Pecan Pie

This was the second pie of the season. Pecans were all around and this pie is topped with maple syrup to cut through the pecan flavor.

INGREDIENTS

For the crust

All-purpose flour – 1 ¼ cups
Granulated Sugar – 2tsp
Salt – 1/8 tsp
Butter – 8oz (1 stick) diced
Egg – 1 large

For the filling

Brown Sugar – 1 cup
Granulated Sugar – ¼ cup
Butter – ½ cup melted
Eggs – 2
All-purpose flour – 1tbsp
Milk – 2tbsp
Vanilla Extract – 2 tsp
Chopped Pecans – 1cup

PREPARATION

1. To prepare the dough , whisk together the flour , sugar and salt. Work the butter into the dry ingredient mixture until crumbly in texture. Add one lightly beaten egg to this mixture and stir the dough together with a fork. Now knead the dough by hand.

2. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a flat disc. Transfer the dough into a 9inch pie pan and trim the edges. Freeze for 30 minutes.

3. Press the dough down firmly and bake the crust in the oven for 10 minutes at 400F.

4. To prepare the filling , combine all ingredients and beat into a smooth batter. Pour this filling into the pie shell. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 350F and bake for 35-40 minutes or until done. 

5. To check for doneness , press finger slightly on top of the pie. The top needs to bounce back a little. Refrigerate the pie for 2 hours before serving.

Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving season was on and what better way to celebrate it than to indulge in pies ? First up on the list – pumpkin pie with a graham cracker pie crust. I fell in love with this pumpkin pie after I had it at my aunt’s Thanksgiving luncheon. Couldn’t wait to go home just to try this out. 

INGREDIENTS

For the Crust

Honey Graham Cracker Crumbs – 350g (about 1 ½ cups)
Butter – 8oz (1 stick)

For the filling

Brown Sugar – 2/3 cup
Corn Flour – 2 tbsp
Pumpkin Spice – 2tsp
Condensed Milk – 1 can
Pumpkin Puree – 16oz (2 cups)
Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

PREPARATION

1. To prepare the crust , combine melted butter and honey graham cracker crumbs. Pack the mixture tightly at the bottom of a pie tray. Bake it at 325F for 5 minutes. 

2. For preparing the filling , combine all ingredients into a very smooth mixture. Pour this mixture onto the crust and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. 

3. Cool the pie at room temperature and then refrigerate the pie for 4 hours before serving.

Paan Cake

Yet another fusion cake inspired from an ice-cream at Nirvanaah ! Nirvanaah in San Jose has the best desi flavors of ice-cream , including paan , malai kulfi , gulkand , chikoo and so much more.. If one could add paan to ice-cream , why not to cake ? 

The mint and gulkand icing on top adds a very refreshing taste to the paan’s strong flavor.

INGREDIENTS
For the Cake

All-purpose flour   -   2 ¼ cups
Sugar – ¼ cup
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking Soda – 1 tsp
Butter – 8tbsp (1 stick)
Vanilla essence – 1 tbsp
Condensed Milk – 1 can (14oz)
Milk – ½ cup
Vinegar – 2tsp
Plain Soda – ½ cup
Betel leaves – 2
Gulkand – 2tbsp
Mukhwas assorted – 4tbsp (finely pulverized)
Tutti-fruity – 3 tbsp
Dried rose petals – a small fistful

For the icing

Heavy Whipping Cream – 1 cup
Peppermint extract – ½ tsp
Gulkand – 2tbsp

PREPARATION
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

2. In a bowl , add the butter and the sugar. Cream them until soft and fluffy. Add in the condensed milk and combine well. 

3. Add the vinegar to the milk and then add this whole mix along with vanilla essence to condensed milk mixture. 

4. Grind the betel leaves to a paste , combine the gulkand and this paste in a bowl and add the mukhwas powder to this mixture. Now add this to the condensed milk mixture.

5. Add the flour in parts and combine well. Pour the club soda to the batter and fold well. Do not overmix the batter at this stage. Also fold in tutti-fruity to this. 

6. Preheat the oven to 340F and bake for around 20-24 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. 

7. Cool the cake on a wire rack. 

8. For the icing , whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in the peppermint extract and gulkand into this and pipe onto the cake.

Mango Kulfi Cake

This is the second fusion cake in a long list of cakes that have been tried and tested at home. It was mango season here in California and mangoes always remind me of the huge tree back home and all those yummy mangoes that one could pluck at arm’s reach. What better dessert than mango kulfi to savor the season ? Yet another experiment with eggless and fusion baking.

The cake is a Kesar mango kulfi mousse resting on an almond-pistachio-cardamom base and topped with a layer of mango jelly 😃

INGREDIENTS
For the Pistachio Cake

All-purpose flour   -   2 ¼ cups
Sugar – ¼ cup
Powdered Pistachios – ½ cup
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking Soda – 1 tsp
Butter – 8tbsp (1 stick)
Vanilla essence – 1 tbsp
Condensed Milk – 1 can (14oz)
Milk – ½ cup
Vinegar – 2tsp
Plain Soda – ½ cup
Cardamom powder – 1tsp

For the mango mousse

Mango puree – 4 cups
Gelatin / Agar – 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
Saffron – 3 pinches
Condensed milk – 4tbsp
Heavy cream – ¼ cup

For the mango jelly

Mango juice – ½ cup
Gelatin / Agar – 1tsp
Saffron – to decorate

PREPARATION
1. Mix all the dry ingredients together and set aside.

2. In a bowl , add the butter and the sugar. Cream them until soft and fluffy. Add in the condensed milk and combine well. 

