Milk Dumplings In Cardamom And Saffron Syrup Food

MILK DUMPLINGS IN CARDAMOM AND SAFFRON SYRUP

Steps:

• To make the dumplings, combine the dry milk, flour, and baking soda in a bowl. Stir to blend. Make a well in the center and pour in the whipping cream. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the ingredients together into a rough ball of dough. Switch to using one hand to knead and incorporate all the bits, then transfer the dough to a work surface. Knead the dough until medium-soft and pliable. If it is slightly sticky at first, dust your hands with some dry milk. If the dough is crumbly, work in water by the 1/2 teaspoon.
• Roll the dough into a 12-inch log and cut into 12 even-size pieces. Roll the pieces into smooth round balls, each one about 1 inch in diameter. Apply slight pressure as you roll to make each one as crack-free as possible; otherwise, fissures may form during frying. Set the balls on your work surface and loosely cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel to prevent drying.
• Place a paper towel-lined platter near the stove. Pour 1 inch of oil into a shallow sauce-pan, wok, or deep skillet. Heat over medium-high heat to 290° to 300°F on a deep-fry thermometer. (If you don't have a deep-fry thermometer, stick a dry bamboo chopstick into the oil; if it takes about 4 seconds for bubbles to rise to the surface and encircle the chopstick, the oil is ready.) Slow and low-temperature frying guarantees that the dumplings cook all the way through, so they don't collapse later as they soak in the syrup, and the milk sugars caramelize nicely. When the oil is ready, steady it by decreasing the heat to medium-low. If you like, test-fry one dumpling. After you add it to the oil, it should remain at the bottom for about 20 seconds before rising to the top. If it rises much sooner, the oil is too hot. Fry the dumplings in 2 batches, stirring often with a slotted spoon or skimmer to ensure even cooking and browning. Adjust the heat as necessary to fry for 4 to 5 minutes, until the dumplings are a lovely reddish brown. Be patient. Lift the fried dumplings from the oil and drain on the paper towels.
• To make the syrup, combine the water, sugar, cardamom, and saffron threads in a shallow, wide saucepan or deep skillet large enough to hold all the dumplings in one layer with a little room for expansion. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to very gently simmer for 5 minutes. Add all the fried dumplings and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, turning them occasionally, until the dumplings are soft and enlarged, and the syrup has thickened a bit.
• Remove from the heat and gently stir in the rose water. Set aside to cool for about 20 minutes before serving; expect the dumplings to shrink during cooling. (The dumplings can be prepared up to 5 days in advance and refrigerated. Return to room temperature and reheat them over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water to move things along, until soft again.) Serve the dumplings warm or at room temperature. Present 2 or 3 dumplings in individual dessert bowls along with a little syrup; if some cardamom seeds are loose in the syrup, include them; they provide a great burst of flavor. Top each dumpling with a bit of pistachio for color and texture. Enjoy with spoons.

SAFFRON GOLDEN MILK

Steps:

• Pour 1/3 cup milk into a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until hot but not boiling, about 1 minute. Add turmeric, ginger, black pepper, cardamom, and saffron; stir until combined. Pour remaining milk into the saucepan and cook over medium heat until flavors blend, for 3 to 5 minutes more.

MAPLE-CARDAMOM SAFFRON STICKY BUNS

Steps:

• In a small pot, combine milk, butter, sugar and 1/3 cup/60 milliliters water over medium heat and heat about 1 minute, until butter has melted and the mixture is just lukewarm. (Too much heat will kill the yeast when it's added.)
• Transfer to a bowl, add saffron and yeast, whisk to combine and then set aside until the mixture is yellow and lightly frothy, 15 to 30 minutes.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine both flours, the salt and the milk mixture. Knead for 3 minutes, starting on the lowest speed and gradually increasing to medium, pausing every now and then to scrape down the sides and incorporate any dry bits on the bottom of the bowl. (If there is flour that refuses to be incorporated, add a teaspoon or two of water.)
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead by hand for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Cover dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Grease a 9-inch/24-centimeter cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each into a smooth ball. Place 1 dough ball in the center of the cake pan and then arrange the rest in a circle around it, leaving a 1/2-inch/1-centimeter gap on all sides of each ball. Cover with a slightly damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size. The buns will press against one other and against the sides of the pan.
• Toward the end of the rising, heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Bake the risen buns for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden-brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• While the buns bake, make the syrup: Use the flat side of a heavy knife to crush the cardamom and discard the papery outer pods, reserving the seeds. Use the knife or a mortar and pestle to lightly crush the seeds. Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise and use the tip of a small knife to scrape out the seeds from both sides. In a small pot, combine maple syrup, butter, cardamom and vanilla seeds over medium heat and cook 5 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the butter has melted and the syrup has thickened. Reduce the heat if necessary to prevent scorching. Set aside and keep warm.
• As soon as the buns are baked, use a pastry brush to coat them evenly with syrup, then immediately sprinkle with the sea salt and seeds (if using). Let cool 10 minutes before transferring to a serving plate. To eat, slice the bun across the middle, and spread generously with clotted cream.