This is my definition of warm and cozy! The apple flavoured latte is mildly spiced with cinnamon and a light kick of coffee which just hit the right notes. This is such a wonderful drink to serve post dinner for all the family and friends get togethers during holidays. We all love to cozy up, tucked in a warm blanket and with a hot cuppa drink on a chilly evening, don’t we? This one makes me wait for all those winter nights.
How to make this latte?
Its so simple and easy to put this together. Boil water with fresh apple cubes, coffee, cinnamon powder, grated nutmeg. Cool and blend it into a sauce by using an immersion blender. Boil and froth milk and mix in the apple mix. Sweeten with honey or any sweetener of choice or as per dietary restrictions. Top it with whipped cream, cinnamon and apple bits. Enjoy! Exact measurements and process is explained in the recipe card below.
If you like this recipe please let me know in the comments below. You could also connect with me on my Instagram and Facebook handle. I would love to hear from you.
As the festive season is approaching, we all are looking for festive food options. Aren’t we?
With fingers crossed, I tried my version of cake with Indian flavours and when husband couldn’t stop relishing it I knew I have done justice to it. He said it’s addictive!!!
Well, this is an indulgent dessert and super impressive for festivals and special occasions when we expect guests at home. This one is sure a crowd pleaser! The cake is super fragrant with the floral and warm flavours and the sticky syrup makes it so more-ish.
How to make this cake?
Line 8 inch baking tin with parchment paper and pre heat the oven.. Mix together all dry ingredients like all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, cardamom powder and sugar, except pistachios. Whisk together wet ingredients like oil and curd. Add wet mix to the dry mix and gently fold into a batter. Then fold in the pistachios. Transfer the batter into the lined cake tin and bake in the middle rack for 40 mins or until the skewer comes clean. Transfer it to a cooling plate and let it cool.
Meanwhile make the syrup by heating water and sugar and cardamom pods for 3-4 mins until sugar gets dissolved. Switch off the flame and add rose water and essence. Let it cool for 5 mins. And then make small holes in cake with skewer or fork and pour in the syrup on top of it. Garnish with edible silver, pistachios and rose petals.
Exact measurements and process in the recipe card below.
Enjoy!
If you like this eggless pistachio and rose cake recipe, do leave me a comment below. You can also connect with me on my Instagram and Facebook handle.
Line 8 inch baking tin with parchment paper and pre heat oven at 180 C.
Mix together all dry ingredients except pistachios. Whisk together wet ingredients.
Add wet mix to the dry mix and gently fold into a batter. Fold in the pistachios.
Transfer the batter into the lined cake tin and bake in the middle rack for 40 mins or until the skewer comes clean.
Transfer it to a cooling plate and let it cool.
Meanwhile make the syrup by heating water and sugar and cardamom pods for 3-4 mins until sugar gets dissolved. Switch off the flame and add rose water and essence. Let it cool for 5 mins.
Make small holes in cake with skewer or fork and pour in the syrup on top of it.
Garnish with edible silver, pistachios and rose petals.Enjoy!
Notes
Ensure all the ingredients are at room temperature.Use an oven thermometer to check if the oven is preheated at the desired temperature, unless there is an temp indicator feature available in your oven.
This birthday/celebration cake recipe sure is a keeper. It is so good, moist and chocolaty, that I wouldn’t change anything in it. My husband and me are such big dark chocolate fans, that we accept nothing but chocolate as our birthday cake flavour. I baked it for my husband’s birthday and he is a happy child. As I write this recipe, I am still thinking and drooling over this chocolaty deliciousness.
I love to add caramel chips to my chocolate bakes for the extra crunch, but that is completely optional. Using a great quality chocolate couverture is definitely the secret to making a good good chocolate cake icing. I kept it pretty simple here with the humble ganache.
This recipe uses eggs but here are the substitutes for it. Either use 1/4 cup fresh yogurt per egg or 1/4 cup mashed banana per egg. If using bananas, reduce the sugar quantity as per the taste buds.
If you like this chocolate overload celebration cake recipe, do leave me a comment below. You can also connect with me on my Instagram and Facebook handle.
In a separate bowl, beat oil and sugar. Add vanilla.
Mix in one egg at a time and beat well. Add in the milk.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet one using a silicon spatula. Don’t overmix. Fold in chocolate and caramel chips.
Line two 8” baking pans with parchment paper, and grease the sides of the pan with oil. Pour the batter in both the pans.
Pre heat oven at 180 C for 12 mins approx (or depending on your oven. use an oven thermometer for accuracy).
Bake the cakes for 35 mins or until the skewer comes out clean. Take it out of the oven, unmould, and let it cool completely on a cooling rack.
Icing prep
While the cake bakes, prep the icing. In the double boiler, mix in the cream and chocolate and heat until the chocolate starts melting. Whisk it well until the chocolate melts and then let it come to room temperature. Refrigerate it for 30 mins. Take it our and whisk again.
