Rasmalai with pistachios

Ingredients:-

4 Measuring cup milk for channa (2% milk)
3 measuring cup milk for Ras
4 - 4 1/2 tbsp. sugar for Ras
1 cup sugar
3 cups of water
saffron, cardamom, pista, almonds
lemon juice

Preparation:-

First boil 3 cups of milk and keep aside for juice.
Next boil 4 cups of milk. Now curdle the milk add lemon juice to it stirring continuously. Then drain it in a thin muslin cloth or handkerchief. Hold it covered with cloth in the running water. Drain the excess water by pressing the cloth completely so that no water remains. In a pressure cooker take 3 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar. Take the channa out of the cloth in a dish, mash it and make around 15 small size of balls out of it. Toss the balls into the pressure cooker and wait for two whistles.

In the mean time see the milk for ras. Add the sugar for ras to it and add cardamom, pista, almond and saffron to it. Keep aside and let it cool. As the pressure cooker is warm now open it take out the balls of channa with the spoon in a dish and let the water drain by pressing it little and let it cook. When the milk is cool add channa balls to it.
Refrigerate it.

When ready to serve add pistachios sliced into tiny pieces.

Exotic Chocolate Blamange

Ingredients:-

3 cups milk
3 teaspoons cocoa
5 teaspoons sugar
5 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk

Method:-

1. Bring 3 C milk to a boil.
2. Add remaining ingredients together in a small bowl.
3. Add to boiling milk.
4. Stir until thickened and smooth.
5. Pour in individual custard dishes and put in fridge until set.
6. This is great served covered with cool whip or half and half.

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:- 1 Kg carrots, 3 cups milk, 1 cup sugar, 1 /4 cup clarified butter or ghee, walnuts or cashew nuts about 6 pcs crushed, cardomom powder 1 tsp and a few raisins if necessary.

Method:- Peel and grate the carrots. Heat one spoon of ghee in a heavy non stick pan. Fry the walnuts, cashews and raisins. Keep aside. Add the grated carrot with the remaining ghee in the same pan and fry for 10 minutes on low flame. Add milk and stir, till the milk is absorbed. Add sugar with cardamom powder and keep stirring for 10 more minutes. Garnish with fried cashews and raisins. Serve hot immediately or cold after refrigeration.

Chocolate Peppermint Tarts with Currants & Berries

Ingredients:

For the Dough Mix

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse salt
8 ounces (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup ice water

For the Filling

4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar
12 stems peppermint, plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon coarse salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin (from two 1/4-ounce envelopes)
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
6 ounces fresh red currants
1 pound strawberries

Method:

Directions
Make the dough: Pulse flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces remaining. With the machine running, add water in a slow, steady stream, until dough just holds together. (Dough should not be sticky.)
On a lightly floured work surface, shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes (or up to 3 days).
Make the filling: Bring cream, sugar, mint, and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat, and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 disk of dough to a 16-by-6-inch rectangle, 1/4 inch thick. Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 13 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch rectangular fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Using a sharp paring knife, trim excess dough flush with the edges of pan. Repeat with remaining disk of dough. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Line dough with parchment, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges are dry, about 20 minutes. Remove weights and parchment. Bake until just darkened, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely in pans on wire racks.
With a pastry brush, coat the bottom of each tart shell with an even layer of melted chocolate. Refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 10 minutes.
Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl. Let stand until softened.
Remove mint from cream mixture, and bring cream mixture to a simmer. Whisk in softened gelatin until it dissolves. Remove from heat, and stir in yogurt.
Divide cream mixture between tart shells. Carefully transfer to the refrigerator. Chill, uncovered, until set, at least 4 hours (or overnight).
Carefully unmold tarts. Top 1 tart with red currants and 1 with strawberries. Garnish both tarts with mint stems. Slice and serve immediately.

