake.

This Mexican Salad is full of cool, fresh ingredients and is the perfect side salad when serving enchiladas, tacos, or any Tex-Mex entree. It’s perfect to add to your Cinco de Mayo menu!

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This is seriously the BEST chicken marinade. The results are juicy and outrageously tasty! Add this recipe for delicious marinated chicken breasts for grilling to your menu ASAP.

The post Mustard, Garlic, Lime Marinated Chicken Breasts appeared first on That Skinny Chick Can Bake.

Cardamom Bread is sweet, unique, and perfect for the holidays and/or breakfast and brunch!!

Why You Must Make

• It’s a tasty bread wreath tied up with a bow. How appropriate for the week before Christmas!
• This Finnish Pulla is a lovely yeast bread recipe flavored with crushed cardamom seeds.
• The scent of the baked loaf was sublime, definitely aromatherapy at its best.

Using my KitchenAid mixer with a dough hook, the bread dough was a snap to prepare. Braiding the pulla bread required a bit more concentration. How is it that I can plait hair with my eyes closed, but 3 strands of dough perplexed me???? Well, finally got through that, snipped off the ends, and formed a ring with the braid.

Ingredient Notes

• Kitchen Staples – Milk, Sugar, Salt, Warm Water (no hotter than 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Active Dry Yeast (affiliate link) – I use Red Star Yeast
• Crushed Cardamom Seeds – From 7 to 12 pods, depending on the size. I find these at Penzey’s.
• Eggs – Have at Room Temperature, then whisk/beat before adding to the dough. Plus, one egg will be mixed with milk to glaze the dough wreath before baking. I use large eggs.
• All Purpose Flour (affiliate link) – Best to weigh it for accuracy; 4 ½ to 5 cups (22.5 – 25 ounces by weight) 
• Unsalted Butter – Melted
• Sliced Almonds, Pearl Sugar (larger crystals of sugar) – Optional, to garnish if desired.

Recipe Tips

• Beatrice Ojakangas, the contributing baker, had the brilliant idea of making a bow with the excess dough to cover up the seam. Well, I thought she was pretty darn clever till I tried to make a bow out of dough! I muddled through, and it looked darn good going into the oven (save some striations in my strands, but I AM my own worst critic).
• Go the extra step and glaze your dough with a mixture of egg and milk and then sprinkle with sugar. Pearl sugar was suggested, but since I didn’t check my supplies till after I started baking, I just used some demerara sugar, a large-grained brown sugar.
• Making the bow entails rolling out a strand of dough and then making two loops at the top. The photo below shows how simple it is. Make sure to glaze the dough under the bow before adding it, then glaze the bow so it has some sheen, too.
• The result was a glossy bread with a touch of glittery sugar. Exquisite. Who wouldn’t love a sweet, sparkly bread that is perfect for the holidays?

Frequently Asked Questions

You May Also Like

• Parmesan Prosciutto Bread
• Irish Soda Bread
• Whole Wheat Bagels
• Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
• Plus, check out all my tasty Yeast Bread Recipes

Print

The Recipe:

Finnish Pulla Bread

Prep Time 2 hours

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 25 minutes

Yield 1 loaf

A holiday braid flavored with cardamom from Baking with Julia by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• ¼ cup warm water (no hotter than 110 degrees Fahrenheit)
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds (from 7 to 12 pods, depending on the size)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, at room temperature, beaten
• 4 ½ to 5 cups (22.5 - 25 ounces by weight) all purpose flour
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg + 1 tablespoon milk, for glaze
• Sliced almonds
• Pearl sugar

Instructions

1. Grind 1 teaspoon cardamom seeds in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder.
2. Place a small saucepan over medium heat and add the 1 cup milk. Scald the milk, so small bubbles are just visible around the edge. Remove the pot from the heat and cool the milk to around 110º Fahrenheit.
3. While the milk is scalding melt the 1 stick butter in the microwave.
4. In a large bowl, add ¼ cup warm water (around 110º) and whisk in the 1 tablespoon active dry yeast. Set the yeast/water mixture aside for at least 5 minutes. It will become creamy.
5. Once the water/yeast mixture is creamy, whisk in the 1 cup scalded and slightly cooled milk, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds, 1 teaspoon salt, and the 2 beaten eggs. Whisk until fully combined.
6. Now, using a wooden spoon, add 2 cups flour to the bowl. Beat the mixture until smooth. Vigorously stir in the 1 stick melted butter. Once the butter is incorporated, add in the additional flour, a ½ cup at a time, until the dough is fairly stiff. Stop adding flour before the dough becomes dry.
7. If you wish, you can also use a stand mixer with a dough hook to mix the dough. Follow the directions in the same order.
8. Once you have your dough mixed, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.
9. Turn the dough onto a floured work surface. Knead the dough until smooth and shiny, about 10 minutes. Add a bit of additional flour if needed. This is where I added my last ½ cup of flour or so.
10. You can also knead the dough in the mixer with the dough hook at medium speed. It may only take about 8 minutes or so, depending on your machine.
11. Shape your dough into a ball and lightly grease a large bowl. Turn the ball of dough in the bowl to lightly coat in the grease. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place. Let the dough rise until it is double in size. This will take at least 45 minutes, but could take over an hour.
12. Cover your baking sheet with parchment paper.
13. Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out of the bowl onto a cool, lightly oiled surface.
14. Knead the dough briefly to release the air. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Weigh the pieces to ensure they are equal, or close to it.
15. Roll each of the three pieces into a log about 36 inches in length.
16. Now, line the logs up next to each other and pinch them together at the top. Braid the 3 pieces into a log braid. Carefully move this braid to the parchment lined baking sheet, forming it into a circle onto the sheet. Cut an inch or two of dough off each end and fuse the circle together. Knead the cut bits together and shape into another small log. Form into a bow and place the bow over the seam of the wreath.
17. Loosely cover your bread with a towel and let rest and rise at room temperature for about 45 minutes. Don’t let it double in size.
18. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375º.
19. Whisk together egg and milk for glaze. Brush the egg glaze all over the shaped dough. Sprinkle the dough all over with sliced almonds and pearl sugar.
20. Bake the loaf for 20 to 25 minutes. The top will be just golden, and the bottom of the loaf will be very light. Be careful not to over bake the bread.
21. Transfer the baked loaf to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature before cutting into the bread.
22. To store, cover the loaf in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. Or, wrap tightly, so the bread is air tight and freeze for up to a month. Thaw the bread at room temperature.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 239Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 161mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 7g

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The keys to this Best Brownie Recipe are a paper-thin, slightly crinkled top and a soft, fudgy interior. It’s what chocolate lovers crave and what brownie aficionados will adore!

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