Cardamom Fruit Crisp Food

BLACKBERRY CRISP WITH CARDAMOM CUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the topping: Put flour, sugar, butter and ground cardamom in a medium bowl. Using your fingertips, work ingredients together until the mixture resembles wet sand with a few stray pebbles. (The topping can be made in advance and refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.)
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss the blackberries with ½ cup/100 grams sugar and transfer the mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish.
• Sprinkle topping over berries loosely, and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the topping is well browned. Let cool for 10 minutes, or serve at room temperature.
• As the crisp bakes, make the custard sauce: Put half-and-half and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cardamom seeds and bring to just under a simmer, stirring. Put yolks in a bowl and whisk until smooth, then whisk in 1 cup of hot half-and-half mixture. Pour the contents of the bowl back into the saucepan and cook, whisking, on a very low flame until the mixture barely thickens, about 5 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Serve sauce hot, or let cool and refrigerate until ready to use. (Sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance.)
• To serve, scoop large spoonfuls of crisp into individual shallow bowls. Ladle the sauce around each serving or pass the sauce at the table.

CARDAMOM-SCENTED PEAR CRISP

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square or round baking dish with a little butter. Cream the 4 tablespoons butter, oil, and sugar together using an electric mixer or fork. Stir in the nuts, lemon juice, oats, flour, and salt until combined and crumbly. (You can make the topping ahead to this point; tightly wrap, and refrigerate for up to a day or freeze for up to several weeks; thaw before proceeding.)
• 2. Put the pears in the prepared dish, sprinkle with the cardamom, and toss. Crumble the topping over all. Bake until the filling is bubbly and the crust is just starting to brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately, or at least while still warm.

CARDAMOM SUGAR CRISPS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. On low speed, beat in flour, salt, cardamom and cinnamon. Refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until firm.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Gently press bottom of drinking glass onto dough to grease, then press into granulated sugar and onto dough balls to flatten to about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are just beginning to brown and centers of cookies are set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool 10 minutes.
• In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla and enough of the milk until glaze is smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle glaze over cookies; sprinkle with sugar crystals.

CARDAMOM FRUIT CRISP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Toss apples and pear slices with lemon juice and vanilla in large bowl. Mix cornstarch and cardamom. Sprinkle over fruit; toss to coat well. Spoon into lightly greased 8 or 9-inch square baking dish.
• FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING: Mix flour, oats and sugar in medium bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle evenly over fruit.
• Bake 40-45 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.