Once again, This is being tried for the very first time and I hope that they turn out as amazing as they sound in my head ;) It's funny, how we start with a theory and it almost always sounds perfect and amazing; then you try to execute based on the knowledge you have and the information that you gather. The result is not always so great! This kind of takes me back to my engineering days or even research days at the engineering school. Everything always sounded great in theory IF you had enough information to back it up. My partners and I even designed and made a prototype for a Sequential Transmission made of wood and plastic. Our advisers and professors seemed to "buy" the idea since we had a book published with information to support it. Who knows if the "real" thing actually worked or not - by then, we had graduated. My point is that it's not always easy to come up with recipes like this. Remember my last blog? The science of baking is more complicated than we think and it definitely requires a certain knowledge and lots of practice.
So, let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that these truffles will taste as amazing as they sound!
By the way, did you know that cardamom is the world's third most expensive spice by weight? The other two are saffron and vanilla! Cardamom is used for flavoring food and drinks. There are different types of cardamom but the most common ones are green and black. Cardamom has a strong, unique taste with an intense aroma. Black cardamom has a distinctly more smokey - though not bitter - aroma with a coolness some consider similar to mint. Green cardamom is one of the most expensive spices by weight, but little is needed to impart the flavor. It is best stored in pod form because once the seeds are exposed or ground, they quickly lose their flavor. Grinding the pods and seeds together lowers both the quality and the price.
Cardamom Plant (image: wikipedia)
In Iran, cardamom is often used in sweet dishes, cakes and so forth; however, in some countries it's also used in savory dishes. In my household, my mother always put a cracked green cardamom in a tea pot while making fresh brewed black tea. This has now become a tradition in my own home when I make tea. It gives tea a certain flavor and aroma that you must just try.
Green Cardamom Pods
Dark chocolate
Cardamom Truffles
½
cup of semisweet chocolate
½
cup of bittersweet chocolate
1
cup of heavy cream
½
teaspoon of vanilla extract
1
tablespoon whole green cardamom
Finely
chopped pistachio nuts (or any nuts of your choice)
Do-ahead:
crack the cardamoms using a mortar and drop them in pre-measured heavy
cream. Cover and seal well. Leave in the refrigerator overnight (for at
least 24 hours) to infuse the cream.
Cardamom-infused heavy cream
Chop the chocolates finely with a sharp
knife. Place them in a heat-proof mixing bowl.
Pour the cream into a small sauce pan
using a small sieve to collect the cardamom seeds and shells (you can also use the
back of a small spoon to push down on the cardamoms to squeeze the cream out).
Using a small sieve to collect cardamom shells/seeds
Heat the cream until it starts to boil. Turn
off the heat and allow the cream to sit for about 10 seconds. Then add the cream to the bowl with chocolate.
With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream
and melted chocolate together until the chocolate is completely mixed with
cream. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Set aside at room temperature (this may take
up to 3-4 hours so be patient).
Using a small ice cream scoop, drop a
dollop of chocolate onto a cutting board lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm. Roll
each dollop of chocolate in your hands to roughly make a round ball. In a paper bag, add finely chopped pistachios.
Drop a couple of round truffles and
close the bag tightly and shake gently so the truffle balls are coated. Makes 24 truffles!
Dark Chocolate Cardamom Truffles
You can keep the truffles
refrigerated, but serve at room temperature.
So these turned out amazing. You must try them.
Cheers!
