Pistachio Cardamom Buns with Tahini Maple Glaze

The recipe for the dough is by Adrianna Adarme - A Cozy Kitchen 

• 1/4 cup lukewarm milk
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the lukewarm milk. Mix in the active dry yeast and allow to stand and activate, about 8 minutes, until foamy and alive.
2. To a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. To the bowl with the yeast/milk mixture, add in the beaten eggs and vanilla extract; then all at once, add the flour mixture. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and mix on low until the dough starts to become cohesive. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the cubes of butter.
3. Knead on medium speed for about 5 minutes. The dough will go from crumbly and separate to completely cohesive and smooth. The dough shouldn’t be sticky, but will be wet. 
4. Remove the dough from the hook and the bowl and form it into a ball.  
5. Transfer the ball of dough to a clean, lightly greased bowl. Cover with clingfilm or a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise for at least 1 to 2 hours or overnight in the fridge. 

For the Pistachio & Cardamom Filling:

• 1 ¼ cup toasted pistachios
• 6 cardamom pods, seeds only
• ½ cup sugar 
• pinch of salt 
• ½ cup unsalted butter, very soft at room temperature

1. Combine the pistachios, cardamom, sugar, and salt in a food processor and blitz until finely ground.
2. Add the ground pistachio mixture and butter to a small bowl, mix well until combined and a spreadable paste forms. 

To Make the Buns:

1. Roll out the dough on a floured surface into a rectangular shape, about 15” x 18”. 
2. Spread the pistachio filling onto the dough evenly and thinly all the way to edges leaving a 1-inch gap. 
3. Roll the dough inwards into a log.
4. Use a sharp knife to trim the ends off and carefully cut the dough into 12 (for larger buns) or 16 (for smaller buns) rolls. 
5. Transfer the buns to a large greased baking dish and cover with a cloth. Let rise for 1 hour. Make the tahini maple glaze and ground pistachios in the meantime.

For the Tahini Maple Glaze:

• 1/2 cup tahini
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup
• water, to thin

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini and maple syrup. Keep adding water, one tablespoon at a time, while whisking, until the glaze is pourable and smooth.

For the Ground Pistachios:

• ¼ cup toasted pistachios

1. Add the pistachios to a food processor and process until finely ground.

To Bake and Serve:

1. Preheat the oven to 350f   
2. Bake the buns for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and fluffy.
3. To serve - drizzle the tahini maple glaze all over the buns and sprinkle generously with the ground pistachios. 
4. Enjoy while still warm.