Pistachio Cardamom Crème Brûlée

Preheat oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. In a saucepan, whisk heavy cream, pistachio paste, whole cardamom, ½ cup of the sugar, and rose water. Place the saucepan over low heat, bring to a simmer and whisk until completely smooth. Do not boil! Remove cardamom pods and blend the roasted pistachios into the cream mixture. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Whisk together remaining ½ cup of sugar and egg yolks. Add 1/3 cup of the warm cream mixture to the yolks and whisk quickly to temper the egg mixture. Add in the remaining cream, whisking constantly. Pour the crème brûlée mixture into 4 individual ramekins. Place the ramekins in a large roasting tray. Carefully add the boiling water into the tray until it is halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 30 minutes or until set but still a little jiggly in the middle. Remove the ramekins from the hot water and let cool at room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.  Before serving, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of each dish and brûlée, and then torch the sugar until it caramelizes. Let it set for about 5 minutes before serving.

Candied Pistachios

Heat nonstick skillet with nuts and sugar. When sugar begins to melt and turn light brown color, remove the pistachios from the heat and cool on cookie sheet.

ASSEMBLY

Place candied pistachios over the top of the set crème brûlée. On top of the crème brûlée, place the diced strawberries. Garnish with mint and serve.