Nutella Truffles

It is the last day of the magical month of November. It whirled by very quickly I should say. And then we have the cozy and lazy December to look forward to. And very soon, as the days gallop into comfy nights, it’ll be time to raise the glasses and start toasting your friends and family, plan up new resolutions, new prospects, and new ventures.

Yes, the new year is just a month away from now and the holiday season is sure to add a pudge to your waistline. And in all the feeling of excitement and joy, it is terribly hard to resist food and the holiday gifts. I am equally excited as we are almost on the brink of a long weekend off here. I plan to don my holiday apron and you will find this space ticking with new and delicious recipes every now and then. Today I have a dessert for you worth book-marking for the holidays.

Nutella is my latest crush. I confess it. It all started while I tried to empty a bottle of nutella waiting in my fridge. But now I am going all out and buying more Nutella jars and trying out different recipes using it. The latest one is the truffles that I tried out recently. Now I am in love with Nutella as they are an easy option to get amazing desserts in a short time.

Check out this recipe for Nutella truffles, you will be amazed with the outcome.

INGREDIENTS:

12 Oreo Cookies (you can use any cookies of your choice)
1 cup Nutella
3 tbsp Cornflakes crushed or chopped nuts crushed
1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
3 tbsp White Chocolate Chips
1 tsp Butter
Sprinkle few as needed

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Take cookies in a blender and powder them. 

2) Take them in a bowl, add in nutella, crushed cornflakes and mix well to form a dough. Take small portions from it and roll into balls. 

3) Place these balls in a foil lined plate and chill them for 20 mins.

4) Melt some dark chocolate chips either over a double boiler or microwave for 1 to 2 mins.

5) Now take the balls from the fridge and dip them in melted chocolate and place them in the same plate and freeze for further 5 mins.

6) Now melt some white chocolate separately. Pour that in a ziploc bag, cut the tip and drizzle white chocolate all over the truffles. (optional step)

7) Or else top it with some sprinkles or coconut powder. Freeze again for 5 mins before serving.

Banana Icecream

Here we are, heading into the thick of the summer season and last weekend was just crazy enough for us. A busy kitchen and hosting friends was on my agenda and the weather certainly played spoilsport with the mercury shooting up to a harsh 47 degrees Celsius.

 I was just contemplating some new chilled dessert ideas.  I had to because we were feeling exhausted and the heat was slowing us down. I dug into my refrigerator to find some frozen bananas, They as well as us needed some justice. An ice-cream was everyone's choice.

I guarantee you're going to LOVE eating this with friends and family in the next few months. Like most ice-creams it does take some time investment for freezing it, but it's definitely going to pay you back handsomely in pleasure and taste. It was made in a jiffy and I poured some chocolate sauce over it.  It really was universally uplifting.

My fabulously light and refreshing result is simple and so awesome it's a new favorite now.  Meet my simple Banana Ice cream and cool yourself off this summer.

INGREDIENTS:

1 small banana, peeled, sliced, and frozen

2 tablespoons  milk

1 tablespoon chopped walnuts or any nuts

 

HOW TO MAKE:

 

1) Place frozen banana pieces and milk in a blender or food processor; process until thick.

 

2) Top with walnuts and sprinkle some chocolate or caramel sauce on it just before serving.

 

 

 

Pineapple Souffle

My love affair with pineapples has grown more experimental and luscious since a while. I've been searching out recipes for desserts, braising and juicing. This dessert was inspired by the thought of the canned pineapples that I have purchased recently. My new theme now is  the "one new dessert every weekend". So continuing this tradition, I extend my efforts to whip up something interesting every weekend. It was the turn for a delicious soufflé in my kitchen.

Here is a sweet-tart-cool and incredibly refreshing  summery dessert for the weekend. It works perfectly to close out your barbecue and perfectly after a day outside frolicking in the sun when you need a quick cool down. I love it because it's quite sweet n tart, and almost all the sweetness comes from the natural sugars in your pineapple. Make sure to get a really ripe one or the canned pack and it'll be perfect.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tin (400 gm) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1-2/3 cups (250 ml) Milk
2-1/2 tbsp  Gelatin
1/2 cup - Warm Water
4 slices Pineapple chopped
Juice of 4 limes
1-1/2 cups  Fresh Cream

 

HOW TO MAKE:

 

1) Whip the cream over ice till light and fluffy and keep chilled.

 

2) Soak gelatin in ½ cup warm water and dissolve over a pan of hot water.

 

3) Add the Sweetened Condensed Milk, milk, chopped pineapple and lemon juice to dissolved gelatin and mix well.

