Swedish Tea Ring

About a month ago, my friend who leads our women's Bible study at church took a trip to Turkey.  After her return, she was telling us about Turkish coffee.  Apparently it is very thick.  It still has the grounds in it.  But they add something else to it.  She thought it might be cardamom.  I had a recipe for a Swedish Tea Ring that  called for cardamom.  I made one last week and she thinks that that is the flavor.  After a little research, that indeed is the flavor.

The Swedish Tea Ring is so delicious I had to share it with you.
This recipe makes two rings

Dough Ingredients
1 1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar
4 - 4 1/2 cups flour, divided
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cardamom (some stores have this in bulk so you don't have to buy a whole bottle)

Filling Ingredients
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

Egg Wash Ingredients
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp water

Topping Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk,
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Mix milk and water in microwave safe bowl.  Heat to about 80 degrees (about 30 seconds in the microwave). Add yeast and 1 Tbsp sugar, stir to dissolve.  Pour into a large mixing bowl.  Add 2 cups flour and mix until smooth. Mix in butter, 1/2 cup sugar, eggs, salt, and cardamom.  Stir in 2 to 2 1/2 cups flour.  Mix until a shaggy dough.  (I had to add more flour because mine was very sticky.) Either turn out dough on to floured counter or switch to dough hook in your stand mixer.  Need dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  Add flour as needed.  Place dough in greased bowl, cover and allow to rise in warm place until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. I put mine onto of the stove with the oven on 200º.

After dough has double, punch down and divide in two.  Place half back in the bowl and the other half place on a floured surface.  Roll dough out to about 18 x 10.

Brush dough with 1 Tbsp melted butter.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup almonds. Roll dough up jelly roll style. So you have a roll about 18 inches long. Place dough on a sheet pan in a ring connecting the two ends.

Using a sharp knife, cut slits in dough almost all the way through about 1" apart.

Cover and allow to rise in warm place for an hour. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Once risen, brush with egg wash.  Bake in oven 20 - 30 minutes, until browned on top.

On a sheet pan, spread sliced almonds out.  Bake at 350º for about 15 minutes. Mix powdered sugar and milk to the consistency you want.  Drizzle rings with icing and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serve.  You can serve warm or cooled.

For a

Printable Version

Recipe adapted from Simple Bites

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