i like those dark floral flavors
August 12, 2019 7:35 PM   Subscribe

Hit me with your best cardamom / anise / bergamot baking and dessert recipes.

Just what it says. I made earl grey tea cookies but it was shortbread texture... would love a chewy cookie instead!

So What are your favorite baking dessert recipes that feature anise / black licorice / cardamom / earl grey and related flavors? Cookies, breads, scones etc; leaning away from custards and shortbreads. Thanks! đź’–
posted by St. Peepsburg to Food & Drink (18 answers total) 35 users marked this as a favorite
 
Don’t have an exact recipe but grilled peaches drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cardamom are divine (and guilt-free...! Unless you top with French vanilla ice cream, which we do.)
posted by lovableiago at 7:39 PM on August 12, 2019 [3 favorites]


If you can find the aron and pull off the timing of the baking, Krumkake - which is a Norwegian cone-shaped sugar cookie.

The recipe that my family makes is very heavy on the cardamon.
posted by spinifex23 at 8:27 PM on August 12, 2019


Make cinnamon rolls. But instead of cinnamon use cardamom. Like these.
posted by Grandysaur at 8:35 PM on August 12, 2019


Best answer: Cardamom lime cake!
posted by darchildre at 9:05 PM on August 12, 2019 [1 favorite]


Best answer: This Persian cardamom, almond and rose cake is absolutely to die for.

I absolutely love these rosewater and saffron cookies. It says saffron is optional, but don't leave it out!

This Egyptian rice pudding with saffron, ginger, cardamom, and rosewater sounds heavenly.

I've switched some of these up with orange water instead of rose water. I bet you could switch them with bergamot too and get a really amazing take on it.
posted by erst at 9:30 PM on August 12, 2019 [1 favorite]


So I make these cookies (although I often replace the cocoa nibs with just some chopped up dark chocolate) except I also throw in a LOT of ground cardamom, like maybe 2 tbsp per batch. They are a reliable hit, especially as a holiday gift. I definitely recommend getting the whole-wheat pastry flour for the right crumbly texture.
posted by karayel at 10:04 PM on August 12, 2019 [1 favorite]


I have not made earl grey ice cream, only eaten it in this boutique ice cream place, but it was great, and there are recipes online.
posted by slidell at 10:19 PM on August 12, 2019


Response by poster: Thank you, keep em coming! Erst you’ve got the right flavor profile, I am totally into rosewater / pistachio / saffron / lavender and the like also. Are there any recipes that are chewy instead of shortbread-y ?
posted by St. Peepsburg at 10:37 PM on August 12, 2019


Oh and yes, it's not baking per se, but any cardamom-focused kheer/payasam/payesh recipe will give you a lovely cold dessert. I can't find mine right now, but it's basically basmati rice, whole milk, evaporated milk, sugar, several whole cardamom pods, and a bay leaf, cooked on the stove until it achieves a runny pudding texture, and then chilled (after you fish out the pods and leaf). This one is similar, just replace the cinnamon with 4-6 green cardamom pods, and omit the raisins. Top with pistachio if you like.
posted by karayel at 10:44 PM on August 12, 2019


This rhubarb almond cake with cardamom and orange is 100% absolutely spectacular; I have never made it without a few people demanding the recipe.

Pro-tip: you can keep almond meal in the freezer if you have to buy it in a larger quantity than you need.
posted by charmedimsure at 11:31 PM on August 12, 2019 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Could you not use a recipe like this chewy chocolate chips cookie, and infuse your butter with your flavor of choice?

Gently warm the butter, add your tea or spices (ground cardamom, etc.), and let sit on very low about 20 minutes or so. Don't let it get too warm, you don't want to make ghee. Then strain, and pour into a container and refrigerate until ready to use. Use in the recipe, and perhaps add some type of nut. I think crushed pistachio nuts would go good with cardamom. You can leave the choc chips out, or add them if you want.

This occurred to me, as I have made flavored butters for fancy parties, adding herbs and then forming the butter into a little roll, so people could have pats of basil butter, etc. for their bread. I've also infused olive oil with herbs, the way I do this is:

Take a jar, such as a large ball jar or instant coffee glass jar. Fill 1/3 to halfway with olive oil. Add your herbs/tea or seeds, crushed. Set in a pan of water, on low, and bring the oil up to 120 F, check using a thermometer. Stir with a clean chopstick every so often. Turn the heat off, and when it gets below 100 F, turn back on and get up to 120 F. Repeat this for 2-3 hours. It sounds fussy, but you don't want to cook the oil, and that amount of time is just about right to get the maximum flavor out of seeds and herbs (maybe 2 hours for herbs like tea, and 3 hours for hard seeds like anise and cardamom). Then if you decide to make a cake, you can use that oil in your cake. Most cake mixes require oil and not butter, so you could even use it in those.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 1:56 AM on August 13, 2019 [4 favorites]


Spicy Lithuanian Mushroom (shaped) Cookies, also known as grybai.
posted by jocelmeow at 7:39 AM on August 13, 2019


Best answer: chewy eh? do you like caramels? What you do is you take any caramel recipe, and infuse the cream with the flavor you like. Use culinary lavender, or cardamom pods, for instance. Use a lot! Make it strong -- any hot cream infusing guideline will do, basically you are blooming the volatile compounds in your spice into the hot cream for a while, then straining out. Use this cream in your caramels.
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:00 AM on August 13, 2019 [3 favorites]


I make pear cardamom jam and then use it everywhere you can use jam in baking. Rugalach, muffin centers, baked Brie, smeared on plain scones right out of the oven.
posted by bilabial at 8:00 AM on August 13, 2019 [1 favorite]


Best answer: following up marie mon dieu, Stella Parks' chocolate chip cookie recipe uses melted butter and would be a great vehicle for an infused melted butter if you wanted to go that way.
posted by fingersandtoes at 8:03 AM on August 13, 2019 [1 favorite]


Best answer: These are so good! I sent them in the cookie swap last year and they went over well. The black cocoa and anise/licorice compliment each other so well and the texture is amazing.
posted by miratime at 8:49 AM on August 13, 2019 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Pfeffernusse cookies. I think this is the recipe we use. They went over well at work this past Christmas.
posted by kathrynm at 9:25 AM on August 13, 2019 [1 favorite]




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