 

4) Fold in the whipped cream (save 2 tbsp for garnishing) into the milkmaid - pineapple mixture.

 

5) Pour the mixture into a wet soufflé dish and chill.

 

6) When set decorate with whipped cream and cherries and serve chilled.

 

 

Layered Mango-Coconut Pannacotta

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication; said, Leonardo Da Vinci, and he couldn't be more right. Simple, effortless,uncomplicated and a touch of sophistication is what I look out for when I select a particular recipe to try. 

To be honest, when I started cooking, I was never confident while trying out a dessert. Not even for the simplest custard or a fruit salad dessert. The only time I would make one was when I was forced to - for a party or when friends visit etc. It was these efforts which gradually raised my confidence and today I find myself trying out desserts with ease.

Here I have an interesting but a very simple dessert that is so easy and requires absolutely no cooking. It needs to be served chilled and can be made in a jiffy with the right ingredients. It is colorful, delicious and versatile - you can replace the fruits with every season.

So chill out your sizzling summer with a pool party--or even just a fun run through the sprinklers. We have recipes and tips to make your splash-fest the coolest ever.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Coconut-Cream Layer:

• 1 2/3 cups Cream
• 1/4 cup Caster Sugar
• 1 Vanilla Bean, split lengthways
• 1 tbsp Gelatine
• 2 tbsp coconut powder                                                        

For the Mango Layer:

• 3-4 Mangoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 tbsp Gelatine

For the Pistachio Praline:

• 1 1/2 tbsp Pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup Caster Sugar                                                    

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Place  chopped mango in a blender and puree until smooth.

2)  Heat 1/3 cup water and add 1 tbsp. gelatin in it and stir the gelatin until it is dissolved (you can follow the instructions given on the gelatin pack for better results). Use 1 tbsp gelatin for this recipe if using the same amount of ingredients.

3)  Cool the gelatin and bring it to room temperature. Then mix it with the mango puree and pour in the setting bowls evenly. Refrigerate it until you prepare the next creamy layer (almost 30 min to 1 hour)

4)  The mango-gelatin mixture should be at least semi-set by the time you prepare the coconut-cream layer.

5)  For the coconut-cream layer, beat fresh cream or whipping cream using a beater until thick. Then add the coconut powder, icing sugar and vanilla essence. Continue to beat until well blended and thick.

6) Prepare gelatin again as in step 2. Cool it to room temperature and then mix it with this creamy mixture.

7) Pour this mixture on top of the mango mixture in each of the setting bowl. Allow this to set for another hour in the refrigerator.

8)  To make praline, heat the caster sugar on a wide pan until it is browned stirring in between.  You can add 2 tbsp of water if you like so that it doesn't harden.As the sugar browns and melts, add in finely chopped pistachios and stir well.

9) Cool it for 5 minutes and top  the double layered pannacotta and serve immediately.

10) Alternatively, you can turn panna cotta out onto serving plates. If it’s difficult to release, dip briefly in hot water then try again. Top with pistachio praline and serve immediately.

11)  It’s important when using gelatine that the temperature of the dissolved gelatine and the mixture it’s going into are the same, otherwise lumps may form.

 

Coconut Mice

This recipe is embarrassingly easy, but when I  actually make such stuff that means I am doing it all for my toddler who is actually a fussy eater and I am a desperate mom trying my best to figure out what she may like or dislike. I confess that I got this recipe from a Milkmaid website and I had copied it down after being attracted to the pictures.

The pictures show that it is terribly creative, attractive and a toiling job. But only the latter is not true because it not only is very tasty but also extremely easy.

INGREDIENTS:

 

1/2 tin (200 gm)-  Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 cups  Desiccated Coconut powder
1 cup Icing Sugar
4 Glazed Tinned Cherries
8 Almonds / a few chocolate chips   

HOW TO MAKE:             

 

1) Keep aside 1/2 cup coconut powder for coating. 2)  Mix together the condensed milk, desiccated coconut powder and icing sugar to get a soft dough. 3) Take a small quantity of dough, the size of a lemon and form into an elongated mouse shape. Coat with the dry coconut powder  4)  You can use silver balls for eyes, glazed cherry pieces for noses, almonds silver or chocolate chips for ears and noodle strands for tail. Leave in a cool place. 

Pineapple Biscuit Pudding

I’ve been on a pineapple kick lately, so I was glad when I found a no-cooking dessert recipe during blog hopping and I decided to make it last weekend. I just had to jazz up the standard biscuit crust (as in pies)with some sweetened pineapple which was a perfect complement to the raw egg flavor of the pudding.

