Spice Dreams

Flavored Ice Creams and Other Frozen Treats

by Sara Engram, Katie Luber, Kimberly Toqe

Price: $16.99
ISBN-13: 978-0-7407-8016-5
ISBN-10: 0-7407-8016-6
Format: Hardcover
Size: 7 x 8 in.
Page Count: 112 pages

The Spice Kitchen

Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices

by Katie Luber, Sara Engram

Price: $29.99
ISBN-13: 978-0-7407-7972-5
ISBN-10: 0-7407-7972-9
Format: Hardcover
Size: 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 in.
Page Count: 208 pages

“Enticing our rather bored taste buds, spice revolutionists Sara Engram and Katie Luber, co-owners of the highly successful organic spice company, The Seasonal Palate, Inc., have dedicated an entire cookbook to the creamy goodness of ice cream.” ––Sacramento Book Review http://bit.ly/d9ORzZ

“Sara Engram and Katie Luber, founders of the Baltimore-based organic spice company the Seasoned Palate, share their recipes for frozen concoctions such as chile-lemongrass ice cream and mango sorbet with cumin and cinnamon in their new book,  “Spice Dreams: Flavored Ice Cream and Other Frozen Treats“” ––The Portland Press Herald http://bit.ly/azxHr9

“In the mood for Chile Orange Chocolate Sorbet? Cardamon Mint? Dark Chocolate Anise? You’ll find all that and more in “Spice Dreams: Flavored Ice Creams and Other Frozen Treats’ by Sara Engram and Katie Luber.” ––Courier Post Online http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20100818/LIFE/8180301/Here-s-the-scoop

“Based on a simple formula, ice cream waits with open arms for the imaginative use of spices and herbs to create surprise and delight the taste buds.  Spice Dreams makes full use of the imagination, turning it to sorbets and frozen yogurts as well as ice cream, then combines the inventions into sandwiches and sundaes.  … This is sugar and spice and everything nice.” ––In Mamas Kitchen http://inmamaskitchen.com/Book_Reviews/Books_on_Sweets/Spice_Dreams_Engram_Luber.html

“Forget the processed ice creams you find in your local grocery store and make your own. Sara and Katie show you how to take all-natural ingredients with fresh and dried herbs and spices to create some refreshing new flavors. Try something new and make a  twist to your favorite summer treat: ice cream.” ––Foodie in Disquise http://bit.ly/dh30hH

“Turns out, digging into the cabinet was the hardest part, and the result around my house is that we’re all swooning over odd-flavored ice creams. “Spice Dreams” recipes include sorbets, frozen yogurts and popsicles. The ice creams are custard-style - calling for egg yolks - which requires a little more work but yields an impossibly sensuous treat.” ––Hampton Roads http://hamptonroads.com/2010/06/pass-herbs-and-try-cone-spice-cream

“This book has me jumping up and down like a child. I wanted to put on a sundress and run threw a field of sunflowers or just get on my bike pedaling as fast as I can through the neighborhood with my tassels and hair blowing in the breeze and a cone in my hand savoring the arrival of summer. Can you imagine adding spice to ice cream? This book has opened up a whole new freezer of ice cream possibilities.” ––Chocolate and Croissants http://chocolateandcroissants.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html#3152622532183829032

“This book is devoted to ice creams, sorbets, and frozen yogurts made with sometimes adventurous flavor combinations. There are options like honey-mint ice cream with thyme and basil, chile-lemongrass ice cream, white chocolate-allspice ice cream, and chocolate ice cream with cumin and fennel. In the sorbet chapter, pink grapefruit-tarragon sorbet and chile-orange-chocolate sorbet both grabbed my attention. There are also suggestions for frozen sandwiches and sundaes like cardamom snickerdoodle ice cream sandwiches and peach waffle sundaes with cinnamon syrup. Last, there’s a chapter for sauces, syrups, and toppings to further gild the lily” ––Lisa is Cooking http://lisaiscooking.blogspot.com/2010/06/brown-sugar-and-spiced-banana-ice-cream.html

“Do you remember going to Baskin Robbin’s 31 Flavors when you were a kid? The novelty was that they actually had 31 different flavor options to choose from. Not long ago, ice cream manufacturers began to realize that anything goes when it comes to ice cream flavors. Just when I thought every possible flavor had been created, along came a newly released cookbook called Spice Dreams. Sara Engram and Katie Luber are the real “Spice Girls”. They know their stuff when it comes to enhancing recipes with herbs and spices. Their latest cookbook has more than 50 ice cream recipes that incorporate spices and herbs. These ladies know how to take an ordinary flavored ice cream, add a dash of this and that, and create something extraordinary. This past weekend I made their Apple Spice Ice Cream. It is without question the best ice cream that I have ever made. ” ––Grin and Bake It http://grinandbakeit.com/ice-cream-essentials-give-away-get-ready-for-summer