EGG-LESS BLACK FOREST CAKE

Ingredients

Fina cake gel 50 grms
Flour 250 grms
Water 200 ml
Milk 300 ml
Sugar 250 g
Cocoa powder 50 grms
Whipped cream 300 grms
Chocolate shavings 150 grms
Sugar syrup 50 ml
Cherries 100 grms

Method

Take the first six ingredients together and mix properly. Bake the resulting batter at 200 degrees Centigrade for about 5 – 10 minutes. Take it out of the oven and cool it. Cut into three layers. Apply sugar syrup on each layer followed by whipped cream and chopped cherries. Cover the cake with whipped cream and decorate with chocolate flakes and cherries.

Alphanso Mango Phirni

Ingredients:-

1 Kg milk
100 grams rice Powder
100 grams sugar
2 grams cardamom powder
250 ml Alhanso mangoes.

Method:

Cook sugar and milk till he sugar dissolves. Let the milk cool and mix Alphanso puree and cardamom powder. Add rice powder and cook till the rice is fully cooked. Ensure there are no lumps. Remove from fire and set in servicing bowls. Refrigerate a while before eating.

Pumpkin Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1/2 cups pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon*
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg*
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger*
• 3-1/2 cups flour
• 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups chopped nuts, lightly toasted

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. In a small bowl, combine pumpkin, lemon extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Set aside. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Fold in pumpkin mixture. Slowly add flour mixture. Mix until completely combined. Stir in nuts and mix well. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonful onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Completely cool on wire racks or use 1-1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice. Raisins may be substituted for half or all of the nuts.

Dodol - Coconut and jaggery Sweet

Ingredients:

Coconuts (large) 3 nos.
Rice flour 1/4 kg.
Palm jaggery 1/4 kg.
Cane jaggery 1/4 kg.
Cashewnuts (optional) Few

Method:

Extract thick and thin juice from coconuts. Mix flour and thin juice and continue stirring all the time. Add some jaggery and continue stirring. As mixture thickens, add remaining jaggery and keep stirring. Then add thick coconut juice and stir, adding nuts. When mixture begins to leave the sides of the vessel and oil begins to ooze the Dodol is done. Pour into a flat plate. When cool cut into squares or diamond shapes.

Jalebies (Orange Whirls)

Ingredients:

1 cup plain flour (maida)
1 teaspoon Bengal gram flour
1/2 teaspoon Fresh yeast
1 teaspoon Ghee
1 cup Sugar
2-3 drops Lemon yellow food colour
1/4 teaspoon Lemon juice
Few Saffron
As per requirement Ghee

Method :

For the jalebi batter:

Sieve the plain flour and gram flour together. Dissolve the yeast in 1 tablespoon of water. Mix the flour mixture, yeast solution, ghee, 1 tsp sugar and lemon yellow food colouring with 2/3 cup of water to make a thick batter, making sure that there are no lumps. Keep aside for 10 minutes till the yeast ferments.

For the sugar syrup:

Dissolve the sugar in ½ cup of water and simmer for 5 minutes till the syrup is of 2 string consistency. Add the saffron and lemon juice and mix. Remove from the fire and keep aside.

Method:

Heat the ghee in a large saucepan. The ghee should be approximately 1 inch deep. Fill the jalebi batter into a piping bag with a single hole nozzle or a thick cloth with a small hole in the center which is finished with button-hole stitch. Press out round whirls of the batter into the hot ghee working closely from outside to the centre of the whirl [approx.50 mm (2) diameter]. Deep fry the jalebis till golden brown and transfer into the warm sugar syrup. Drain immediately and serve hot.