Well a pudding !!! I am not very impressed with puddings these days. I just feel they are too "eggy" and may not be liked with everyone. Thanks to Vanilla essence, it really saves. And this pudding doesn't require cooking also. So I was quite apprehensive initially. I was wrong. And I am glad because this pudding outclasses all other usual puddings.

It’s really easy to put together too . . . well, except for chopping the pineapple. So I just went through the shortcut way - canned pineapples !!! The sweet flavor really is worth the effort, but I won’t judge if you like to use fresh pineapple instead. My grocery store sells a lot of these canned stuff and I picked a can recently that happened to yield exactly what I require for this recipe.

I made this last weekend, but it would be perfect for Mother’s Day or any occasion .It is very rich, so plan to serve small slices. I had 2 adults and a toddler to tackle it (some of whom had seconds), and still only made it through half of it.

Now lets check out the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

1 packet Marie biscuit
100 gms Butter
1 cup Powdered sugar
1 cup Pineapple stewed/preserve/tinned
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1 Egg
 1/2 to 1 cup. Milk

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Beat egg white stiff and keep aside.

2) Beat butter and sugar till nice and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat till creamy.

3) Then fold in the stewed pineapple(along with the juice if you are using canned ones) and the egg white and mix well. This is the cream mix for the pudding.

4) In a square pudding dish  dip biscuits in milk and line the dish.

5) Spread the pineapple cream on top of this.

6) Again dip biscuits in milk and line on top of the cream till the cream layer comes on top and keep in fridge for at least an hour.

7)  Garnish with caramelized nuts or grated chocolate or sprinkle chocolate chips. You can also pipe some cream and sprinkled chocolate gratings.

8) Chill the pudding thoroughly. And serve chilled.

 

Chilled lime pie

This is something that I learnt out of interest after tasting it from our local grocery store's bakery. It is a no-bake pie plus a cheese cake in disguise. The real refreshing ingredient is the lime that is used and the flavor it produces is heavenly.

I managed to find this recipe on the internet. I am sometimes amazed with the incredibly talented food blogs that showcase amazing foods. I admire the pictures and the combinations and I love learning about new foods. I have been gradually trying out Mexican, Greek, middle eastern dishes other than our usual Indian dishes. And I love admiring the desserts - desserts are something that I am not very good at and I just attempt them out of self-confidence only to find my confidence broken because the results are not very promising in my hand. Still I am trying out the easy ones and was glad to find this recipe on one of the blogs.

I suggest you should make it at the earliest, You can also add a few drops of green food color to the mixture to produce a marbled look or a swirled effect.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup fresh cream (around 150 ml)
1/3 cup lime juice
6 tbsp. melted butter
15 biscuits (marie biscuits or digestive biscuits)
1/2 tin (200gms) sweetened condensed milk

HOW TO MAKE:

1) Crush the biscuits finely, add the melted butter and mix well. Press this onto a greased shallow glass dish/loose bottom pie dish and chill for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

2)  Whisk the Sweetened Condensed Milk and lime juice together until thick.

3) Whip the cream till soft peaks form and fold into the condensed milk mixture, gently mix till combined.

4)  Pour onto the chilled biscuit layer and swirl the green colour through the mixture to get a marbled effect. Freeze for 1-2 hours or until set.

Warm Chocolate pudding

The crackly top. The steaming center. Melty chocolate inside. And the crumbly texture. You know you need a brownie or a cake. But not necessary. Because, here I have a gorgeous pudding with these features.

Warm Chocolate pudding recipe lives up to its name and can be made in a jiff. Definitely a keeper. It looks cuter than a cupcake and easier than pie and is nothing but a few bites of pure delight when it is set. You can mix and match chocolate flavors and decorations for a masterpiece that's truly your own!

So get set this weekend for a warm chocolate pudding as you watch the vibrant spring garden blooms.


INGREDIENTS:

1 egg

2 ¼ cups low fat milk

2/3 cup sugar

1/8 tsp salt

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla extract
 

 HOW TO MAKE:

1) Beat the egg lightly with a fork.

2) Combine 1 ½ cups milk, 1/3 cup sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to boil on medium heat stirring occasionally.

3) Whisk remaining 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa powder and cornstarch in a bowl. Add the remaining ¾ cup milk until well blended. Add the simmering milk mixture unti into the cocoa mix.

4) Pour whole mixture back into the pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly until thickened for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

5) Whisk a cup of the hot cocoa mixture into the beaten egg.