“This little book packs huge flavour.  … All the spices in the cookbook can easily be found in your local markets or, likely, you will have them in your cupboard already. Get ready for some exotic combinations like Chile-Lemongrass Ice Cream, Marjoram-Mint-Coconut Sorbet, Lemon-Allspice Frozen Yogurt, and toppings such as Ancho-Lime Syrup and Cardamom-Coconut Toasted Topping. With Spice Dreams, your summer just got a little more exciting.” –Living in the Kitchen with Puppies http://livinginthekitchenwithpuppies.blogspot.com/2010/05/spice-dreams.html

“Sara Engram and Katie Luber, founders of The Seasoned Palate, a Baltimore-based company that specializes in packaging organic spices in one-teaspoon packets for convenience and freshness, have compiled a collection of recipes with an emphasis on fresh and natural ingredients. The fifty recipes including ice creams, sorbets, sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, and other delectable frozen treats are certain to please ice cream connoisseurs throughout the country. Most of the recipes in “Spice Dreams” are fairly straight-forward and accessible. What sets them apart from ones found in other collections is the use of spices such as ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and cardamom. It’s summer, it’s hot, and it’s time to break out the ice cream freezer. This dandy little cookbook serves up tasty frozen treats with the added zest of spices.” ––Tucson Citizen http://tucsoncitizen.com/cooking/2010/05/26/new-cookbook-adds-spices-to-ice-creams-and-other-frozen-treats/

“If you’ve yet to cross over to the ranks of the at-home ice cream churners, we’ve got some sweet news: when you make ice cream at home, it can taste a whole lot better, and you can make it exactly toyour preference. This summer that means playing with fresh flavors like citrus, cinnamon, cardamom, and tarragon. Thankfully, Sara Engram and Katie Luber, authors of Spice Dreams, are experts at combining spices and creating surprisingly lip-smacking frozen treats.” ––Ready Made http://www.readymade.com/projects/article/spice_cream

“The book is devoted purely to frozen desserts, and a quick skim through will have any sweet tooth’s mouth watering. Authors Engram and Luber are spice connoisseurs, aiming to combine spices with frozen treats to make the best delectable summer desserts. The book first addresses how to make homemade ice cream. From basic vanilla to honey-mint with thyme and basil to brown sugar and spiced banana, each flavor is different than anything you’d find at the supermarket. If you prefer something lighter, there’s also an array or sorbet and frozen yogurt recipes to try, like mango with cumin and cinnamon and pink grapefruit-tarragon.” ––Kansas City.com http://www.kansascity.com/2010/05/05/1925624/as-summer-heats-up-so-do-options.html#ixzz0nAMMQntB

“The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking with Organic Spices by Sara Engram, Katie Luber and Kimberly Toqe is a cookbook with a unique approach and focus. By placing emphasis on the innovative use of a wide variety of spices and herbs, the authors not only present a collection of delicious recipes, they inspire creativity in the reader. … If you’re looking to get more creative with spices The Spice Kitchen is a must-have for your kitchen library.” ––My Gourmet Connection http://bit.ly/awK3zU

“Spice entrepreneurs Sara Engram and Katie Luber, with Kimberly Toqe, show you how to give every dish a boost of good health and enhanced flavor in their new cookbook The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking With Organic Spices. Along with great recipes and a primer on spices that will make anyone a better cook, the book is filled with tips, facts, and spice trivia. ” ––Today’s Diet and Nutrition

“The Spice Kitchen and its more than 100 recipes reveal the pleasutes that arise from [author] Katie [Luber]  and Sara’s [Engram] favorite mantra: Eat locally but season globally. Spices from around the world make it easier and a lot more fun to turn out delicious and healthy food. The Spice Kitchen brings the world to your kitchen table in such dishes as Coconut Curry Shrimp, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, and Tandoori Chicken Skewers with Curry Butter Sauce. Katie and Sara also relish taking the foods of their childhoods and reinventing them with an explosion of flavor from a range of spices and herbs. Through “spice enlightenment,” old favorites become Herbed Corn Chowder, Waldorf Salad with Cardamom Candied Walnuts, and Bittersweet Chocolate Chip Ginger Cookies” ––Global Gourmet http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/cookbook/2010/spice-kitchen/

