Kardemommekringler med mandler og chokolade (Almond and Chocolate Cardamom Pretzels)
Beautiful cardamom pretzels filled with sweet chocolate and delicious almonds - these are the perfect treat!
Ingredients
- 200 ml milk
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 large egg *room temperature
- 400 grams all purpose flour
- 42 grams unsalted butter *softened
- 100 grams dark chocolate (can be in the form of chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, a chopped up bar of chocolate, whatever you have!)
- 75 grams chopped almonds
- 1 egg, for egg wash
- Pearl sugar *for sprinkling on top, optional
- Extra chopped almonds *for sprinkling on top, optional
Instructions
- If using active dry yeast or fresh yeast, heat the milk in the microwave or on the stovetop until it is “fingervarm” (finger warm), meaning it should feel warm to the touch but not hot. Add your yeast and a bit of the sugar from the recipe, stir, and leave it for 5-10 minutes until the mixture starts to bubble up. If using instant yeast, you can also follow this step, but it's usually unecessary - you can add it right into the dough!
- Combine the rest of the sugar, cardamom, and the egg in a large bowl. Once the yeast mixture has bubbled up a bit, add it to the egg mixture, or if using instant yeast, you can add that and the lukewarm milk immediately. Mix well.
- Then add the salt, softened butter, and flour. Mix with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to come together. Tip it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Add more flour if needed – the dough should be soft and smooth, not dry and not sticking to the surface. If using a stand mixer, allow it to knead the dough together with the dough hook for about 10 minutes.
- At the end, knead in your mix ins - the chopped almonds and chocolate chips. Make sure they are as evenly distributed as possible!
- Cover the dough with cling film or a clean dishtowel and place in the fridge overnight for 8 hours, or let rise at room temperature (if room temp is very cold wherever you are, put it in a warm place, i.e. under a light) for 1-1.5 hours or until doubled in size.
- Once your dough has doubled in size, shape into 10 balls to start.
- Then, to shape your pretzels, roll each ball into a thin log, about 1/2" or 1cm wide.
- Bring the ends together towards the center and twist them together once.
- Then press the ends onto the circle to keep the shape. Repeat the process until you have 10 pretzels.
- Place the pretzels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. We put 5 pretzels on each baking sheet, ending up with two sheets.
- Cover and let the pretzels rise for another 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 390F (200C).
- Once the pretzels have risen for the second time, brush with an egg wash - this is just one egg beaten together with a little bit of water until it's well mixed together.
- Sprinkle each pretzel with some pearl or turbinado sugar, and/or some extra chopped almonds if you'd like!
- Bake for about 15 minutes until nice and golden brown. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool down.
- Enjoy them plain as they are warm from the oven, or cut in half and top with butter, and/or jam, or whatever toppings you like!