Cardamom and Tea

cardamom and tea french toast casserole

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This french toast casserole is the perfect thing to make for New Year’s Day brunch (or any special brunch, any time of the year). It’s a bit carby and a bit caffeinated, and gives everyone a little extra energy for morning conversation. After an eleven year hiatus from caffeine, I’ve recently started drinking one cup of coffee or strong black tea every morning (which means the tea in Cardamom and Tea was actually decaf all along!), which has given me new appreciation for caffeinated breakfasts. This one is infused not only with tea, but also ground green cardamom.

Judging from the name of my blog, it might not surprise you that these are two of my favorite flavors to pair. In fact, I originally chose the name Cardamom and Tea because it reminds me of the smell of my grandparents’ house growing up. My grandmother would keep tie-top bags of ground cardamom and big boxes of black tea in her pantry, and the scent diffused through the whole house and made everything smell like chai. This French toast brings back all those childhood memories for me, and also reminds me of the pastries we would buy from the Swedish bakery and serve at special family breakfasts.

Like most recipes for French toast casserole, this one is super easy. You just toast the bread cubes, place them in a casserole dish, pour the liquid on top, let it sit for a few, and then bake until perfect. This easy formula works every time, but after writing this recipe, I do have some lingering questions. No matter how many other recipes I skim through, I just can’t seem to figure out if French toast casserole is just another name for bread pudding. I think it might be that French toast casserole often uses slices of bread instead of cubes. But I grew up with my mom’s recipe, which is most definitely cubed, and many recipes out there seem to agree that sliced bread isn’t necessary to qualify. I guess at the end of the day, the key difference is left completely up to your appetite—French toast casserole is meant to be eaten for breakfast instead of dessert. So enjoy this one first thing in the morning, gathered around table with everyone who deserves a slice!

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cardamom and tea french toast casserole

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  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lb challah, cut into 1-inch cubes (450g)
  • 1 3/4 cups whole milk (400g)*
  • 6 black tea bags
  • One 16-oz container ricotta (450g)
  • 1/2 cup sugar (100g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom (+ a tiny pinch more if you really love cardamom)**
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (3g)
  • 3 large eggs (150g)
  • Butter, for greasing the pan
  • Cardamom-scented powdered sugar (½ cup powdered sugar + 1 pinch cardamom)
  • Maple syrup, for the table

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spread the challah out in a single layer on a sheet pan, and bake for about 20 minutes, until they’ve dried out quite a bit, and have started to lightly brown (leave the oven on afterwards).
  2. While you’re waiting on the bread to toast: Bring the milk to a simmer on the stove or in the microwave. As soon as it starts rapidly simmering, remove from heat, add the tea bags, and let them steep for 7-10 minutes. Once they’ve steeped, remove the tea bags one by one, wringing each one out on the side of the bowl with the back of a spoon. Whisk in the ricotta, sugar, cardamom, and salt. Once combined, whisk in the eggs. Grease a 9×13” casserole dish.
  3. Once the challah is dried out, place it evenly in the casserole dish, and then slowly pour the wet ingredients over the bread, making sure some liquid hits every piece of bread. Let it rest for 15 minutes before baking. Bake the casserole for about 35 minutes, until it’s set and hot in the center (insert a knife to check), and golden brown in spots.
  4. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup at the table.

Notes

* You can use half-and-half in place of all or some of the whole milk if you’re feeling like something extra-decadent.

** Cardamom should always be used with restraint, but feel free to use a little more if you really love its flavor. Just be careful not to go overboard (you can always sprinkle a little more in with the powdered sugar at the end).

To make ahead and store: The best way to make this ahead of time is to prep the two components, and then bring them together at the last moment. Combine the wet ingredients and store in the fridge for a day or two. Toast the bread cubes, and keep at room temperature in a sealed container (or the casserole dish, covered) for a day or two. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven, spread the bread cubes in a greased casserole dish, top with the wet ingredients, let it sit for 15 minutes, and proceed with the recipe.

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sticky toffee gingerbread with rose ice cream

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Last December, so many friends and readers made my cardamom rose gingerbread cake, so this year I wanted to share a new dessert showstopper with a similar flavor profile. So here it is—sticky toffee gingerbread with no-churn rose ice cream! It’s got everything we all love about cardamom rose gingerbread cake, but it’s got that whole cold ice cream vs. hot toffee sauce thing going for it.

It’s funny, the hot-and-cold dessert phenomenon has always kind of stressed me out, because I’m a slow eater, and it seems to turn dessert into a race to finish eating before the ice cream melts. So if you feel similarly, feel free to serve the ice cream on the side instead. Or if you’re well-adjusted, you can just go ahead an embrace the meltiness, because (apparently!) that’s part of the beauty of the experience. Either way, I think you’re gonna enjoy this one.

No churn ice cream reminds me a lot of kulfi, especially here with the rosewater. But if you want it to be smoother and more like Philadelphia-style ice cream, with absolutely no discernible ice crystals, you can add a tablespoon or two of vodka to the mix (I’ve included instructions in the notes below the recipe). I’ve tried it both ways, but I ended up developing the final version of this recipe without the vodka, because I wanted to make sure that this recipe could be enjoyed by every ice cream partaker at the table—if you’re adding the vodka for a smoother texture, of course be sure to let your guests know there’s a bit of alcohol in the ice cream. I’ve also included instructions below the recipe if you want to skip the ice cream altogether—you can always make rosewater whipped cream instead, which is just as delicious.

