Harvested the first lemon from my tiny tree (!!!) And it got a second life in these luscious swirls. # 160: Cardamom & Lemon Poppyseed Twists

I’ve heard that stretching and yoga is good for you in the morning. In my personal routine, I always include plenty of (lemon poppyseed) twists. These are like yoga stretches for the soul – so buttery and rich, with a zesty lemon kick and a lovely warmth from the cardamom.

The amount of cardamom involved in this recipe was insane! I was worried it would overpower the whole pastry, but the lemon and plain sweet dough mellowed it out perfectly.

Most importantly: my baby tree grew a real lemon!! I lost count of the months it took to get to this size (felt like forever) and it was so exciting to finally get to bake with it. Grow little tree, grow!

Sometimes I just don’t have the energy to do a full mise en place, or all my ramekins are in the dishwasher. The lazier version is still effective though! Always make sure to least pull out all of the ingredients ahead of time so there’s no need for last-minute store runs.

Happy frothy yeast.

The dough was so soft it almost felt like a thick cake batter before kneading.

It always picks up flour from the board, helping it to smooth out during the kneading process! Though I still believe there’s a touch of magic involved when a gloppy un-workable dough turns into a smooth elastic ball of goodness.

Sleep well, lil dough.

Filling time! Love me some lemon zest. It makes the whole kitchen smell fresh and citrusy.

Pre-spices and seeds.

Voila! A little gray and mysterious.

Puffy dough slices. Hey, why did the oregano move out of the city?

It was thyme to move to the sub-herbs!

I rolled each dough pancake up in a tight swirl and sliced it lengthwise.

Gettin’ fancy up in here.

All tucked in and ready for the oven.

Consistency is still not my forte, so they all have a little extra personality.

A little egg wash brought out their golden shininess!

Yummiest when warmed a little bit and paired with a strong breakfast tea.

Happy munching!

Recipe from: http://thesweetandsimplekitchen.com/lemon-cardamom-poppy-seed-twists