Category Archives: Sweets

Cakes, Cookies, Squares, Dessert and Sweets

Lapsi

Sweets

 Ingredients

  • 12                 oz butter
  • 2                  tbsp viriyari(fennel seeds)
  • 6                  oz desiccated coconut
  • 2                  oz golden sultanas(optional)
  • 1 lb              cracked wheat
  • 1/2               lb jaggery(Goor)
  • 1                  lb sugar
  • 4                  cups water
  • 1                  can(375ml) coconut milk
  • 1/4               tsp nutmeg powder
  • 1/2               tsp cardamom powder
  •                     Few strands saffron
  •                     Few drops orange food colour or saffron water(optional)

For decoration

  • 2                  oz almonds
  • 2                  oz pistachio

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan melt the butter, add viriyari, and cracked wheat. Fry this for about 10 minutes stirring often(the cracked wheat will change color to golden).  Add desiccated coconut and sultanas.
  2. In a small saucepan add the jaggeryand half a cup of water, bring to a boil and the jaggery has melted.  
  3. Mix the food colouring or saffron water with coconut Milk and add this to the wheat, add the jaggery water and mix well.  
  4. Add the 4 cups water, mix well, and bring it to a boil.  lower the temperature to med(mark 4), cover and let it simmer for 1/2 hr stirring a few times, till most of the liquid has evaporated.
  5. Add the sugar and mix well.
  6. Put the saucepan in a preheated 300 degree oven for 1 hour. The Lapsi will have absorbed all the liquid and doubled in volume.
  7. Decorate with almonds and pistachio before serving.

Serve it with papadum and/or Kebab or Samosa.

Instapot

  1. Melt the butter, add viriyari, desiccated coconut, and sultans and fry it for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile melt the jaggery and sugar in in 2 cups of water.
  3. Mix the saffron water or food colouring with coconut milk.  Add this to the fried wheat.  Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes.

Coconut Cream

Sweets

Ingredients
  • 6                      large egg yolks
  • 1/2                   cup sugar
  • 6                      tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/8                   tsp salt
  • 3                      cups homo milk
  • 1 1/2                cups (4 oz) sweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 1/2                tsp vanilla extraxt
  •                         unsalted butter, for the wrap

Instructions

  1. Place egg yolks in a large bowl, whisk to combine, set bowl aside.
  2. Combine sugar, corn starch, and salt in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to a boil, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.
  3. Whisk 1/2 cup hot milk mixture into the reserved egg yolks to temper. Slowly pour warm yolks into the saucepan, stirring constantly. Cook slowly, stirring, over medium-low heat, until mixture begins to bubble, 5 to 6 minutes.
  4. Stir in coconut and vanilla.
  5. Transfer filling to a medium mixing bowl.
  6. Lightly butter a piece of plastic wrap, and lay it directly on top of filling to prevent a skin from forming.
  7. Chill until firm, at least 1 hr.

Pistachio Ghari(Pistachio Fudge)

Sweets

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Makes 24

Ingredients

  • 8             oz sugar
  • 2             cups homogenized milk
  • 1-1/2       cups chopped almonds and pistachios
  • 1             lbs finely chopped cashews for coating
  • 1/2          tsp Rose Water

 

Instructions

  1. Boil milk and sugar in a saucepan stirring, until mixture feels thick and sticky to the touch about 10 minutes.
  2. Add rose essence.
  3. Remove from the heat, add almonds and pistachios stirring continuously until mixture is thick and cool, about 10 minutes.
  4. Shape into walnut size round balls and coat with cashews and place on a tray.

Serve when completely cool.

Chocolate-Pistachio Torte

Sweets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for pan
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 8 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped1
  • 1/4 cups sugar1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE AND TOPPING

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Instructions

Make cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan; line bottom with parchment or waxed paper.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
  4. In a large heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, melt butter and chocolate, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove bowl from pan.
  5. Whisk in sugar and vanilla, then eggs, buttermilk, and pistachios.
  6. Fold in flour mixture just until combined.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 60 to 70 minutes.
  8. Let cool in pan 5 minutes; run a knife around edge, and invert onto a wire rack. Remove paper, and let cool completely, about 3 hours. (To store, wrap in plastic, and keep at room temperature, up to 3 days).

Make ganache:

  1. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a simmer; remove from heat.
  2. Add chocolate, and let stand 5 minutes; whisk until smooth.
  3. Let cool until mixture falls back in ribbons when lifted with a spoon, 2 to 6 minutes.
  4. Set cake on a serving platter; tuck strips of parchment paper under edge of cake to prevent ganache from dripping on platter. Pour ganache onto center of cake; using a table knife, spread evenly over the top and down the sides. Let set, about 30 minutes. Remove paper from under cake; sprinkle top with pistachios.

 

Habsi Halwa

Sweets

A very simple, delicious, and rich Halwa or fudge!  These kind of sweet meats are usually made for happy occasions, eg weddings, religious festivals and dinner parties. You will find different recipes for this.

 Ingredients

  • 3 1/2                    cups milk powder
  • 2                        cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1                        cup unsalted butter (room temperature)  
  • 1                        cup sugar
  • 1                        cup chopped or sliced almonds.

Instructions

  1.  Preheat  oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large saucepan mix all the ingredients except almonds and  it in the oven for five minutes.
  3. Stir and return the saucepan to the oven.  Do this every 10 mins. (It takes about 1 hour to make it)
  4. After half an hour add half the almonds and mix.
  5. The mixture will start to bubble and the colour will slowly change to dark brown.
  6. Pour the mixture in an 8 x 8 inch  cake tin, decorate with with remaining almonds and let it cool. 

