Cardamom Pomegranate Knots (GF)

Channel your favorite cinnamon roll and then add warm, citrusy cardamom. Bam! Cardamom Knots. Splash in some tart pomegranate juice to the cream cheese frosting and you've got Cardamom Pomegranate Knots!

I tend to prefer soft cinnamon rolls with a bit of toothiness. So this recipe is a great application for all purpose gluten-free flour. Of course, for those of you looking for extra gluten, you can always use your favorite cinnamon roll recipe for the knot dough. Follow the recipe below for the cardamom filling and pomegranate glaze.

Serve warm and ooey-gooy maybe with a bit of pomegranate glaze on the side. Oh! And I cannot stress this enough - GF baked goods do not retain moisture as long as a typical baked good. I would strongly encourage you to prepare these knots just before serving for the best texture.

Cardamom Pomegranate Knots (GF)

Ingredients

For the knots

· 3 1/4 cups Cup4Cup GF flour

· 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk

· 2 teaspoons instant yeast

· 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

· 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

· 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

· 1 teaspoon salt

· 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

· 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

· 1 egg at room temperature, beaten

· 1 1/2 cups warm water

For the filling

· 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

· 3/4 cup brown sugar

· 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

· 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

· 1/2 cup pecans, chopped fine

For the glaze

· 4oz cream cheese, room temperature

· 1 cup confectioner’s sugar

· 2-3 tablespoons pomegranate juice

For the knots, combine all dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the vinegar, butter, and egg. Stir until combined. With the mixer on medium-low speed, drizzle in the warm water. Beat on high for 3-4 minutes until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface. Using your hands and a bench scraper, begin to fold and knead the dough until smooth. Dough will still be slightly sticky.

Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12in wide rectangle about ½ inch thick.

For the filling, gently spread the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon and cardamom evenly over the dough.

Cut the dough into 12 equal strips width-wise using a long chef’s knife. Fold each strip in half from top to bottom. Using your hands, gently pat and stretch each piece into an 6-8-in length. Gently tie the strip of dough into a rough knot. Tuck into a greased muffin pan well. Repeat with the remaining strips of dough. Sprinkle chopped pecans over each knot. Cover with a dish towel and allow to rise at room temperature for about 1 hour.

For the glaze, beat cream cheese with a whisk until smooth. Add the powdered sugar. Drizzle in pomegranate juice until you reach a thick but pourable consistency.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Bake knots for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Brush with a bit of melted butter if not browning. Remove from the muffin pan soon after baking to avoid sticking.

While the buns still warm, drizzle with pomegranate glaze and serve.

Makes 12 knots

Notes

If you are not gluten-conscious, pull out your favorite cinnamon roll recipe and make the dough to their instruction. Follow the remainder of this recipe for the filling, glaze and folding techniques.

Gluten Free Friendly!

I prefer Cup4Cup for this recipe, but you can try another measure-for-measure GF flour substitute. Add 1 ½ tsp xanthan gum if your flour does not already contain.