Sweet Saffron and Cardamom: Spiced Desserts from an Immigrant Kitchen

We all need a little sweetness sprinkled with a touch of spice.

Ashia Ismail-Singer, author of Ashia’s Table and Food for Sharing, is back with a collection of spice-infused desserts and baking from culinary traditions across the world, delivering 90 homemade delights to share. With her characteristic artistic flair, Ashia’s recipes are impossible to resist and guaranteed to impress, drawing inspiration from her Memon Indian heritage and immigrant upbringing that brought her family across continents.

Dishing up sweet treats that zing with cardamon and perfume the air with orange blossom, this divine cookbook is guaranteed to take your baking to that next level with the greatest of ease. Western classics are reinvented with a spiced twist and sit alongside Ashia’s unique take on Eastern staples such as baklava, lassi and halva.

There are quick and easy bakes for weeknight cravings, desserts to impress your dinner guests, and show-stopping cakes for the most memorable occasions. Try chai masala popsicles for a refreshing summer treat or pistachio and almond cake as a festive mid-winter indulgence.

Ashia Ismail-Singer is of Gujarati Indian heritage. She was raised in Malawi and the UK and now lives in New Zealand. One of four sisters, food has always played a big part in her life and she believes it is one of life’s simplest and greatest pleasures. Ashia was taught to cook by her mother, learning the traditional Indian way--without shortcuts. But she has since simplified and adapted recipes, combining influences from other countries she lived in or visited. She is a regular contributor to several food and lifestyle magazines and writes regularly for New Zealand House & Garden. Ashia lives in Auckland with her family, and works as a school nurse. She is author of Ashia’s Table, Food for Sharing, and Sweet Saffron and Cardamom.

Christall Lowe is a New Zealand-based recipe developer, food writer, and award-winning food and travel photographer. She is author of Kai: Food Stories and Recipes from my Family Table, sharing her Māori family traditions and foods.