7.4ozdark brown sugar with high molasses contentlike Muscovado sugar
6-7cardamom pods - please see note
¼tspgrated nutmeg
scant ½ tsp Xanthan gumthis can be found in most grocery or specialty stores - sometimes in the gluten free section
pinchof salt
Cardamom Cashew Praline
½tspground cardamomabout 5 cardamom pod seeds ground, pre-ground is OK too
4oz/ 115 g white sugar
3oz/ 85 g roughly chopped cashew nutsroasted will taste better, but raw is OK too
Instructions
Separate ¼ cup of the dark brown sugar and set aside.
In a saucepan, combine the coconut milk, rest of the sugar, nutmeg, cardamom pods, salt and heat gently to completely dissolve the sugar and till the coconut milk has heated well.
Add the Xanthan gum to the sugar that you set aside earlier and mix very well.
Add this to the heated coconut milk and use an immersion hand blender to blend the Xanthan gum into the mixture properly - for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can use a regular blender to do this as well (just make sure your blender can handle hot liquids - if not, let the mixture cool down first and then proceed with this step).
The liquid should be thick but NOT GLOOPY. If it is gloopy, add a little water to thin it out to a thick consistency.
Let it cool completely and chill overnight in the fridge.
With ice cream machine
Churn the base according to the manufacturers' instructions and let it harden completely in a container for a few hours.
No churn method
Transfer the base into a shallow dish, and keep it in the freezer, covered.
Using a hand mixer, mix this mixture every hour incorporating air each time. Repeat every hour until the ice cream is completely frozen.
Serve as is or with Cardamom Cashew Praline.
Cardamom cashew praline
Prepare a silpat or parchment paper on a baking tray to pour the praline on.
To caramelize sugar using the dry method - in a shallow nonstick pan, sprinkle the sugar in an even thin layer and heat the sugar on medium heat.
As the sugar starts to melt, move the sugar around to ensure it melts evenly which may result in some sugar clumps being formed. Keep heating the sugar while moving it around from time to time. DO NOT LEAVE THE SUGAR UNATTENDED.
The sugar will start to turn colour and melt completely. When the sugar turns a golden colour, sprinkle the cardamom over the caramel. When the sugar turns an amber colour, immediately remove from the heat and add the cashew, and using a spoon mix to coat the nuts as much as possible.
While still hot, pour this onto your silpat and flatten (using the spoon) as much as possible. BE CAREFUL NOT TO TOUCH THIS MIXTURE AS IT WILL BE VERY HOT!
Let it cool and harden completely.
Using the handle of a big knife or a pestle, break it into small pieces. Store in an air tight container until ready to use.
This can be sprinkled on any kind of ice cream or dessert.
Notes
You can ground fresh cardamom seeds as well. Using fresh cardamom, imparts a stronger cardamom flavor than pre-ground cardamom. If you're using pre-ground cardamom, start by adding about 1/4 tsp, taste the mix before freezing, and add more if you like.