“You will have absolutely no excuse for cooking yourself flavorless meals after you’re done reading this cookbook.  As a matter of fact, you may find that your knowledge of herbs and spices increases to the point of near-omniscience on the subject.  Engram and Luber make sure would-be chefs have a thorough grounding in both the history of spices and the flavors, geographical origins, and uses of dozens of herbs and spices before ever diving into the recipes section.  The recipes are absurdly easy to follow, and highly flavorful.” ––Cellulose With A Side of Ink http://biblio-voracious.blogspot.com/2010/02/bibliovorx-in-which-i-cure-what-ails.html

“Engram and Luber are co-founders of The Seasoned Palate, an organic spice company.  Their book not only includes 100 recipes that emphasize their mantra “Eat locally but season globally,” but it also offers a useful history of spices, an extensive chapter on spice basics, plus a make-your-own section that includes recipes for chili powder, curry spice blend and others.” ––Lake County Journal http://www.lakecountyjournals.com/articles/2010/01/28/19677416/

“The recipes are easy and fuss free, and with dozens of full-color photographs and illustrations, “The Spice Kitchen” is as beautiful as it is practical.” ––My Suburban Life http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/lisle/lifestyle/food/x1437802703/Food-for-Thought-Tips-for-a-perfect-pasta-dish

“Spice entrepreneurs Sara Engram and Katie Luber (with Kimberly Toqe) show you how to give every dish a boost of good health and enhanced flavor in their new cookbook The Spice Kitchen: Everyday Cooking With Organic Spices. Along with great recipes and a primer on spices that will make anyone a better cook, the book is filled with tips, facts, and spice trivia.” ––Today’s Diet and Nutrition http://www.tdn-digital.com/recipe_012210.shtml

“[N]ot only did I learn a lot of great information about herbs and spices, but I now have several recipes to turn to when I need a quick appetizer or crowd-pleasing dessert! … The Spice Kitchen started out with a great introduction to herbs and spices, and the recipes itself were varied and ranged from simple to complex. … Overall I thought the Spice Kitchen offered a good variety of recipes, and I can’t wait to try out more!” ––Sage and Savy http://www.sageandsavvy.com/2010/01/spice-kitchen-review.html

“I first discovered Sara Engram and Katie Luber when I was looking for gift ideas during the 2008 Holiday season.  Sara and Katie are the propeitors of TSP Spices. If anyone knows cumin from coriander it would be these two ladies.  In their first cookbook “The Spice Kitchen” they have set out to help home cooks release their fear of using different spices and show you ways to upgrade everyday dishes with incredible flavors. The best part of the book is the first chapter where the authors give us a wonderful history on spices and their role in cooking, along with detailed descriptions on flavor and cooking suggestions. The recipes that are featured are not complicated. Instead they are classic dishes that have been given a delicious face lift with a few extra ingredients.  Their Clove spiced Caramel Corn is probably the best I’ve ever tasted - it’s perfect for movie nights at home, or how about taking advantage of the citrus season and give the Chile, Orange, and Coriander rubbed pork a try (see recipes below). With The Spice Kitchen cookbook you’ll never serve another unseasoned meal again. ” ––Project Foodie http://www.projectfoodie.com/spotlights/cookbooks

“The Spice Kitchen isn’t like many other cookbooks I have in my pantry. It has a Spice Basics section that teaches you all about spices. That’s one of my favorite sections since great tasting food is all about the spices you put into it! There are sections inside this cookbook for every meal, as well as soups, salads and desserts. I found so many recipes I plan to try out when I’m entertaining for the holidays. There are also quite a few I want to make for every day meals at home.” ––Outnumbered http://outnumbered3-1.blogspot.com/2009/12/holiday-gift-guide-get-spicy-with-spice.html

“The Spice Kitchen offers more than 100 delicious recipes for using herbs and spices to add vibrant flavors to your food at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any time in between. … This exciting cookbook is full of inventive recipes, information, and tips for using herbs and spices. Best of all, the recipes are easy and fuss free—a must for busy home cooks who want to spend less time in the kitchen and more time at the family table. And with dozens of full-color photographs and illustrations, The Spice Kitchen is as beautiful as it is practical. ––Foodie In Disguise http://www.foodieindisguise.com/2009/10/24/in-the-spice-kitchen/

In their previous cookbook, The Spice Kitchen, spice queens Sara and Katie enhanced everyday meals with herbs and spices from their two unique lines of organic spices, tsp spices and Smart Spice.  Now they are treating ice cream connoisseurs everywhere to 50 new recipes for ice creams, sorbets, sundaes, ice cream sandwiches, and other frozen treats.