6) Return the egg mixture to the pan and cook over medium low heat without boiling. Whisk constantly until thickened for about 2 minutes. Whisk in vanilla.

7) Serve warm.
 

 

 

Coffee Icecream

The weekend brought in not so good news for us. To our dismay, the Municipal authorities decided to replace water pipes all through the city during the 2 day break and that meant that we would not be having water for 2-3 days. So we were cautioned to make use of water wisely and avoid wastage so that out roof tanks do not run out of the stored water.

 

We were forced to reduce water usage and had to cut down on most of the weekend activities. But then, it all went smoothly and now as promised we have water flowing freely from our taps and we thank God for it.

 

Still we had our cooking work for the weekend and we avoided eating out particularly this week as even restaurants would not have water and we did not trust the hygiene levels for these days. So as usual I tried out new stuff for the dinners and desserts.

 

I had some coffee beans sitting in my pantry shelf. Luckily, neither me nor hubby are beverage lovers. So we do not have the habit of drinking tea nor coffee until and unless we really want to drink it. The coffee beans begged to be used in something and it had been a long time since we had ice cream.  Coffee Ice cream for the weekend? Or coffee Ice cream for Valentines Day? Either way it is the same because at the end of the day, we are the ones relishing it.

 

I had never used coffee beans before, but it was so worth it! This recipe is awesome! I've made it at least three times in the past month, because everybody just wants more. 

Tickle your tongue with clouds of decadent whipped coffee ice cream, nestled on top of buttery, flaky crust. You know you need to make this when you see the mocha dripping over ! A real slice of heaven in your mouth!!!

INGREDIENTS:

 

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole coffee beans
 

HOW TO MAKE:

1) In a medium sized saucepan, whisk together the milk, sugar, salt, and cream. Stir in the coffee beans.

2) Heat on medium heat until mixture is quite warm, but not boiling. Remove from the heat, cover and let sit 1 hour. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and stir in the vanilla.

3)  Refrigerate for 4 hours, or up to overnight. Freeze according to your ice cream maker directions.

 

Rasmalai

A beautiful day should be followed by a delicious delicacy post - And that's why I decided to post the mouth-watering Rasmalai recipe today because this was one of the sweets that I laid out on our Eid table.

Rasmalai is a Bengali delicacy - juicy and rich. Till date,I always went in for store bought Bengali sweets. I was under the wrong impression that Bengali sweets are difficult and time-consuming to prepare. I realized that I was wrong when I chanced upon a recipe in one of my regular browsing sessions. As I went through the recipe and the ingredients, I knew that this certainly was something that I should be trying out soon.

 

 

And yes, here it is - a comfort food ideal for sharing. You can even prepare it a day before and chill it which somehow enhances the taste and flavor, making it a terrific dish for a party. The end result is well worth the time and efforts. So don’t be intimidated—there’s nothing really difficult about it.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Paneer:

1 litre - Whole milk

2-3 tsp  Lemon juice

For the Creamy Syrup:

1 litre - Whole milk  

1/2 can condensed milk (optional)

3/4 cup Sugar

A few stands Saffron

 

For the Rasmalai:

 

2 cups Sugar  

3 cups Water

Almonds & Pistachios for garnishing

HOW TO MAKE:

The Paneer (Cottage Cheese)

1) Bring the whole milk to boil, switch off the stove and then add the lemon juice- one drop at a time.

2) You can see the milk curdle. Allow it to stand for ten minutes or till it cools down.

3) Strain this curdled milk separating the water(whey) from the crumbled diary content in it. This step should be carried out using a strainer lined with a muslin cloth.

4) Then gather the crumbled milk content in the muslin cloth and tie it up and hang the cloth to a tap (or any other convenient place) so that the remaining water content in it can be removed. You can also occasionally squeeze it sometimes. Let this stay for about 30 minutes this way.

 

 

 

5)  Now take the paneer out and start to knead it finely until it become soft and smooth until the crumbled texture of it reduces completely.Around 8-10 minutes.

6) Make small balls out of this mixture. You should be able to get approximately 12-14 balls.

7) Flatten them and keep them aside.

For the Rasmalai steaming:

1) Mix the sugar and the water and bring to boil in a pressure cooker.

2) Drop the patties one by one in the sugar syrup and then close the cooker. Pressure cook for just one whistle and switch off stove.

3) Once the cooker opens, transfer these patties in cold water. Allow the sugar syrup to cool and transfer the patties back into them so that they absorb the sweetness until they are transferred in to the creamy syrup which will be prepared now.

