Camomile and cardamom

This recipe was based on the request of clients suffering from celiac disease. They are often looking for dishes that are indeed gluten free but also tasty and colourful. So how was this recipe created? It was quite accidental: I was trying to add some spice to my camomile, before going to sleep, so I added some cardamom and forgot the infusion until the following morning. The result was interesting: an ingredient very often used for children acquired the typical notes of Indian tradition. I decided to make a cream out of this, with a rather simple procedure. The camomile, when added to the almond milk, tends to create a cream with an “evening” taste, suitable as a dessert (or pre-dessert) to be served at the end of the meal.

Camomile, cardamom and blackberries

Recipe for 4 people

1 28 x 22 cm non-stick mould

INGREDIENTS
for the sponge
280 g gluten free flour mix
50 g white, thinly milled corn flour
170 g brown sugar
200 g almond milk
140 g corn oil
4 g powdered cardamom
1 bag of cream of tartar
lemon zest
orange zest
pinch of salt

250 g almond milk
30 g of brown sugar
5 g corn flour
2 bags of camomile
¼ vanilla pod

1 bowl of blackberries

20 g bitter orange marmalade
20 g water

aromatic herbs
edible flowers

METHOD
1) Put the flour, cardamom, cream of tartar and salt into a bowl. Put the milk and the oil into a glass and mix with a blender. Blend the sugar with the citrus zest until you obtain a very thin texture; add the aromatised sugar to the dry ingredients and whisk them. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ones and mix with a spatula for a few minutes, so as to obtain a smooth and elastic mixture.

2) Pour the mixture onto a baking tin on which you have previously poured some oil and then covered in white corn flour and bake at 170°C for 22 minutes at 20% humidity. Leave to cool completely before removing the sponge from the mould. Break the sponge with your hands and put to a side.

3) Put the milk, sugar, vanilla and camomile into a saucepan, bring to the boil and then simmer for 3 minutes and leave to cool completely. Filter and melt the corn flour into a little aromatised milk. Bring the remaining milk to the boil, then add the melted corn flour and whisk for 1 minute. Leave to cool and put to a side. Dilute the orange marmalade with the water and keep to a side.

4) Pour a few tablespoons of almond milk and camomile cream on the base of the dishes. Place the crumbled sponge cake on top, decorate with a few blackberries, the herbs and the flowers. Finish with a few drops of water aromatised with the bitter orange marmalade.