Exotic sanded ice-cream with cardamom

Add some spice to the world’s all-time favorite dessert with this exotic ice cream recipe.  Also called the “grain of paradise” and the “queen of spices,” cardamom is one of the most valued spices in India. It is liberally used in Indian, Scandinavian, and Middle Eastern cuisine and is one of the main ingredients in curries and the popular Indian favorite, garam masala. For this recipe, cardamom is used to flavor ice cream made with sanded sugar. A sweet and spicy dessert, this is an interesting recipe to try out if you’re tired of the usual chocolate or vanilla ice cream. You can also try experimenting with other spices if you take a fancy to this exotic recipe.  Some brave and macho souls have even tried cigar flavored ice cream!  For a truly indulgent treat, pair this with a glass of Vin de Paille 1996 Côtes du Jura de Alain labet.

Cardamom has a strong aroma and was used by the ancient Egyptians to freshen their breath. Like mint ice cream, cardamom ice cream is refreshing and cleanses your palate after a full and rich meal. It is not so uncommon to use this spice in desserts. Scandinavians, for instance, use cardamom in baking breads and pastries. It is also used in Russian liqueurs, sweet Moroccan drinks, and Arabic coffee.

For this recipe, sanded sugar is used. Also called pearl sugar or decorator’s sugar, sanded sugar has large crystals that do not dissolve even when heated.  This makes the ice cream grainy and a bit rough instead of creamy and smooth. It also sparkles more than regular sugar and makes a lovely looking ice cream especially when light is reflected. The coarse texture can be an interesting experience in your mouth.  You can get sanding sugar in specialty stores and baking supply shops.