Jacs Favorite Swedish Lemon Sour Cream Cardamom Squares Recipes

SCANDINAVIAN CARDAMOM TEA LOAF

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a loaf pan.
• 2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Beat eggs and sugar together until creamy. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Mix in sour cream and melted butter.
• 3. Pour batter into prepared pan, baking until done, about an hour. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto rack and finish cooling. Dust with powdered sugar.

LEMON SOUR CREAM COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 cookie sheets.
• Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
• Cream butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in sour cream, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Reduce speed to low; beat in dry ingredients just until blended.
• Drop tablespoonfuls of dough on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are set and edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for 1 minute. Use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

BEST LEMON SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Process 2 cups flour, butter, and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; press into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges of the crust are golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool crust to room temperature.
• Beat white sugar, eggs, 1/4 cup flour, lemon juice, baking powder, and lemon zest together in a bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy; pour onto the cooled crust.
• Bake in the oven until custard is set, 25 to 28 minutes. Cool lemon squares completely; dust the top with more confectioners' sugar.

SWEDISH SPICY LEMON CARDAMOM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Coat a 9 x 5 loaf pan, with nonstick cooking spray.
• Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon into a bowl and set aside until needed.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed until it becomes light and fluffy, (3 - 4 min).
• Lower mixer speed to low and add the eggs one at a time and blend for 1 minute each. Now add the grated zest, lemon juice and buttermilk, mixing well.
• Lastly, you will add the flour mixture and blend until just combined. ( do not overmix).
• Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth out the surface and bake in the center of the oven for 30 - 40 minutes (until a toothpick comes out almost clean, with a few moist crumbs attached).
• Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes while you make the glaze.
• For the glaze stir together all the ingredients until well blended. ( Make the glaze to your preference).
• Remove cake from pan and spread the glaze on top and enjoy.
• Make the glaze to your preference, either thick or thin.

SWEDISH CARDAMOM BUNS

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, bring the milk to 105 to 110 degrees. Remove it from the heat and pour it into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top, give it a quick whisk and let it rest a few minutes to dissolve and activate. If the yeast looks like it's clumping, whisk it gently.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, butter, cardamom, salt and the yeasted milk. Mix on the lowest setting until just combined and beginning to form a dough, 1 to 2 minutes. Continue on low to knead dough, about 2 minutes. It should go from shaggy and coarse to smooth and shiny. Working inside the bowl, give the dough a couple more kneads by hand to bring it together. You can also knead the dough entirely by hand on a work surface. (It'll take 8 minutes or so.)
• Line a 9-by-13-inch quarter sheet pan with parchment paper and dump the kneaded dough out onto it. Using your hands, pat and shape the dough into a large rectangular block. Make 4 or 5 shallow, 1/4-inch-deep slashes in the dough with a knife. Cover the baking sheet with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and transfer the dough to the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
• Make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, cardamom and salt on low speed just to form a granular paste. (It should resemble marzipan.) Don't overbeat it: You don't want it to be too soft or get fluffy. You can also do this by hand in a bowl, combining the ingredients with a spatula or bench scraper.
• Line two 13-by-18-inch baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator - it will have risen, but don't be surprised if the rise isn't significant - and let sit at room temperature for a few minutes so it's not so stiff that you can't roll it out. Place the dough on a thick silicone mat or a very lightly floured work surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out to a roughly 15-by-18-inch rectangle a little more than 1/8-inch thick, with the shorter side facing you. As you roll it in both directions, pause occasionally between rolls to relax the dough by patting it, lifting it and pulling it to straighten out any ripples.
• Dot the surface of the dough with mounds of the filling. Using an offset spatula, gently spread the filling all over the surface of the dough.
• With the short side of the dough facing you, fold the top third of the dough down over the middle third of the dough, then fold the bottom third up to cover the remaining dough.
• Go over the dough with the rolling pin a couple of times, vertically, to flatten the edges, and stretch it a few more inches before cutting and shaping. You want a 12-by-16-inch rectangle (the longer side will be facing you). If any filling oozes out, use your offset spatula to remove it so your workstation doesn't get sticky.
• Using the straight edge of a ruler and a pastry cutter (or very gently using a small, sharp knife), trim any uneven edges. Cut the dough vertically into 16 1-by-12-inch-long strips. Starting from the end, gently wrap one strip around the tips of your index, middle and fourth finger (or just the index and middle if you've got strong hands), like a bandage, two or three times, letting the dough overlap and working cautiously so it doesn't tear. Place your thumb on top of the wrapped dough, on the side closer to your wrist, to secure the shape, then loop the remaining end of the strand over and through the center of the bun, tucking it under at the base of the bun. You should have a rounded bun made out of bandage-like strips. The knotted part will be unexposed, hidden at the bottom.
• Place each bun on the prepared baking sheets as you go, patting it down for a flatter shape. Space the buns evenly (you can eyeball it). Leave them to proof at room temperature, uncovered, for about 1 hour. They should expand and soften.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Finish the buns: In a small bowl, using a fork or whisk, beat the egg together with 1 tablespoon water until well combined and frothy.
• Grind the cardamom pods in a spice grinder, making sure you break down the tough outer husks. Transfer the ground spice to a small bowl and whisk it together with the sugar.
• Lightly brush each bun with the egg wash, and generously sprinkle the tops of the buns with the cardamom sugar, using about 1/2 teaspoon per bun.
• Bake for 8 minutes, then lower temperature to 375 degrees, rotate trays completely (180 degrees and top to bottom, bottom to top) and continue baking for an additional 12 minutes. The surface of the buns should be golden brown. (Some butter may seep out of the buns and pool - that's normal - but if you're worried that it will burn on the trays, cover the buns with parchment paper toward the end of baking, once they've reached the desired color.)
• Let the buns cool for 10 minutes before eating, so the spiced, sweet buttery goo that pools around their edges can harden into crispy candylike edges, or let them cool entirely.