Before I leave you with the recipe, I just wanted to wish you all happy holidays! I’ll be celebrating Christmas with my husband Simon and my sister Meghan, who’s visiting us in Melbourne next week, and we’ll also celebrate Hanukkah by frying up some latkes with Simon’s dad’s recipe (ICYWW, I’m team sour cream and applesauce swirled together). This month I’ve scrunched all of my holiday recipes together and posted a bit more than usual, so I’m gonna be taking the next week off, and will see you soon after Christmas with a lovely little bread pudding recipe. Happy holidays, and hope you enjoy some time to recharge and enjoy the season however your heart desires.

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sticky toffee gingerbread with rose ice cream

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loosely adapted from Mary Berry’s recipe for sticky toffee pudding

  • Prep Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 days
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

for the rose ice cream*

  • 460g heavy whipping cream (2 cups)
  • One 395g can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
  • 2–3 teaspoons rosewater **
  • A few drops pink food coloring (optional)

for the toffee sauce:

  • 115g heavy cream (1/2 cup)
  • 45g butter (3 tablespoons)
  • 65g brown sugar (1/3 cup)
  • 20g molasses (1 tablespoon)
  • 1 teaspoon rosewater (5g)
  • A pinch of salt

for the cake:

  • 100g melted butter (7 tablespoons), plus extra for greasing the pan
  • 175g brown sugar (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 large eggs (110g)
  • 55g molasses (3 tablespoons)
  • 290g whole milk (1 1/4 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon rosewater (15g)
  • 225g flour (1 3/4 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger powder (7g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (4g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda (5g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (3.5g)
  • 3/4 teaspoon cardamom (2g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (1.5g)
  • Edible rose petals

Instructions

  1. For the rose ice cream: Whip the cream to stiff peaks.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, rosewater, and food coloring.
  3. Fold 1/2 of the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream, then carefully fold in the last 1/2.
  4. Pour the mixture in a loaf pan, cover with foil or plastic wrap, and freeze overnight.
  5. For the toffee sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once it comes to a simmer, drop the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for 3 minutes to thicken slightly.
  6. Store in the refrigerator overnight, and slightly warm it to warm room temperature on the stove or in the microwave when you’re ready to use it (toffee sauce can be made at the last minute, but it’s easier to just make the day before).
  7. For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) convection (if you don’t have convection, it might just take a little longer to bake). Butter an 10-inch cast iron skillet***, line it with a parchment round, and then butter the parchment.
  8. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 7 tablespoons melted butter, brown sugar, and eggs, and whisk together for about 30 seconds. Add the molasses, whole milk, and rosewater, and whisk together until it’s completely incorporated.
  9. Place a large sieve over the mixing bowl, and sift the flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon directly onto the wet ingredients. Mix everything together until there are just a few small lumps (don’t overmix).
  10. Transfer the batter to the greased cast iron skillet and bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  11. Let it cool to warm room temperature in the pan.
  12. Top with some of the toffee sauce, then a few scoops of the ice cream, followed by the rose petals. Serve right away with extra sauce and ice cream on the side.

Notes

* Most no-churn ice creams are a bit less fine-textured than churned ice creams (think, Indian kulfi, e.g.). No-churn ice creams that have a finer texture almost always have a few tablespoons of hard liquor, which you are totally welcome to add here, in the form of 2 tablespoons of vodka mixed with the sweetened condensed milk. Be sure to let your guests know that there’s a little bit of booze in the ice cream (and obviously don’t serve it to children). It’ll be lovely either way! If you want to avoid the question all-together, you can just whip up some heavy cream with little bit of sugar and rosewater (and pink food coloring, if you’d like), stop at soft peaks, dollop it on top, and call it a day.

** Different brands of rosewater will have different strengths, so make sure you taste and adjust as needed (if you think yours might be super strong, add it gradually in all 3 components of this cake). The ice cream should have a medium rose flavor, but not too perfumey. The cake should only have a subtle rose flavor, which highlights the cardamom and other spices. The toffee sauce should have a medium rose flavor, but again, not too perfumey. If you want to go big with the rosewater, feel free to try a little more in the ice cream only, which you can always serve sparingly if it turns out too overwhelming to eat by the spoonful.

*** You don’t absolutely need a cast iron skillet here. If you use an aluminum cake pan instead, it might just take less time to bake. I like using a cast iron skillet for this because I love things that can go from oven to table in an aesthetically pleasing way. But it’s totally not a big deal to use something else.

To make ahead and store: The cake can be made up to 3 months ahead of time and stored tightly wrapped in the freezer. If you’re making it the day before serving, you can store it for about 16 hours tightly wrapped at room temperature. Don’t store the cake in the refrigerator, as it will stale more quickly (like all cakes and floury baked goods). The ice cream can also be made way ahead of time and kept tightly covered in the freezer. The caramel sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days; slightly warm it to warm room temperature on the stove when you’re ready to use it. Bring everything together when you’re rea
dy to serve. Leftovers keep really well in the freezer (microwave individual slices for a few seconds, just to warm them through… heaven!).

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