Heat the milk and butter together in a small pan until just boiling then remove from the heat and allow to cool until it is lukewarm, scalding the milk like this makes the buns softer.

Mix together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and cardamom in a large bowl. Add the beaten egg and the cooled milk mixture, stir everything together vigorously until the mixture comes away from the sides of the bowl and looks doughy; it will be very soft and sticky so use a stand mixer if you have one.

Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge to rise overnight.

The next day, bring the dough out of the fridge and leave it to come up to room temperature while you prepare the filling.

Either blitz the filling ingredients together in a food processor or beat with an electric mixer until it forms a sticky paste. The mixture should be easily spreadable, if it is too thick then beat in a little milk to loosen it. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper or silicone liners.

Roll the dough out on a floured surface into a 30x50cm (12x20in) rectangle. Spread the filling evenly all over the dough then fold it in half so that you have a 15x50cm (6x20in) rectangle. Use a pizza cutter or very sharp knife to slice the dough into 16 strips.

Pick up a strip of dough and twist the ends in opposite directions 3 or 4 times, then coil the twisted strip in on itself, tucking the end underneath.

Place the finished twists on the lined baking sheets and lightly cover with oiled clingfilm. Leave to rise for 15-20 minutes until the dough no longer springs back when you press it with a finger. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.

Brush the twists with the beaten egg and scatter over some flaked almonds. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden, cooked through and they sound hollow when you tap them on the base; rotate the trays halfway through baking. Allow to cool on a wire rack before serving.