SWEDISH CREME

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine cream and 1 cup sugar; cook and stir over low heat until a thermometer reads 160° (do not allow to boil). Stir in gelatin until completely dissolved., Remove from heat; stir in extracts. Cool 10 minutes. Whisk in sour cream. Pour into 8 dessert dishes. Refrigerate at least 1 hour., Just before serving, lightly crush raspberries; gently stir in remaining sugar. Spoon over tops.

CARDAMOM SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cardamom, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours., Roll each disk directly on parchment to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. snowflake-shaped cookie cutter, leaving at least 2 in. between cookies. Remove trimmings; repeat with remaining dough, refrigerating dough as needed., Place parchment with cookies on baking sheets. Bake at 325° until edges are lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and milk. Pipe over cookies and sprinkle with coarse sugar and/or glitter. Let dry completely.

CARDAMOM BUTTER SQUARES

Steps:

• Make cookies:
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and allspice in a bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes in a stand mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 4 minutes with a handheld. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then mix in flour mixture until just combined.
• Form dough into 2 (12-inch) logs (1 1/2 inches in diameter), each on its own sheet of plastic wrap. Use plastic wrap and your hands to roll, press, and square off sides of logs. Chill logs on a baking sheet until slightly firm, about 1 hour, then smooth logs with plastic wrap and flat side of a ruler to achieve straight sides. Chill logs on baking sheet until firm, about 1 hour.
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut enough scant 1/4-inch-thick slices from a log with a knife to fill 2 large ungreased baking sheets, arranging slices about 1 inch apart (chill remaining dough, wrapped in plastic wrap).
• Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.
• Ice cookies:
• Whisk together espresso powder, vanilla, and 1 1/2 tablespoons milk until espresso powder is dissolved, then add confectioners sugar and enough additional milk to make a thick but pourable icing. Spoon into a sealable bag and snip 1/8 inch off a bottom corner.
• Spoon melted chocolate into another sealable bag and snip 1/8 inch off a bottom corner.
• Pipe some espresso icing and chocolate over each cookie and let cookies stand on racks until icing sets, about 2 hours.

SEMLOR (CARDAMOM CREAM BUNS)

Steps:

• Prepare the dough: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Weigh the cane sugar and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer; add the cardamom.
• Once the butter has melted, add the milk to the saucepan and allow it to warm up just slightly. The Swedes call this fingervarm, just above body temp. Add the milk-butter mixture to the bowl of the stand mixer and allow to sit for a couple of minutes, stirring once to combine.
• Once the yeast starts to dissolve and activate (you'll see foam starting to appear on the surface), add the flour and salt. Mix on low speed with a dough hook until combined, then increase the mixing speed to medium and allow to mix for 3 to 5 minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth.
• Remove the dough from the mixer and knead into one large ball and allow to rest in a large bowl, covered with plastic wrap, until roughly doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to portion the dough into individual buns, each weighing 100 grams. If there is any dough left over, divide it into pieces and add to the rest.
• To shape, flatten a portion of dough and fold the edges in toward the center to create surface tension in the dough, flip over so the seam you have created is facing down and roll clockwise with a cupped palm to form a tight ball. Repeat with each piece. Place onto parchment-lined baking sheets with about 3 inches of space between each bun. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the pans and switching their position halfway through baking. The buns should be golden and have a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom when done. Transfer to a cooling rack and let sit until cool enough to handle.
• While buns are baking, prepare the filling: Add the almond paste to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add about 3 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until it has a spreadable consistency (you may need more cream); transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
• Once the filling is made, using a clean mixing bowl and the whisk attachment, combine the rest of the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla and whip the cream to stiff peaks. Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
• To assemble the buns, begin by cutting the top third of the buns off horizontally and save the tops. Using your fingers, hollow out a small portion of the center of the buns and fill with about a tablespoon of the almond filling. Using an offset spatula, spread the paste to reach the edges of the cut portion of the bun.
• Use the piping bag to pipe the whipped cream into a swirl on top of the almond filling. (Don't be afraid to go high!)
• After the semlor are all filled, cut the reserved tops into triangle shapes and place them on top of the whipped cream. Sprinkle the semlor with confectioners' sugar to serve.

CREAMY LEMON SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper.
• Make crust: Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. Add flour, and mix on low just until combined. Press dough into the bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of prepared pan; prick all over with a fork. Bake until lightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together yolks, condensed milk, and lemon juice until smooth. Pour over hot crust in pan; return to oven, and bake until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
• Refrigerate until filling is firm, about 2 hours or up to 3 days. Using paper overhang, lift cake onto a work surface; cut into 16 squares, and dust with confectioners sugar.