Sara and Katie, with help from Nancy Meadows and Kimberly Toqe, dare aspiring “spice cream” chefs to create their own combinations, inspired by spice Dreams recipes such as Honey-Mint Ice Cream with Thyme and Basil, Chile-Orange-Chocolate Sorbet, Cardamom Snickerdoodle Cookie Ice-Cream Sandwiches, and Almond Ice Cream with Turmeric, Cardamom, and Cloves.

Spice Dreams taps into the hot new trend of adding herbs and spices to sweets and features full-color photography of these tasty treats sure to delight young and old, sweet tooths, spice fanatics, and food lovers everywhere.

Makes about 3 cups

This recipe for mango sorbet is a winner even without the spices. But cinnamon and cumin lend an appealingly adventurous streak to mangoes, so it’s a shame not to let the spices shine. We like the full teaspoon of each spice, but it’s fine to start with ½ teaspoon.

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
¹⁄8 teaspoon salt
½ to 1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 mangoes, peeled, pitted, and cubed
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine the sugar, water, and salt in a medium, heavy saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring gently, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the syrup is clear, about 5 minutes.

Whisk in the cumin and cinnamon, and continue to cook, whisking continually, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and place in a bowl of ice water to quickly cool the syrup. Let it cool, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

While the syrup is cooling, place the mangoes and the lemon juice in a food processor and puree until smooth. Strain the mango puree through a mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Add the syrup to the puree and whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. The sorbet mixture may be stored in the refrigerator for 1 day.

Freeze the chilled sorbet mixture in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and freeze in the freezer for 2 to 4 hours before serving.

Makes about 1 ½ quarts  Basil is a versatile herb, and relatively easy to grow. In this appealing ice cream, the flavors of fresh and dried basil bring out the best in each other. This ice cream is especially good after a summer barbecue of spicy meats. It’s also delicious topped with fresh berries.

2 cups whole milk
½ cup plus ½ cup sugar
½ cup packed fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons dried basil
¹⁄8 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine the milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar, the fresh basil, dried basil, and salt in a medium, heavy saucepan.  Scald the milk mixture over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and let steep for 1 hour.

Strain the milk mixture through a fine-mesh sleeve. Return the milk to a clean, medium, heavy saucepan. Scald the milk once again over medium-high heat, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

While the milk is scalding, whisk together the egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl. Add the remaining ½ cup of sugar and whisk until the eggs are light and fluffy. Whisking constantly, add a small amount of the hot milk to the egg mixture. Gradually whisk in the remaining hot milk.

Return the custard mixture to the pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and place in a bowl of ice water to quickly cool the custard. Let the custard cool, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

While the custard is cooling, combine the cream and the vanilla in a medium bowl. Stir in the custard mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and press the wrap directly onto the surface of the custard. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight. The custard may be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freeze the chilled custard mixture in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze in the freezer for 2 to 4 hours before serving.

The Spice Kitchen offers more than one hundred delicious recipes for using herbs and spices to add vibrant flavors to your food at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any time in between. From Spiced Yogurt and Granola Parfaits, to Strawberry Salad with Cinnamon-Balsamic Vinaigrette, Spiced Guacamole, Tarragon Chicken Potpie, Clove Spiced Caramel Corn, and more, this exciting cookbook is full of inventive recipes, information, and tips for using herbs and spices. Best of all, the recipes are easy and fuss free—a must for busy home cooks who want to spend less time in the kitchen and more time at the family table. And with dozens of full-color photographs and illustrations, The Spice Kitchen is as beautiful as it is practical.

Other spice books are either impersonal encyclopedic tomes or ethnically specific guides focused on a single cuisine. The Spice Kitchen changes everything, using herbs and spices to add special twists to favorite family recipes, from macaroni and cheese, to burgers, chicken salad, deviled eggs, and much more. It’s the only allpurpose cookbook for spicing up everyday meals. Not just exotic extras, spices from around the world make it easier—and much more fun—to turn out delicious and healthy food. The simple but flavorful recipes and ideas in The Spice Kitchen will make old family favorites new again—and bring everyone to the table.

Kimberly Toqe was the Assistant Test Kitchen Chef at Lawry’s before starting her own culinary consulting company, La Toqe Blanche, in 2005. She has worked as a recipe writer and developer as well as a culinary educator, teaching at the Le Cordon Bleu California School of Culinary Arts.

The ancients thought sage brought wisdom and longevity, but clever cooks reach for sage for its pleasantly pungent, lemony-pepper flavor. Sage evokes the classic American tastes of a Norman Rockwell table, its fragrance wafting from turkey stuffing, savory sausage, and steaming casseroles of beans and buttered vegetables. But versatile sage makes the English merry, too, in Lincolnshire sausages and Derbyshire cheese. And Italians flip for it in veal saltimbocca and the robust northern Italian hunter’s cuisine.

