Cardamom, lemon & buttermilk ice cream; Cardamom & lemon shortbread

The biscuits are the perfect accompaniment for this ice cream.

Cardamom, lemon and buttermilk ice cream. Picture: Simon Griffiths.

The biscuits are the perfect accompaniment for this ice cream.

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Cardamom, lemon & buttermilk ice cream

500ml (2 cups) buttermilk
200g plain Greek yoghurt
Juice 2 lemons

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Syrup

250ml (1 cup) water
190g caster sugar
6 cardamom pods, seeds extracted and crushed
Peel 1 lemon, cut into strips
2 fresh bay leaves

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Combine all syrup ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil. Lower heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Mix buttermilk and yoghurt together in a bowl. Pour lemon juice into cold sugar syrup, then strain it and add it to buttermilk mixture. If you have an ice-cream maker, transfer the mixture to the machine and churn until set. If not, put the bowl into the freezer and whisk with a fork from time to time until you have your preferred consistency. Serves 6-8

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Cardamom & lemon shortbread

110g pistachios, toasted and cooled
Seeds from 5 cardamom pods
A few saffron strands
90g raw caster sugar
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
50g rice flour
230g plain flour
Grated zest 2 lemons
Pinch sea salt

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Blitz pistachios in a food processor. Put cardamom seeds in a mortar, add saffron strands and 1 tablespoon of the sugar; using a pestle, grind everything together to a powder. Transfer to an electric mixer with the rest of the ingredients and mix to form a dough. Roll into a log about 4-5cm diameter, wrap in baking paper and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line a large baking tray with paper. Cut dough into 1cm thick discs, arrange on the tray and bake for 20 minutes, or until just golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Will keep in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Makes 45

Manuela Darling-Gansser is a Sydney-based travel and food writer who lived in Tehran as a child. From her cookbook Pardiz – A Persian Food Journey (Hardie Grant, $60). Photography: Simon Griffiths