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Note:

 

This Halwa can be made in a disposable pan(foil tray) and set in the same pan( pat it down with a spatula)          

 

You can use nuts of your choice instead of the almonds.

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies

Sweets

Chewy Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makes 45 cookies

89 calories per cookie

Ingredient

  • 2                1/4 cups all purpse flour
  • 1                tsp baking soda
  • 1                tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2             tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4             tsp cloves
  • 1/4             tsp salt
  • 3/4             cup butter, room tempreture
  • 1                cup brown sugar
  • 1                egg
  • 1/4             cup fancy molasses
  • 1                tsp minced fresh ginger
  • 1/2             tsp lemon zest
  • 4                squares chopped dark chocolate

Instructions

 

  1. Stir flour  with baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a medium bowl until combined.
  2. Beat butter with brown sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 min.
  3. Beat in egg, molasses, fresh ginger and zest, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Don’t worry if it looks a little curdled.
  4. Gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined.
  5. Stir in chopped chocolate.
  6. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm enough to roll, about 20 min.
  7. Position oven racks in top and bottom thirds of oven.  Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
  8. Lightly spray 2 baking sheets with non stick spray and set aside.
  9. Scoop dough and roll into tbsp-sized balls.
  10. Coat with granulated sugar.
  11. Place on prepared sheets about 2 in apart.
  12. Bake switching and rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are puffed and lightly golden, 10 to 12 min.
  13. Remove to a rack to cool completely.
  14. Store cookies in an airtight container at room tempreture up to 1week or freeze up to 1 month.
  15. Kitchen tip:  prefer a crispy cookie?  Bake an extra 2to 3 min.

I stuck a Bamboo stick before baking and  made a bouquet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

Strawberry and Apricot Crisp with Pine-Nut Crumble

Sweets

A 9 1/2″ shallow round baking dish or pie plate gives this crisp the ideal ratio of fruit filling to crumble topping.

In this crisp, the apricots hold their shape.  The strawberries, in contrast, become sauce like.

Ingredients

  • 2                oz cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2             cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1/3             cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2             cup old- fashion rolled oats
  • 1/4             tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8             tsp course salt
  • 2                oz pinenuts, toasted(1/3 cup)

Filling

  • 1                lb apricots, pitted and cut into sixths (about 2 cups)
  • 12              oz strawberries (about 15) hulled and halved, or quartered if large
  •                    (about 2-1/2 cups)
  • 1/2             cup sugar
  • 2                tsp zest and lemon juice
  • 1                tsp cornstarch
  •                   Pinch of salt

Serving

         1                 pint strawberry or vanilla ice cream

Instructions

  1. Combine all crumble ingredients in a medium bowl and massage together with your fingers until butter is incorporated and mixture forms small clumps.  
  2. Refrigerate until mixture is cold, at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degree.
  4. Butter a 9 1/2 inch shallow round baking dish or pie plate.
  5. Combine all filling ingredients in another medium bowl.  
  6. Transfer to baking dish and top with crumble.
  7.  Bake until bubbling in centre and crumble is browned, about 40 minutes.
  8. Let cool at least 20 minutes.
  9. Serve warm or room tempreture with ice cream.
  10. Note:  you can use 12oz of dried apricots if you can not get fresh apricots.
  11. Cut apricots into quarters and soak it in cold water for 5 hours or overnight.
  12. Drain the water and use them as fresh apricots.


Chocolate Cake

Sweets

                                                

    

Ingredients


  • 8                oz butter, room temperature
  • 8                oz sugar
  • 4                eggs
  • 1/2             tsp vanilla essence
  • 7                oz all purpose flour
  • 1                oz cocoa powder
  • 2                level tsp baking powder
  • 1/4             cup warm water

Instructions


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9″ cake tin with cooking spray or butter.  Line the pan with parcement paper.


  1. Cream butter and sugar till it is light and fluffy. About 5 min.
  2. Add 1 egg at a time beating well.
  3. Add vanilla essence and mix. 
  4. Add baking powder to the flour, fold in flour,  adding water to make a dropping consistency. 
  5. Pour the mixture in the prepared tin.
  6. Bake on the middle shelf for 40 min or until done.  (the cakes are done when, if you put the tooth pick in the centre of the cake and the tooth pick comes out clean).
  7. Let it cool in the pan for 10 min.
  8. Transfer it onto a cooling tray.

Continue reading Chocolate Cake →

Mango Mousse

Sweets

Ingredients

  • 1          can mango pulp
  • 2          pkg peach Jell-O
  • 1          large cool whip
  • 1          cup hot water
  • 1          can condensed milk
  • 1          ripe mango
Decoration
  • 1          fresh mango or
  • 1          pomagranate

Instructions

  1. Dissolve jell-o in hot water, let it cool.  Use the jello before it starts to set
  2. Mix all the ingredients together.
  3. If you are using a mango, peel and cube it into 1/4” and mix it in  the mixture.
  4. Pour into fancy glasses or in an 8” x 10” pyrex dish.
  5. Let set for 5 hrs or overnight.
  6. Decorate with fresh mango or pomegranate seeds.

NOTE:

You can use whipping cream instead of cool whip.  Cool whip makes sweeter.

  1. Whip the cream and add to the mix.

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