Brown Butter Cardamom and Pecan Buns

Our friend Andrew Supnet has been playing around with our Brown Butter Cardamom + Pecan chocolate bar and sharing some seriously drool-worthy results on Instagram. ⁠Behold: Cardamom knots studded with ooey gooey chocolatey goodness. Want one? Find this original recipe for pecan and brown butter cardamom buns below.

Brown Butter Cardamom + Pecan Buns Recipe

Ingredients

Dough

• 1¼ cups whole milk
• 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (from one ¼-ounce packet)
• 4 cups/510 grams all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons/90 grams granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons/85 grams room temp, unsalted butter
• 30 green cardamom pods/1 tablespoon whole cardamom seeds or 2 tablespoons ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

• 9 oz jcoco Brown Butter Cardamom + Pecan bar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/250 grams room temp unsalted butter (2¼ sticks)
• 1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
• 30 green cardamom pods/1 tablespoon whole cardamom seeds or 2 tablespoons ground cardamom
• 2 ½ cups or 280g chopped pecans

Finish

• 1 large egg
• 20 green cardamom pods or 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Photos by Andrew Supnet

How To Make Brown Butter Cardamom & Pecan Buns

1. Prepare the dough: In a small saucepan, bring the milk to 105-110 degrees, then pour it into a small bowl. Add the yeast on top, and give it a quick whisk. Let it rest for 5 minutes to dissolve and activate. If using green cardamom pods, grind 80 pods in a mortar and pestle for the entire recipe. Set the seeds aside.
   
   
2. Using 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, for about 2 minutes. Continue kneading on low for another 2 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and shiny. Working inside the bowl, knead the dough by hand a couple more times to bring it together. You can also knead the dough entirely by hand on a lightly floured surface.
   
   
3. Line a 9-by-13-inch sheet or cake pan with parchment paper and dump the kneaded dough onto it. Using your hands, pat and shape the dough into a rectangular block. Cover the baking sheet with a damp kitchen towel, and transfer the dough to the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
   
   
4. Make the filling: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown the butter in a small saucepan, then pour it into a small bowl and set it aside to cool slightly. Break up the jcoco chocolate into squares and melt it in a double boiler. Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate in a microwave in 15-20 second increments until melted - just make sure to use a microwave-safe bowl! Add the brown butter to the melted chocolate and mix with a spatula until combined. Mix in the sugar, cardamom, and salt until a granular paste forms.
   
   
5. Add pecan pieces to a 13-by-18-inch baking sheet and toast for 7 minutes. Line two additional 13-by-18-inch baking sheets and set aside - feel free to repurpose the baking sheet used to toast the pecan pieces if you'd prefer.
   
   
6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it out into a roughly 15-by-18-inch rectangle with the shorter side facing you.
   
   
7. Dot the dough with mounds of filling, then gently spread it over the surface. Sprinkle the toasted pecans evenly on top.
   
   
8. With the short side of the dough facing you, fold the top third down over the middle third, then fold the bottom third up to cover the remaining dough.
   
   
9. Go over the dough with the rolling pin a couple of times, vertically, to flatten the edges. Gently lift the dough and stretch one side at a time until it's a 12-by-16-inch rectangle before cutting and shaping.
   
   
10. 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, like a bandage, two or three times, letting the dough overlap. 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.
    
    
11. Place each bun on the prepared baking sheets as you go, patting it down for a flatter shape. Leave them to proof at room temperature, uncovered, for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 450 degrees.
    
    
12. Finish the buns: In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water until well combined and frothy.
    
    
13. Whisk the remaining cardamom with the sugar. Lightly brush each bun with the egg wash, then generously sprinkle the tops with the cardamom sugar.
    
    
14. Bake for 8 minutes, then lower the temperature to 375 degrees, rotate the trays, and continue baking for an additional 12 minutes until the buns are golden brown. Let the buns cool for 10 minutes before eating!

Need more visuals? See Andrew's recap of the process here.