Saffron black cardamom fudge

This recipe is based on my mother’s fudge; the flavour of black cardamom becomes intense when heated, so don’t be tempted to add more than a few seeds from the pod – you can use the rest in pullao or to make chai.

Credit: Murdoch Books / Alicia Taylor

• makes

  30

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1 black cardamom pod, cracked open, 3–4 seeds extracted and ground
• 350 g (12 oz) sweetened condensed milk, or non-dairy alternative
• 150 ml (5 fl oz) whole (full-cream) milk, or non-dairy alternative
• 115 g (4 oz) unsalted butter
• 450 g (1 lb) demerara sugar
• small pinch of saffron threads
• 1 tbsp edible dried organic rose petals
• 1 tbsp pistachio slivers

Makes about 30–35 pieces.

Setting time: 1-1½ hours.

Instructions

1. Line a 20 cm (8 inch) square tin with baking paper and set aside.
2. Put the cracked cardamom pod and the ground seeds into a non-stick or heavy-based saucepan with the condensed milk, milk, butter and sugar. Stir over medium heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a steady boil, stirring constantly.
3. Let the mixture boil for about 3 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 115°C (239°F) on a sugar thermometer. (As we never had one on the ship, Mummy would drop a little of the bubbling mixture onto a cold plate – if it formed a soft ball and didn’t stick to our fingers, it was ready!)
4. Lightly crush the saffron between your fingertips. Add it to the pan and stir in with a wooden spoon, then take the pan off the heat and carefully fish out the cardamom pod.
5. Let the fudge mixture sit for 4–5 minutes, then beat with the wooden spoon until it begins to come together into a ball and leaves the sides of the pan. If you like your fudge chewy, stop beating now; if you like it to be more melt-in-the-mouth, keep beating until it starts to get crumbly.
6. Once the fudge has reached your desired consistency, press it into the tin, smoothing it with the back of the spoon. Sprinkle with the rose petals and pistachio slivers, pressing them into the fudge.
7. Leave the fudge to cool and set – this will take about 1-1½ hours – before scoring it, then cut into pieces and store in a tin or jar for up to 2 weeks.

 

Images and text from Andaza by Sumayya Usmani, published by Murdoch Books (RRP $45.00). Photography by Alicia Taylor.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.