Serves 6 to 8

Make this delightfully delicate dessert either in a large soufflé dish or individual serving bowls. For a beautiful, custard-like texture, use carrageenan (seaweed gelatin, sometimes sold as kappa) in place of the unflavored gelatin. Carrageenan is not widely available, but if you find it, follow the package instructions for the quantity of yogurt given below. 

• 4 cups unflavored yogurt
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground saffron
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 teaspoons rosewater
• 1½ pounds crisp apples (Fuji or Gala), pared, cored, sliced paper-thin and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent darkening
• Chopped unsalted pistachios
• Small sprigs of fresh mint
 
1. In a bowl, combine yogurt, sugar, saffron, cardamom and cinnamon.

2. Whisk ingredients until sugar dissolves. Put gelatin in a small saucepan and add water. Bring to a boil and whisk until gelatin thoroughly dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool a few minutes.

3. Whisk gelatin into yogurt mixture. Add rosewater.

4. Layer sliced apples on bottom of a deep 1½- to 2-quart soufflé dish or inside individual serving dishes.

5. Pour yogurt mixture over apples. Place dish in refrigerator to cool and set (about 2 to 3 hours). Before serving, scatter chopped pistachios over top. Garnish with mint sprigs.

William Woys Weaver is a food historian, author and contributing editor to Mother Earth News and Gourmet magazines. His classic, out-of-print book Heirloom Vegetable Gardening (Henry Holt & Co., 1997) is available on CD from Mother Earth News at www.HerbCompanion.com/shopping.

For the main article, The Spice is Right: Discover Cardamom, click here.