Category Archive

I love testing out new ingredients.  It’s like getting a new toy as a kid, except way better because you get to eat it!

I’ve never been a fan of cardamom, but I’m a firm believer that certain things taste better when they’re prepared certain ways. For instance, I absolutely adore raw carrots, but I cannot stand them cooked. Weird, no? I wanted to see if cardamom could be used in a way that I would enjoy.

I’ve also been wanting to try Anne’s Pumpkin Muffins of Deliciousness for a long time, but I’ve never had whole wheat pastry flour on hand.  (You should check Anne out.  She’s fANNEtastic!  )

Anyway, I found a way to taste test the cardamom, try the Pumpkin Muffins of Deliciousness AND continue on my fall pumpkin kick.  (See pumpkin mac & cheese and roasted pumpkin seeds)

In this corner, the dry ingredients!

And in this corner, the wet ingredients!

Sift the dry, mix the wet, and then add wet to dry. At this point I sprayed the muffin tins, and then dropped half the batter into six muffin cups.

To the remaining dough, I added a 1/2  teaspoon of cardamom, mixed gently, and then filled the rest of the muffin cups. The oven was already preheated to 350F, so I popped them in the oven for 25 minutes.

The muffins weren’t quite done after 25 minutes, so I gently removed them from the tin and set them onto a stoneware pan. I put them back in the oven for 10 minutes, and then let them cool.  The stoneware let the muffins finish baking on the inside without burning the bottoms.

Anne does not lie, these muffins are delicious!  Soft on the inside, and not too sweet.  Lovely.  The whole wheat pastry flour kept these muffins from being too dense.  It will be fun to see how it transforms some of my current recipes.  (I’ll post results)

If I had used raisins instead of chocolate chips, they’d be the perfect breakfast muffin to enjoy with coffee.  I used chocolate chips because I felt like they’d pair better with the cardamom in the rest of the batch.  (Even though they have chocolate, I’ve been eating them for breakfast.  So have my husband and son.)

My thoughts on the cardamom–I’m still not a fan.  A half teaspoon was waaay too much for a half batch.  (The only reason I didn’t do two batches–one with cardamom and the other without–is because I didn’t have enough eggs at the time.)  If I were to do this recipe with cardamom again, I think that 1/4 teaspoon would go a long way.

The other problem with the cardamom is that it’s really expensive.  Really!  It was $11.39 ON SALE for a 2 oz jar.  If you’re not sure you are going to like it, I’d recommend finding someone who’s willing to share before you buy your own.  The only reason I was willing to go all in is that my husband is a huge fan of cardamom, and I’m sure that we’ll find some way to use it up.  Maybe I’ll even find a recipe that I’ll like!

How do you feel about cardamom?  If you live in Missoula, have you ever tried the cardamom ice cream from Big Dipper?  I’m told it’s wonderful.

See ya real soon!

What to do if you run out of tortilla chips (with pictures):

1.  Wonder how you can end up with salsa, but no chips.

2.  Remain calm, and remind yourself that the store is not that far away.

3.  Remind yourself that you’re lazy and don’t want to waste the energy to drive all the way to the store as it would involve putting on shoes.

4.  Try to find something as delicious as chips and salsa.

5.  Realize that nothing is as good as chips and salsa, and try not to cry.

6.  Preheat your oven to 350F.

7.  Take the tortillas out of your pantry.

8.  Use a pizza cutter to slice the tortillas into triangles.

9.  Brush the tortillas with a tiny bit of olive oil.  Seriously, go easy on the stuff, you don’t want soggy chips.

10.  Season tortillas (cayenne, cumin, paprika, garlic salt…go nuts).

11.  Place seasoned tortillas on a cookie sheet or broiler pan.

12.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the tortillas are crunchy, flipping part way through.

13.  Remove tortilla chips from the pan and allow them to cool.  Seriously, don’t burn your mouth.

14.  Enjoy your chips and salsa and make a firm resolution to never run out of chips again.

You’re welcome.