Sage excels as a seasoning for lamb, duck, and game. Try sage with thyme and parsley in meatloaf, or pat it onto pork chops. Add it to the breading for fried chicken, or season chicken with sage, ginger, and orange zest before baking. Sage sparkles in mushroom dishes and with vegetables like butternut squash, asparagus, or tomatoes. Creamy, sage-scented mashed potatoes make the perfect side dish for roast chicken.

An evergreen shrub with velvety silver-green leaves and lavender flowers, Salvia officinalis (garden or common sage) is native to the Mediterranean and the Balkans and is often grown as an ornamental plant. In Arabic it’s called shay al-jabal, “tea from the mountain,” and is brewed into a calming infusion. Cherokee people use sage as a cough and cold remedy and tonic. Sage has antibacterial and antioxidant properties and is used as an antiperspirant. Its refreshing scent enlivens perfumes, soaps, and aftershave.
For sage butter, blend a teaspoon of sage into ½ cup softened sweet butter. Spread on hot biscuits, or use it to sauté chicken livers.

In recipes calling for rosemary, substitute sage, or combine the two for an enticing spice experience.

We have lost count of the versions of chicken salad we have tasted and loved over the years. But this one has become our all-time favorite, with just the right mix of chicken and extra goodies like cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and—perhaps the star of the show—Cardamom Candied Walnuts. Gently spicing the mayonnaise with coriander and orange zest takes this chicken salad over the top. (You’ll want to mix extra mayonnaise to spread on the sandwich—and you may want to keep extra on hand for other uses.)

This salad also works well with turkey. In fact, it’s the perfect day-after-Thanksgiving sandwich.

½ cup mayonnaise, plus additional for spreading
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried orange zest
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups diced cooked chicken
½ cup Cardamom Candied Walnuts (page 112), chopped
½ cup sweetened dried cranberries
¼ cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
¼ cup finely diced celery
¼ cup finely diced red onion
2 tablespoons shelled sunflower or pumpkin seeds, preferably roasted and salted
4 croissants, halved horizontally

Whisk together the mayonnaise, coriander, orange zest, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the chicken, walnuts, cranberries, bell pepper, celery, onion, and seeds and gently toss the salad until evenly coated. Spread additional mayonnaise on the croissant halves if desired. Evenly divide the chicken salad between the four croissants and serve.

Makes 4 sandwiches

Ever since we discovered a version of mac and cheese that didn’t require boiling the pasta first, we’ve been devotees of this beloved American comfort food. It’s perfect for kids and crowds and has become a potluck favorite, where vegetarians are grateful for nonmeat entrées. If you get a hint of pepperoni, you’re not wrong—anise and basil are the flavors that give that popular sausage its distinctive flavor. As always, feel free to come up with your own spice combinations.

1 cup cottage cheese (not low fat)
2 cups milk (not skim)
1 teaspoon ground mild chile pepper
1 teaspoon anise seed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
½ pound elbow pasta, uncooked
¼ cup plain breadcrumbs
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Blend together the cottage cheese, milk, chile pepper, anise seed, mustard, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and pasta. Grease an 8-inch square or round baking dish. Pour the pasta mixture into the dish. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.

While the macaroni and cheese is baking, mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, and basil in a small bowl. Add the oil and toss to combine. Remove the macaroni and cheese from the oven and carefully stir. Evenly sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top of the macaroni and cheese. Return the macaroni and cheese to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 to 8

Variations
• Substitute fennel seed for the anise seed and tarragon for the basil.
• Add a teaspoon of mild chile pepper and omit the breadcrumb topping.

Next time your kids mention gingerbread, surprise them with these cupcakes. Better yet, let them help you make them. Molasses and brown sugar form a rich flavor stage for some of our favorite spices to dance on. Feel free to adjust the spice in the frosting to your own preference. Orange zest would be a nice substitute for the lemon. Allspice or cinnamon would work well in place of the cardamom, too.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup molasses
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon dried lemon zest
¼ teaspoon salt

Cardamom Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground green cardamom

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease 12 standard-size muffin cups or line them with paper cups. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together the boiling water and the baking soda until dissolved. Stir the baking soda water into the molasses mixture.

Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, lemon zest, and salt into a small bowl. Whisk the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until the batter is combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted in the center of one or two of the cupcakes comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

While the cupcakes are baking, make the frosting. Cream together the cream cheese and the sugar in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and cardamom and beat until fluffy and smooth. Chill the frosting in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the pan. Place the cupcakes on a rack to cool for 30 minutes. Spread the cream cheese frosting generously over the cooled cupcakes.

Makes 12 cupcakes