The Feast of Santa Lucia

Chers Amis,

Today is the Memorial of St. Lucy. I love this day as I have fond memories of dressing up in a hand-smoked white dress in second grade, wearing a crown of LIT candles, and delivering sweet rolls to my second grade class. (Try that in a public school now! HA!) We also lived in a town of the same name for several years so it almost feels like our "native" saint's day. I had great plans to celebrate Santa Lucia today which have been put on hold until this weekend. (Wednesdays are our co-op morning and the girls are singing a Christmas concert at a retirement home tonight. Today is a blur!) Besides, I think the feast of St. Lucy is best feted on a Saturday morning when we can make a special morning treat to surprise Daddy. Until then, I am dreaming of a steaming pot of coffee and these delicious rolls. Wouldn't you love to wake up to that!

-- Marjorie

PS - Remember to pray for all those with eye ailments today (and always). We have family problems with macular degeneration so St. Lucy is close to our hearts. Eat carrots too.

SWEDISH CARDAMOM ROLLS
For dough
1 1/4 cups warm water (105°F.)
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
two 1/4-ounce packages active dry yeast (5 tablespoons total)
3 large eggs beaten lightly
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup powdered nonfat dry milk
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons cardamom seeds, ground in a mortar with a pestle, or in an electric spice/coffee grinder
an egg wash made by beating 1 large egg with 2 tablespoons water

Make dough:
In a large bowl combine water, butter, and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over mixture and let stand 5 minutes, or until foamy. Stir in eggs, salt and dry milk until combined. With a wooden spoon stir in 5 sups flour, 1 cup at a time, and stir mixture until a dough is formed.

On a floured surface, knead dough about 10 minutes, adding enough of the remaining 1 cup flour to make dough smooth and elastic. Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat, and let rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch down dough and on floured surface with a floured rolling pin roll into a 15- by 20-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough and sprinkle with granulated sugar, cinnamon and cardamom.

With a long side facing you, roll up dough jelly-roll fashion and cut crosswise into approximately 1 1/2-inch-thick slices with a cut side down. Working with 1 slice at a time gently twist opposite ends of slice around twice to form a figure eight. Crimp ends together. Arrange rolls, a swirled side up, on a buttered baking sheet about 2 inches apart and let rise in a warm place until increased 1 1/2 times in bulk, about 1 hour.

While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 350F.

Brush tops of rolls with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Bake rolls in middle of oven until tops are pale golden, about 25 minutes.
Publish
Makes about 15 rolls.
Gourmet
You Asked For It; The Jenny Lind Cafe, Stockholm WI
December 1996