Start the Macerated Bitter Melon the night before you plan to make this dessert.
INGREDIENTS:
Macerated Bitter Melon:
1 bitter melon, cored and cubed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Cookies:
8 ounces butter (2 sticks), room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon powdered green cardamom
METHOD:
Macerated Bitter Melon:
Core and cube bitter melon. Put cubes in a bowl and cover with lemon juice and sugar. Toss and set aside overnight.
Place melon-lemon mixture in a blender and process until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and add cornstarch. Heat and stir until the mixture almost comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat and cool.
Cookies:
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and powdered sugar. Add remaining ingredients and mix until dough forms. Gather dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disk. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325°.
Roll out dough to about 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured board and cut into shapes, as desired. Place cutouts on a parchment-lined baking pan.
Bake at 325° for about 15 minutes or until cookies are very lightly browned.
To Serve:
Place 1 scoop ice cream in a martini glass. Ladle bitter melon sauce on top, add a lemon twist and serve with a Lemon-Cardamom cookie.
