I've begun a love affair with cardamom. Just a year ago I had never heard of this spice. Then I watched that movie, Outsourced (I think I've referenced it several times now), where it was mentioned in a cheesy come-on line. Out of curiousity I bought the spice at my local Target Super Center, found a recipe on Epicurious.com to use it in, and haven't been able to stop re-making the recipe ever since. Since I love the recipe so much I thought I would share it with all my loyal blog readers. Perhaps you are looking for a twist on Thanksgiving dessert? Well, here is a great option. It uses blueberries so it is rather summery, but I just love it and I hope you will too!
Yield: Serves 2
2 cups picked-over blueberries
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1/3 cup sugar1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2/3 cup all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 400° F. and butter an 8-inch (1 1/2-quart) glass pie plate.
In a bowl toss together blueberries, zest, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch until combined well and transfer to pie plate.
Into another bowl sift together flour, baking powder, cardamom, and a pinch salt. Add cream and stir until mixture just forms a dough. Drop dough in 5 mounds on blueberry mixture and bake in middle of oven until biscuits are golden and cooked through, about 25 minutes.
FYI - I only use 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom b/c the spice for me is very strong. Also, I do about a cup and a half of berries, mixing blueberries and blackberries. Finally, I use about 2-3 tablespoons of lemon zest. My mouth is watering thinking about it!
Things I am thankful for in 2009:
Georgia is rounding out and looking more and more like a child and less like a toddler. She has grown about 2 inches since her birthday in August. As such, she has been eating tremendous amounts of food. Every night before she goes to bed she asks if she can have a midnight snack. In part this is her sneeky way of extending her evening before bedtime. But my oh my can she eat when she has this snack. Typically she eats a banana, a pb&j sandwich, water and or milk. She has also been saying funny things. The other day she asked me what a moth eats. I told her they eat clothes and other things... then I added we should look up what other things moths eat. After a few minutes I looked over at her, and there she was, looking up at the ceiling. I asked her why she was doing that and she replied "you said to look up what moths eat, so I'm looking up." Ha! :) Also, for those in the family who get this one, the other day I blew in Gigi's ear and told her "I just gave you goose bumps." She then blew in my ear and said matter of fact "I just gave you bird poopoo." Oh!! :)):):):) I died laughing!
GOLDEN. That is how the air, the light, the color-- the season -- feels this very moment. I LOVE this time of year. My opinion still stands that Oklahoma is most beautiful in May. But when I'm basking in this golden halo of amber autumn color I question my spring senses. It is too beautiful some evenings. I breathe and breathe again deeply trying to absorb it all, but I never can quite take in or get enough of the vast beauty that these sunsets spray into the wide open skies. Yukon is best for enjoying these evenings because the land is flat and the sky is huge. The picture above is taken at my home in Oklahoma City. Still a fabulous view. Thank you Father for autumn. It is glorious.