Cashewnut Diamond Sweets

Ingredients:

Cashewnuts 100 gms.
Powered sugar 80 gms.
Cornflour 1 tsp
Rose essence 1/3 tsp.
Varak For decoration

Method:

Soak cashew nuts in water, for 1-2 hours. Then Drain and grind them to a fine paste on a grinding stone, using as little water as possible. Mix together the sugar and cashew paste. Cook in a karahi on a medium flame. When the mixture thickens, reduce the flame and keep stirring. When the mixture becomes thick and comes away from the sides of the pan (it should take 8 minutes) sprinkle cornflour, stir well, and remove from the fire. Immediately, mix in the rose essence and quickly turn onto a greased marble or wooden surface. Quickly, roll thinly with a greased roller. Spread the silver sheet over and cut into diamond shaped slices. Store in an air-tight container when cold.

Coconut Pudding

Ingredients:

4 cups milk
1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup grated coconut cinnamon sticks
3/4 cup cornstarch
Preparation Time: 1 Hr. 45 Min.
Cooking Time: 45 Min.

Method:

Mix the milk, the sugar, the grated coconut and the cinnamon sticks in a pot. Cook on low flame and stir constantly until it boils. In a separate container, add the remaining milk and the cornstarch until it is dissolved. Then add it to the previous mixture and stir it. Continue cooking on low fire until it gets thick; continue for 10 minutes as you continue stirring it.
Allow it to cool and pour the mix in individual portions into glasses or into a big mould.
Put the container/moulds in the fridge and wait for at least 3 hours before serving.

Apricot Pudding

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can (16 ounces) apricot halves, drained
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin, about 1 tablespoon
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups heavy or whipping cream, whipped

Method:-

Place apricots in blender container; puree. In a small bowl, soften gelatin in the cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine apricot puree, gelatin, lemon juice, and sugar.

Heat over low heat until gelatin and sugar are dissolved. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Fold in whipped cream; pour mixture into a 4-cup mold. Refrigerate apricot recipe until firm. Apricot recipe serves 6.

Rich Cream Sweets

Ingredients:

1/2 Kg thick cream
12 tbsp condensed milk
1 litre milk
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
30 gm each almonds, pistas, walnut, cashew nuts and raisins

Method:

Put slices of thick cream in a pan with some lard. Then deep fry to golden color. Separately, fry all the nuts and pound coarsely.

Cook the milk and condensed milk, sugar, cardamom and nutmeg on low flame.

When the mixture thickens put the fried bread slices side by side in the pan.

Let it cook till the bread absorbs all the moisture. Serve cold garnished with nuts, raisins and silver foil.

Lemon Custard

Ingredients:-

1 cup milk
1 egg
2/1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon lemon rind grated
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1 small pinch salt
1/4 cup water
4 pieces walnuts grated

Method:-

Boil milk and allow to cool
In a bowl, beat egg lightly to mix yolk and white. Add sugar, lemon rind, lemon extract and salt. Stir. Gradualy add milk, stirring constantly.

Grease two (6 ounce) glass custard cups. Pour half the mixture in each cup with grated walnuts. Cover cups tightly with aluminium foil securely tied.

Pour water into cooker. Put grid in cooker. Place cups on grid and cook for 5 minutes.

6 remove cooker from heat. Reduce pressure by placing cooker in approximately 4 ins (10) cms of cold water in a basin or in a sink for 1 - 2 minutes.

Open cooker. Take out and uncover cups.

Allow to cool at room temperature. Refrigerate. Serve custard chilled.

Delicious Cream Pudding

Ingredients:-

Milk 2 liters
1/2 cup condensed milk
Sugar 1/2 cup
Cornflakes (powder) 1/4 cup
Alum water 2 drops
Pistas, crushed 1/2 cup


Method:-

1.Boil the milk till it becomes half its quantity and keep removing the cream layers aside.

2.Do not stir the milk while boiling.

3.Put alum water into the milk and stir till all the milk has dried and only a tbsp. remains.

4.Mix sugar in this milk and scrape the cream from the sides.

5.Layer this cream on the sweetened milk alternately with powdered cornflakes.

6.Add 1/2 cup condensed milk

7.Lastly sprinkle crushed pistachios and serve chilled with cherries.