Cardamom Cream Recipes

CARDAMOM CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Drain the ricotta in a fine mesh sieve placed in a large bowl for 1 to 2 hours until very thick. If you've bought very thick, very freshly made ricotta from a specialty shop (not the kind from the supermarket), you can skip this step.
• Meanwhile, make the milk syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the milk and cardamom pods. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer the milk until it reduces by half, 30 to 45 minutes. Stir in the sugar until it dissolves, then continue to simmer until the mixture thickens to the texture of half and half, about 10 minutes longer. Let cool, strain the mixture to get rid of the cardamom and any coagulated milk, then stir in the rose water. (Syrup can be prepared up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated.)
• Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then grease the parchment. Flour the entire pan and parchment, tapping out any excess.
• In a medium bowl, lightly whisk together the egg whites, milk, vanilla and rose water.
• Using an electric mixer, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom and salt, and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add the butter and about a third of the milk-egg white mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase to medium speed and beat for a minute or so until everything is very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Add the remaining milk mixture in 3 batches, beating well between additions. Scrape down the sides.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center, 25 to 35 minutes. The cakes should start to shrink from the sides of the pans only after removal from the oven. Let the cakes cool in the pans on racks for 20 minutes, then unmold and cool completely.
• Make the ricotta filling: Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the ricotta, cream and confectioners' sugar until quite smooth, about 30 seconds. Beat in rose water to taste. Beat on medium-high speed for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. The mixture will thicken.
• Make the mascarpone frosting: Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, rose water and cardamom until fluffy, about 2 minutes. On low speed, beat in mascarpone and yogurt until the mixture is just combined and looks smooth. Do not overbeat or the mixture may curdle.
• When the cakes have cooled, use a long serrated knife to trim the tops of the cakes, so the tops are flat and even. Then cut each cake in half into 2 layers, to make a 4-layer cake. Brush cake layers on all sides with milk syrup. Place one cake round on a cake stand or serving platter, then top with one third of the ricotta filling, leaving a small border around the edge of the cake. Repeat with the remaining cake layers and ricotta filling.
• Frost top and sides of the cake with the mascarpone frosting. Top with chopped pistachios and candied rose petals, if using; chill until ready to serve.

CARDAMOM-FLAVORED CREAM FOR FRUIT

Steps:

• Bring the milk to a boil over medium or medium-low heat in a very heavy, wide pan, deep enough to let the milk rise a bit without boiling over. Stir as the milk heats. (I prefer to heat up my milk in a microwave oven and just pour it into the pan to speed up matters.) As soon as the milk starts bubbling, add the cardamom pods and stir. Adjust the heat, generally to medium low, so the milk simmers steadily without boiling over or catching at the bottom. Cook this way, stirring now and then, for about 25 minutes. Stir in any skin that forms. (It tastes very good when cold.) Add the sugar and condensed milk. Stir and cook another 10 minutes. Remove cardamom pods, cover, and cool in the refrigerator.

CARDAMOM ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the heavy cream, milk and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Bring to a boil, and immediately remove from heat. Add crushed cardamom pods, cover and allow to steep for 20 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer into a clean saucepan, and discard the contents of the strainer.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine yolks with remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Whisk until blended. Place milk mixture over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Gradually mix 2 cups of the hot liquid into eggs, then pour egg mixture into saucepan of boiling milk. Whip constantly until thick and creamy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Remove saucepan from heat, and strain contents into a mixing bowl. Place bowl in a container of ice water to cool. When ice cream base has chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker, according to manufacturer's instructions.

CARDAMOM CREAM CREPES

Steps:

• In medium bowl, mix flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in remaining crepe ingredients. Beat with wire whisk or hand beater until smooth.
• Lightly butter 6-inch skillet; heat over medium heat until bubbly. For each crepe, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter into skillet; immediately rotate skillet until batter covers bottom. Cook until light brown. Run wide spatula around edge to loosen; turn and cook other side until light brown. Stack crepes, placing waxed paper between each; keep covered.
• In chilled small bowl, beat whipping cream, brown sugar and cardamom with electric mixer on high speed about 2 minutes or just until soft peaks form. Fold in sour cream.
• Spoon about 2 tablespoons cream mixture onto each crepe; roll up. Place 2 crepes, seam sides down, on each plate. Top with a dollop of cream mixture and lingonberries.

CARDAMOM CRèME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• Place cardamom pods with seeds in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until pods brown, about 5 minutes. Add milk, cream, and 1/4 cup sugar. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan; add bean. Bring mixture to boil. Whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes (do not boil). Cover and chill until cold, about 3 hours. Strain into medium pitcher. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)