Cardamon-Pistachio Butter Fudge from QDM
This wickedly buttery, cardamom scented sweet is from the religious city of Qom, about an hour south of
Tehran, and is famous all around Iran.
The texture is hard to define – it is perhaps closer to fudge than brittle or toffee – but it is absolutely addictive.
Make in one large slab, and cut or break into random pieces, or drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto
the prepared tray to make individual round portions. The high butter content means it can ‘sweat’ a little bit, so store it in a cool place in an airtight tin, rather than a plastic container. It will keep well for up to two weeks.
Ingredients
500 g caster sugar
80 ml corn syrup
80 ml water
300 g unsalted butter, roughly diced
2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 tablespoons Saffron Liquid
50 g unsalted shelled pistachios
50 g slivered pistachios
Method
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Combine the sugar, corn syrup and water in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and cook until the mixture begins to become golden in color, then whisk in the butter, cardamom and saffron liquid and cook for a few minutes more, until an even butterscotch color.
Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking tray and use a spatula to smooth it out as thinly as you can. Sprinkle on the pistachios, pressing them gently into the surface of the toffee. Leave to cool completely before cutting into pieces with a sharp knife.
Recipe from Saraban: A Chef's Journey Through Persia by Greg and Lucy Malouf