Ground cardamom can lose its potency very quickly so it is preferable to use the pods. Crush them in a pestle and mortar (or bash them with the end of a rolling pin).

Place the pods and their seeds in a small pan with the milk and butter and warm over a low heat until the milk is just about steaming. Remove from the stove and swirl around until the butter has melted.

To make the dough, combine the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl, or in your kitchen mixer, fitted with a dough hook.

Make a well in the centre of the bowl, then strain the milk mixture over the flour, discarding the cardamom pods.

Add the eggs and mix to combine. Knead the dough either by hand or in your kitchen mixer with a dough hook fitted. It will be quite sticky, but don't be tempted to add any extra flour at this stage as it will make the buns dry. By hand it will probably take about ten minutes to achieve a smooth and bouncy dough, and about five minutes in the mixer.

Rub a thin layer of oil over a clean bowl, shape your dough into a ball and leave it to rest, nicely nestled and covered with a sheet of cling film. Prove until it has doubled in size and pings back nicely when you prod it.

Meanwhile, line two roasting tins with greaseproof paper, then mix the filling ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly combined.

Once your dough has risen to your satisfaction, roll it out into an oblong roughly 50 x 30cms, with the long edge facing towards you.

Using the back of a large spoon, smear the doughy rectangle with the buttery, crunchy filling, taking care to push it right to the edges (nobody wants a dry bit).

Starting with the long edge, roll the dough up into a sausage. Cut it with a sharp knife into 2cm slices, or use baker's twine or strong thread, passing it under the sausage at about 2cms in, then pulling the furthest end towards you and the nearest one away to cut the snails neatly.

Lay them into your prepared tins with the whirly sides facing up, then cover tightly with cling film and pop them in the fridge overnight (or straight into the freezer).

To bake the buns, remove them from the fridge and allow them to rise a second time for 1-2 hours. Once they have puffed up again, brush them with beaten egg, sprinkle with pearl sugar and place in paper muffin cases.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Bake for 8-12 minutes until golden brown; they tend to catch quite easily, so check them every minute or so in the final stages.

If you would like to make an icing, simply mix 3 tablespoons of milk and 150g of icing sugar together to make a runny icing about the consistency of single cream. Allow the buns to cool slightly, then drizzle over the top with a fork.