One of our favorite Christmas breads is Swedish Kardamummakrans, or as we call it, Cardamom Bread.

The spice, cardamom, is a bit costly, but its fresh, mild flavor is a special delight.  I know I will use the spice for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so to me the cost is worth it.  Besides, the spice keeps from year to year.  There have been Christmases when I could not find it on the grocery shelf and I found it helpful to have extra on hand.

This recipe calls for 2.5 cups of scalded milk.   It is best not to boil it. So a lesser temperature will be helpful.

Add 1.5 sticks of butter, 1 cup of sugar, 1.5 tsp. cardamom and 1/2 tsp. of salt to the milk.  Stir mixture and allow it to cool.

The recipe calls for 1 pkg. of yeast and 1/4-1/2 cup warm water.  Mix and let this mixture rest a few minutes to soften.

When the milk mixture cools enough so that you can hold your finger in the milk comfortably, you may add the yeast mixture.  Beat 1 egg and add it to the yeast/milk mixture. Mix well.

Add 8 cups of flour.  Knead dough until elastic in texture.  Let rise until doubled in bulk.  Punch down the dough and cut the dough into 3 pieces.

Each piece will make a medium sized loaf of bread.  Cut each of the 3 pieces of dough into 3 pieces and make them into 3 ropes of about 15-18 inches in length. (You may make larger loaves by making only 2 pieces of dough of 3 ropes each.)

Braid dough being sure to join the ropes together at each end of the braid.  Place the braid on a greased baking sheet and secure the two ends of the braid together to form a wreath.  Allow the bread to rise again.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

When bread is cooled, you may freeze it or frost it.

Icing is made with 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 T. soft butter, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1-2 T. cream.  When the frosting is somewhat hardened, you may decorate the wreath with halved green and red candied cherries.

Have fun and I hope you enjoy this bread as we do.

(For more detail on the process of scalding milk, see “Scalding Milk” on my website.)

photo credit: Wenda Grabau
photo credit: Bretta Grabau
photo credit: Wenda Grabau
photo credit: Wenda Grabau
photo credit: Wenda Grabau