Lebanese Feasting: Sticky Cardamon Buns

Here's the final recipe from Monday's Lebanese Feasting menu; Sticky Cardamon Buns.

This is my favourite recipe (from Delicious Magazine 2010) of the three in the menu, partly because I have a sweet tooth and partly because the flavours just work so well. As ever, I think making any bread based dish with kneading, rising and resting is a labour of love and 'kneads' (forgive the pun) to be worth the effort. This one certainly pays dividends and offers lots of scope for non-Lebanese variation....

Next time, I'm going to try an apple butter, cinnamon and raisin combination. Closely followed by a Nutella and chopped hazelnut calorie-extravaganza. Yum!

Enjoy cooking,
Helen x


Sticky Cardamon Buns

Ingredients

• 100g unsalted butter (50g cubed, 50g softened + extra for greasing)
• 450g strong white bread flour (+ extra for dusting)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 7g sachet fast-action yeast
• 25g caster sugar
• 1 medium egg
• 225 ml milk (warmed)
• 2 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp unsalted pistachios (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp cardamom seeds (roughly crushed)
• 50g sultanas
• 50g currants
• 50g light muscavado sugar

Step 1: Grease large, deep square cake tin (suggest 23cm) with butter

Step 2: Rub flour and butter (50g cubed) together to make fine crumbs and stir in dried yeast

Step 3: Whisk sugar and egg and add to flour mix. Gradually add milk (you may not need it all) and pull mixture together into a soft dough

Step 4: Knead dough (by hand or in a mixer with a dough hook attachment) until it feels smooth and elastic (about 15 minutes). Cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour (dough should double in size)

Step 6: Give the dough a gentle punch to release the air and roll out on a floured surface. You're aiming for a rectangle about 25cm by 35cm (rough 3/4 cm thickness). Trim the edges if required to get the right shape.

Step 7: Spread to remaining 50g of softened butter over the pastry and then scatter over the muscavado sugar, raisins, currants and crushed cardamom

Step 8: Roll-up lengthways

Step 9: Slice into 9 evenly sized rounds and place in tin. Leave for 45 minutes in a warm place to rise

Step 10: Preheat the oven to 180c/ GM 6 and bake the buns for 30 minutes or until golden (don't overcook though).

Step 11: Remove from oven. Leave in cake tin, spread honey and scatter pistachios over the top and leave to cool for 10 minutes

Step 12: Remove from the tin and serve (great with mint tea!)

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Gourmet salad for summer loving!

I would appear to be one of the few people who gets excited about salads.

For many people, salads are a superfluous plate dressing not made to touch the fork. To some, they have been tainted with all things 'diet' related or even considered a bit girly to be ordered for fear of mockery (applies to boys!).

To me, a good salad is a pleasure to view and to eat and one of my favourite meals.My perfect salads are not about low calorie and they are certainly not all vegetable. They are about taste, texture and creativity. If I was ever to write a recipe book, I think this would be what I'd focus on and it's generally what people ask me to make if there is a gathering!

Two of my favourite salads are:

• Roasted sweet potato, butter bean, chorizo and spinach
• Pan-fried courgette, balsamic raisin and toasted pine nut

Given I have a glut of courgette to get through (blog entry - the biggest courgette....ever) I've shared the latter with you below. This is such a lovely salad; sweet, tangy, crunchy and fresh. It's perfect on it's own or as a side. The courgettes can easily be grilled, making this a great BBQ dish too.

Courgette, balsamic raisin and toasted pine nut salad (serves 4)

Ingredients

• 2 medium courgettes
• 100g raisin
• 75ml balsamic vinegar
• 50g pine nuts
• 1 lemon (juiced)
• Olive oil
• Seasoning

Step 1: Slice your courgettes into chunky strips

Step 2: Heat a glug of olive oil in a frying pan (or griddle pan) and add the courgette. Turn after 2 minutes and repeat until both sides are slightly browned but the courgette is still firm. Put to one side to cool

Step 3: Add balsamic and raisins to a saucepan and heat rapidly until all the balsamic is absorbed. Turn off heat and put to one side to cool.

Step 4: Add the pine nuts to a dry frying pan and heat gently for 2-3 minutes (be very careful they don't burn) - put in a dish when they are toasted to prevent them continuing to cook

Step 5: Assemble dish. Add courgette to plate and scatter over raisins and pine nuts. Squeeze over lemon juice, season and serve

I hope I can convince you that salads are more than rabbit food!!
Helen x

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