For the Creamy Syrup:

1) Bring the milk to boil, allow it to cook until it is reduced to half.

2)  Add the sugar at this stage and stir till the sugar has dissolved.

3) Then add the condesnsed milk and mix well. Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.

4) Add the saffron and remove from fire. Allow it to cool down completely.


The Final stage of Rasmalai:

1) Drop in the patties one by one into the creamy syrup.

2) Garnish with the chopped nuts.

3)  Chill for almost 2 hours before serving.

Dates Halwa

The other day we had a kind Omani friend of ours drop in our house and hand us two full boxes of red dates grown in his garden. They tasted so good and were quite fleshy. But two full boxes of dates .... ??? I know we cant eat all of them. Scratching my head for a catchy jingle in vain, I toyed with ideas for milk shakes, sweets etc. It was only after a good scanning of the web that I thought that I should be more proactive and convert these sensational fruits into a dessert topped with more dry fruits and chill it so that it can be consumed any time of the day. Also,with the heat getting unbearable and the energies draining out, we love to chill our fruits and salads to refresh ourselves.The result was amazing.

Needless to say, Dates are the crowning glory at all Omani home. With sticky, ruby juices oozing out, they pair beautifully with anything from such choice of a hearty breakfast to start the day. I know that a healthy breakfast should always include some warm, bubbling fruit topped with sweet, crunchy crumble. But it is not many times in a week that we can have this for breakfast except for weekends when we have ample time to prepare a hearty meal.

I don't recommend Halwa for breakfast even though dates are loaded with soluble and insoluble fibres that can keep our bowels perfectly healthy. Because this halwa contains ingredients that are ideal for the Dessert table.




So this is how I made the dates halwa :


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 kg dates, washed and deseeded

1/2 cup ghee/clarified butter
250 gm khoya
1/2 cup semolina (sooji)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. rose water

 To Decorate:

50 gm almonds, chopped
50 gm pistachio, chopped
A handful of sliced dates

 

 

HOW TO MAKE:

 

1)  Boil the deseeded dates in hot water for ten minutes or until soft.

 

2)  Blend them coarsely in a mixer.

 

3) Heat clarified butter in a vessel, add the semolina and roast it till it shows a light brownish color.

 

4) Add the dates puree and mix well. Cook this till it starts to thicken.

 

5) Add the sugar and the Khoya and combine till thick and ghee starts to leave the sides of the vessel.

 

6) At this stage add the rose water. Cook for 5 more minutes and transfer the same to a serving dish.

 

7) Decorate the Halwa with the chopped nuts and dates.

 

 

     

Classic Chocolate Mousse

I am glad that we have gradully left behind the long summery days and have started to witness the vibrant colors of a short spell of fall. The signs of rainfall in this deserted country seem to be grim, but the pleasant temperatures and the soft breeze is surely inviting.

Strolls along the corniche and weekend outings have become a common sight these days, not to forget the barbeque nights at the beach side and witnessing spectacular sunsets. The next 4 months on my calender have been pencilled in as wintry days.Winter has certainly started to take shape adding color and sparkle to everything and I am sure to love and enjoy it.

After a quick tour to India, I have returned with a nostalgic feeling of pouring rains,grey skies, subtle fragrance of the blooms & the punchy chills in the air. Memories to keep safe. And I have returned with a renewed sense of energy and am glad to have found my niche.

Now hopping to the recipe of the day - a rich and a creamy dessert called the Classic Chocolate Mousse that is incredibly easy to make and that ticks all the boxes. I call chocolate the bountiful gift of winter as it is an energy rich food and an effective cough preventor. Overall it is a super seller and it is central to many desserts as it can be widely used for glazing as well.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup chocolate powder
1 sachet unflavored powdered gelatin
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup  sugar
1/4 tsp of vanilla essence
Chocolate shavings/chips, for garnish

HOW TO MAKE:

1) In a small bowl dissolve the gelatin in 1/2 cup of hot water. Stir thoroughly and let it sit for 5 minutes. The gelatin will bloom well. Add some cold water to this and alow it to sit for 5  more minutes.

2) Meanwhile, in a bowl mix in the chocolate powder,sugar, vanilla essence and the whipping cream. Beat it on high speed for 1-2 minutes till its silky. Keep aside.

3) After the gelatin has bloomed for 5 minutes, gently fold in the the chocolate cream mixture. Make syre that you do not lose the volume from the cream.Stir thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4) Top with chocolate shavings, chocolate chips, berries or whipped cream and enjoy!