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Lemon Zest Sugar with Cardamom packs a very lemony punch with an added aromatic zing from the cardamom.
Jump to RecipeLemon Zest Sugar with Cardamom
First you will need to get the cardamom seeds out of the pods by pressing them with the flat edge of a knife.
To help with the texture of the sugar, it’s beneficial to both crush the cardamom seeds in a mortar and pestle and then pulse them in a spice grinder. This makes sure there aren’t any large pieces of cardamom in the sugar.
Yuzu Essence tastes like the brining liquid of preserved lemons to me. It has a strong citrus flavor and is extremely salty. A little salt can really enhance sweets so I think the Yuzu Essence’s flavor and saltiness up the lemon punch. It is optional though, so if you can’t find any, no worries!
Using Lemon Zest Sugar with Cardamom in your baked goods, like this Lemon Chess Pie, or in beverages will automatically add an extra kick of flavor.
Cocktails and Mocktails
I have a series of infused sugar and shrub recipes coming up that will all be used in a DIY Gin Bar. This Lemon Zest Sugar with Cardamom is one of those.
Make simple syrups with it to add to drinks or muddle it with herbs and shake it up to add an extra layer of flavor.
DIY Gin Bar Recipes
Here are all the recipes that are part of the DIY Gin Bar!
Infused Sugars
- Vanilla Bean Sugar
- Orange Sugar with Szechuan Peppers
- DIY Citrus Sugar with Lemon and Dill
- Lemon and Lavender Infused Sugar
Shrubs
- Strawberry Shrub with Basil and Peppercorn
- Blackberry Shrub with Vanilla and Earl Grey
- Lemon Shrub with Cardamom and Mint
- Orange Shrub with Cardamom and Thyme
- Orange Shrub Recipe with Yunnan Tea and Szechuan Peppers
Cocktails
- Strawberry Gin Fizz
- Blackberry Gin Fizz
- Mint Gin Fizz
- Lemon Gin Fizz with Cucumber and Dill
- Orange Gin Fizz
- Gin Lemonade Cocktail
Mocktails
- Orange-Basil Strawberry Mocktail
- Vanilla Earl Grey Blackberry Mocktail
- Sparkling Basil Lemon Mocktail
- Lemon-Dill Cucumber Mocktail
- Rosemary & Mint Lemonade Mocktail
Lemon Zest Sugar with Cardamom
with an added aromatic zing from the cardamom.
Ingredients
- 20 cardamom pods
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest*
- 1 teaspoon Yuzu Essence optional
Instructions
- Use the flat edge of a knife to press on the cardamon pods. Pry the pods open and empty out the seeds into a mortar and pestle and crush them with the pestle.
- Add crushed cardamom seeds to a spice grinder along with 1 tablespoon sugar. Pulse until the cardamom seeds are equally dispersed and smaller.
- Add the mixture to a food processor along with the rest of the sugar and pulse.
- Add the lemon zest and Yuzu Essence to the food processor. Pulse until incorporated and then lay out on a baking sheet to dry out the sugar. Store in an airtight jar.
Notes
- You can also use regular lemon zest if you can’t get a hold of any Meyer lemons.
- Yuzu Essence tastes like the brining liquid of preserved lemons to me. It has a strong citrus flavor and is extremely salty.
