These Quick Sweet Recipes Create Cardamom-infused Desserts To Shake Up Your Tried And Tested Menu!

Cardamom pods are one of those ubiquitous spices used in beverages like chai, savoury dishes, and a whole lot of Indian desserts. Cardamom has such a unique flavour profile - it’s slightly citrusy, minty, and spicy - so it adds a distinctive, aromatic kick in everything you use. So, here are three fragrant and flavourful desserts beyond traditional Indian dishes that pay homage to this amazing spice. 

Cardamom Skolebrød from Norway

Ingredients:

For the buns:

• 450 gm flour
• 100 gm caster sugar
• 3 tbsp active dry yeast
• 50 gm butter
• 300 ml milk
• 2 tsp cardamom powder 

Custard filling:

• 200 ml milk
• 100 ml cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 50 gm caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

Topping:

• 1 beaten egg
• 50 g icing sugar
• 4 tbsp dessicated coconut or coconut flakes 

Ingredients:

1. Heat butter and milk in a saucepan, just enough to melt the butter. You can also do this in the microwave.
2. Sift the flour and put it into a mixing bowl with yeast, sugar and cardamom powder. Make a well, and slowly pour the warm milk. Incorporate all the ingredients so you get a smooth and elastic dough. Place it in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth and let it rise for 2 hours.
3. Then move onto the custard by heating milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan. Whisk the sugar, egg yolks and cornstarch separately, and incorporate them into the warm liquid. Keep whisking on low heat until thick. You can strain the custard once cooled through a fine meshed sieve to remove any lumps or curdled egg.
4. Pour into a container lined with baking paper. Cover and cool for an hour.
5. Once the dough has risen, punch the excess air and roll it into 12 equal balls.
6. Smooth them into buns and place on a lined baking sheet. Cover and let them rise again.
7. As they rise, preheat the oven to 200 C.
8. Create an indent on the top of each bun where the custard will go. Pipe or spoon the custard.
9. Once done, don’t forget to brush the buns with some beaten egg and bake for about 20 minutes.
10. Let them cool, then dust with icing sugar and coconut. 

Kardemummakaka from Sweden

Ingredients:

• 310 gm flour
• 300 gm melted, unsalted butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ tbsp cardamom powder
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 177 ml milk
• 150 g sugar 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a cake tin with some butter.
2. Sift the baking powder and flour in a bowl first to remove any lumps. Then add cardamom powder.
3. Whisk together eggs and sugar until you get a smooth and creamy mixture.
4. Then add milk and melted butter to this.
5. Incorporate all the dry and wet ingredients, then transfer this batter into the prepared cake tin.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 to 45 minutes.
7. You can decorate the cake with icing sugar and cardamom powder before serving. 

Simple Cardamom Custard

Ingredients:

• 300 ml cream
• 300 ml milk
• 6 crushed cardamom pods with seeds
• 4 egg yolks
• 50 gm caster sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch 

Instructions:

1. Heat the cream, milk, and crushed cardamom pods in a saucepan. Simmer for just about 5 to 10 minutes then take the pan off heat.
2. Let the milk and cream infuse with the cardamom flavour, then fish then out of the pan.
3. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until smooth, then add the cornstarch. Pour some of the cardamom infused liquid to loosen this mixture.
4. Then add it into the saucepan and put it back on heat. Let this mixture cook and thicken for about 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve if needed so it's smooth.
6. Enjoy as is or pour it over some sponge cake.