OK... just realized that it is spelled CARDAMOM.... duh!

We really liked these (from our own Marigene):

CARDAMOM SOUR CREAM COOKIES

1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
5 cups flour
½ tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 Tblsp. cardamom (ground)
1-1/2 cups walnuts, ground fine

Beat shortening until light; add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in vanilla and eggs to mix thoroughly. Beat in sour cream.

Soft together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Fold in ground walnuts.

Chill 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

Roll pieces of dough into about an inch ball (I use a small ice cream/cookie scoop), roll in mixture of sugar and cardamom. Flatten with bottom of lightly greased drinking glass.

Bake in 350° F. oven for about 12 minutes. Remove to racks to cool.

Posted by Marigene at the ths.com Cooking Forum.

I also found the wonderful taste of cardamon making SOL's Dirt Bombs, they are wonderful! I use it often in coffee cakes, muffins and toppings for breads. I ran out last week and like you bypassed it in the spice isle because of the price when I went shopping! But then I found this recipe this week and thought I have to go and get it!

Bill Yosses' Russian Tea Cakes
Ingredients
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar plus extra for rolling
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups shelled, chopped nuts (suggested: 1/2 cup each of pecans, walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cardamom

Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Beat butter and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until it's smooth. Add the flour, nuts, vanilla extract, salt, and cardamom and continue mixing until a smooth paste forms. (The dough will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.) Form dough into 3/4-inch balls and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 6 minutes or until edges brown. While the cookies are still hot from the oven, roll them in a dish of confectioners' sugar. Cool on a rack. Wrap well with plastic, and place in an airtight container.

Oh... these cookies sound heavenly. They only problem with them is I would eat them all!

I knew I was in trouble when I opened up the jar of Cardamom and smelled it.. unlike anything I have ever smelled or tasted before. Delicious... can't wait to try lots of other Cardamom recipes. There's no way that I will throw out any leftover Cardamom (after paying an arm and a leg at the store!).

Star, you're very welcome!
It seems every year, a recipe becomes a hit on the cooking forum. Dirt Bombs were the hit of 2007. And I'm mighty happy you liked them. I don't make them often for fear the button on my jeans will pop and take somebody's eye out.

Oh, and don't concern yourself with the proper spelling of this spice. As much as I try to take into consideration the special needs of our spelling police, this is one of those times I'm spared their wrath, as cardamom is synonymous with cardamon and cardamum.

You'll find Cardamon in a myriad of recipes, from ice creams and pastries to spiced cakes and breads. But, you know, it's also wonderful in savory dishes.

If you really love this spice, you might want to see if there's an Indian market in your areaÂtheir cardamom is always very reasonably priced.

Sol

You might want to try a store that sells bulk herbs and spices, for your cardamon. I always do this when I find a recipe with some spice I've never used before. You can buy the amount you want and don't have to worry about a jar of it taking up space in your spice drawer. I buy most of my spices in bulk in smallish quantities. I go through it faster and it is fresher.

Johanna

I love it in my coffee. Its also in 'chai' tea.

ooh MUFFNUTS...LOL...I haven't made them since way back in that thread..2007!! really??? time flies.....Maybe tonight while the guys are at the HS football game...so we'll have some for the road for tomorrow's football games.

I love the floral tone to cardamom.

This is another favorite cardamom recipe at my house. And I think I will have to make Dirt Bombs this weekend - I haven't made them in a couple of years.....

Cardamom Carrots

Ingredients:
1/4 cup orange juice
2 pounds carrots, cut into 2-inch julienne strips
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Directions:
1. Place 1 in. of water in a saucepan; add carrots and salt. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 7-9 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. In a large skillet, combine the orange juice, butter, brown sugar, cardamom and orange peel. Cook and stir over medium heat for 1-2 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Add carrots; toss to coat

You can also buy cardamom at Persian or middle eastern markets and grind it as needed.

Since we are discussing this wonderful spice.... can I verify the pronunciation? I have always said CAR-duh-mom and was very surprised when my neighbor insisted it is car-DAY-mom. I have never heard the latter pronunciation..... have I been wrong all these years?

Alexa

You're right, neighbor's wrong. Except the final syllable is more "mum" than "mom."

I also only bought Cardamom to use make the dirt bombs back in 2007. Haven't touched it since except to wipe the dust off the jar. Maybe it's time to make them again!

Can these be made in the mini muffin size? Has anyone tried that?

Thanks for the recipes. I have some cardamom that's a couple of years old. I wonder if it's still good. It's the whole nuts/berries/whatever they're called, that one of my son's classmates in culinary school gave him 2 years ago. I hope it's still good, but probably not. I just keep forgetting about it.

Sally

Dian, I have never baked them in mini muffin pans, but you shouldn't have any trouble. Keep in mind that you will have to adjust the baking time. Once they go in the oven, check up on them, after about 12 to 15 minutes.

Sally, cardamon still in their pods will last a very long time.
While cardamon seeds without their protective pods may look fine, they may have lost their potency.

There is a way to test it, by crushing a few seeds with a mortar and pestle, or in your hand. If the aroma and flavor are strong, use it. If the aroma is faint, anything you bake with them will be lacking in flavor.

Sol

dian57... I made some in a mini muffin pan and I like them a lot better than the larger (reg size) muffins. You got more the sugary/cinnamon taste with them... not so "cakey".

I don't remember how long it took to bake them, but they (obviously) were done faster that the big ones (I baked them at the same time). As sol recommended, start checking them around 15-20 minutes.

Great! I'm participating in an Oktoberfest Dessert Contest this weekend.

Thanks to this forum, I'm bringing Dirt Bombs and Dirt.

Not as easy as you'd think to find a small trowel for the Dirt. Turns out those Dollar Stores have everything!

I had refused to spend nearly $10 on cardamom at the local Evil Empire (Walmart), and promptly got a couple of packages shipped to me by other forum members. Right after that I found that Penzey's sells a small jar for about $3.00, LOL, so now I have LOTS of cardamom, both white and black.

I use it in the dirt bombs and also in rice with saffron and cloves and cinnamon, it's really very nice, and I have a bread recipe somewhere that calls for cardamom.

Annie