Icing the cake
Generously add chocolate icing on one cake, put the other cake on top of it and cover with the remaining ganache.
Add toppings of choice. I used Cadbury crackle bar and chocolate sticks. Pipe the remaining ganache as desired.Enjoy!!!
An Indian festival celebrated between brothers and sisters is a promise of love and protection. Celebrated with lots of food and gifts, this is a special day full of fun and emotions.
This is for two of the most important people of my life, who mean everything to me. We couldn’t celebrate this festival together due to the pandemic this year but they didn’t miss to pamper me one bit. Happy Rakshabandhan @sankalpdalmia and @atikagoel. Saying ‘I love you’ to these guys would be an understatement!
May this day brings more joy and bonding to every brother and sister out there celebrating this day.
A small way to celebrate at home with homemade gulab jamuns. They are made from scratch and turned out super soft and delicious. I gathered tips to make a fool proof recipe from various best chefs in my life – mom, mom in law, masi (aunt) and of course the google academy😆.
How to make it?
Mash 1 cup khoya (evaporated milk solids) and ensure there are no lumps. Add 1/2 cup grated paneer (cottage cheese), 2 tbsp suji (semolina), 3 tbsp all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp cardamom powder.
Mix and mash them all together and add 1 tbsp milk to get it together in a dough. Do not knead the dough. Cover and keep aside for 30 mins. Make small balls in between palms from the dough. Press on the centre and add a tiny piece of chopped pistachio, a strand of saffron and tiny bit of crushed cardamom. Seal and form the ball again. (This tip is to avoid lump formation in gulab jamuns while they get fried). Keep thek covered with a cloth.
In a pan heat 1 cup water and 1 and 1/2 cup sugar. Add 2 cardamom pods and a couple saffron strands. Let it simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup looks shiny. Switch off the flame and add 1 tsp rose water and 1 tsp lime juice (this is to avoid crystallising the sugar).
Heat ghee in a wok on medium low flame and fry the gulab jamuns. Stir the ghee continuously for uniform frying but do not touch the jamuns. Drain them on a kitchen towel and then dip them in the sugar syrup for at least 2 hours.
Garnish with rose petals, silver leaf, chopped pistachios.
Enjoy!
If you try this gulab jamun recipe please tag me on your social media or write to me here in the comments, I would be really happy to know about your re-creations. You can also connect with me on my Instagram or Facebook handle.
Pistachios and saffron strands to fill in gulab jamuns
Rose petals, edible silver leaves, chopped pistachiosTo garnish
Instructions
Mash 1 cup khoya (evaporated milk solids) and ensure there are no lumps. Add 1/2 cup grated paneer (cottage cheese), 2 tbsp suji (semolina), 3 tbsp all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp cardamom powder.
Mix and mash them all together and add 1 tbsp milk to get it together in a dough. Do not knead the dough. Cover and keep aside for 30 mins.
Make small balls in between palms from the dough. Press on the centre and add a tiny piece of chopped pistachio, a strand of saffron and tiny bit of crushed cardamom. Seal and form the ball again. (This tip is to avoid lump formation in gulab jamuns while they get fried). Keep them covered with a cloth.
In a pan heat 1 cup water and 1 and 1/2 cup sugar. Add 2 cardamom pods and a couple saffron strands. Let it simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup looks shiny. Switch off the flame and add 1 tsp rose water and 1 tsp lime juice (this is to avoid crystallising the sugar).
Heat ghee in a wok on medium low flame and fry the gulab jamuns. Stir the ghee continuously for uniform frying but do not touch the jamuns. Drain them on a kitchen towel and then dip them in the sugar syrup for at least 2 hours.Garnish with rose petals, silver leaf, chopped pistachios.Enjoy!
Quick and easy festive treat made with minimal ingredients. No, these are not motichoor laddoos!!!
It’s the recipe of super quick, easy, refined sugar free, vegan, just 4 ingredients and no cook apricot truffles to add to your festive platter. The combination of flavours is absolutely mouth watering. Perfect recipe to please kids’ and adults’ taste buds.
How to make it?
Blend together 1 cup semi dried apricots, 3 tbsp cup coconut sugar (can use any sugar of choice) and 1/2 cup grated coconut. Keep aside. In the same blender churn until it forms a paste – 1/2 cup pitted dates and add a pinch of cardamom and nutmeg powder. Make small balls of date paste. Now take a bigger chunk of apricot paste and place the date ball in centre. Fold and roll gently into a truffle. Repeat with the rest.
Decorate with edible silver foil for the festive look.
Enjoy!
If you try this apricot truffles recipe please tag me on your social media or write to me here in the comments, I would be really happy to know about your re-creations. You can also connect with me on my Instagram or Facebook handle.
A food stylist, photographer, and blogger. After leading Human Resources for several years in India and the US, my inner calling prompted me to work on a dream and a vision envisaged by my younger self many years ago. Being creatively inclined and with an interest in food, I decided to embark on my journey towards endless and limitless possibilities.