3. Add the vinegar to the milk and then add this whole mix along with vanilla essence to condensed milk mixture. 

4. Add the flour in parts to this mixture and combine well. Pour the club soda to the batter and fold well. Do not overmix the batter at this stage. 

5. Preheat the oven to 340F and bake for around 20-24 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. 

6. Cool the cake on a wire rack. 

7. To prepare the mango kulfi mousse , mix mango puree , condensed milk and heavy cream in a saucepan. Bring it to a gentle boil and then add in the cardamom and some water. Cool the mixture to room temperature and add in the saffron. 

8. Bloom gelatin in cold water for 5-10 minutes. Heat this mixture until the gelatin dissolves completely and add it to the mango mixture. Pour the mousse on top of the cake and refrigerate overnight to set. 

9. To prepare the mango jelly , bloom gelatin in cold water and heat until all gelatin dissolves. Add it to the mango juice (which should be strained twice to get a clear liquid). Pour on top of the set cake and embed saffron strands into it. Allow to set until the jelly cools.

Eggless Mousse Cake

INGREDIENTS

For the cake

All-purpose flour   -  2 cups
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder  -  ¼ cup
Condensed Milk (Sweetened) – 1 can (14oz)
Unsalted Butter  -  ¾ cup soft to the touch
Baking Powder  -  1 ½ tsp
Baking Soda     -   ¾ tsp
Vanilla extract  - 2tsp
Water  -  ¾ cup

For the Mousse

Heavy Whipping cream  -  14oz
White chocolate   -  2 bars (4oz each)

For the ganache

Heavy Whipping Cream   -   ¼ cup
Semi-Sweet chocolate chips  -  ½ cup

PREPARATION

1. Mix all dry ingredients , set it aside.

2. Add melted butter , water and sweetened condensed milk to a mixing bowl and whisk well until combined. Add vanilla extract and beat on slow speed until a smooth batter is formed. 

3. Sift and slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and add it in portions when constantly combining the same. 

4. Pour the batter into a greased 10 inch pan and flatten it out with a spatula. 

5. Pre-heat the oven for 350F and bake for 30 minutes. Check using a cake tester/toothpick. Cool on a wire rack until cake is completely cooled. 

6. Using a serrated cake knife , cut the cake into two halves and set aside.

7. To prepare the white chocolate mousse, place the white chocolate and I cup of heavy whipping cream in a heat proof bowl and heat until the chocolate and cream are completely combined. Set aside to cool. In a mixing bowl , add the remaining cream and whip it until you get stiff peaks. Add the white chocolate mixture and fold into the whipped cream. 

8. Place one half of the cake on the pan , pour the white chocolate mousse mixture on top of it and place it in the refrigerator for half an hour. Place the second half of the cake on the mousse , press down just a little and set it overnight. 

9. Once the cake and mousse completely set , prepare chocolate glaze by combining semi-sweet chips and cream in a heat-proof bowl. Allow the glaze to cool and then cover the cake completely in the glaze.

Baklava with a twist

Cakes had become a little too mainstream by now and I was craving for a dessert that was rich ! And trust me , nothing ever gets richer than the baklava. Butter , sugar , honey , dry fruits – you name it all and you’ve got it in this amazing dessert. Preparing this might be a time consuming affair but it’s all worth the effort at the end of the day. My take on the classic baklava – adding a dash of coffee and hazelnuts to give it that modern twist.

INGREDIENTS

Almonds – ¼ pound chopped
Walnuts – ¼ pound chopped
Pistachios – ½ pound chopped
Phyllo Sheets – 1 pack (16oz)
Granulated Sugar – 1cup
Water – 3/4cup
Honey – ½ cup
Cinnamon – ½ tsp
Rosewater – 4tbsp
Vanilla extract – 1tsp
Brewed coffee – ¼ cup
Hazelnut extract – 2tsp

PREPARATION

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F and grease a 13x9 baking pan with butter. 

2. Combine the nuts and cinnamon. Add a tiny pinch of salt. Unroll the phyllo sheet and cover with a damp tissue to prevent dryness.

3. Place 3 sheets of phyllo on the bottom of the baking tray ,spread melted butter on the sheets, sprinkle a small fistful of the nut mixture on top of this. Repeat until you run out of the nut mixture. Place 5 sheets of phyllo as the topmost layer. 

4. Use a knife to cut into the sheets into diamonds. Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes until golden. 

5. To prepare the syrup , combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the rose water , the brewed coffee, vanilla and hazelnut extract. Continue to boil till the syrup reaches a thick , flowy consistency.

6. Remove the baklava once baked and immediately pour the syrup all around evenly. The syrup will sizzle when poured on top of the baklava. Cool completely before serving. 

Tres Leches Cake

The tres leches happens to be my favorite flavor of cake and there is nothing that can stop me from polishing off an entire cake all by myself. I first made this cake along with my friends Pooja and Sushma when we interned together. Back then , baking was a luxury , especially for a student who had so much more to do that happily strut around in the kitchen. I still remember the day we all sat down in front of the refrigerator , just to see this beauty soak in milk. No matter how heavy this cake is , it is absolutely to die for.

INGREDIENTS
For the Cake

All-purpose flour – 2 ¼ cups
Baking Powder – 2 ¼ teaspoon
Sugar – 2 cups
Eggs – 4
Butter – ½ cup soft to the touch
Milk – 1 ¼ cup
Vanilla Extract – 1 teaspoon

For the Milk Mixture

Condensed Milk – 1 can
Evaporated Milk – 1 can
Regular Whole Milk – ¼ cup

For the Icing

Whipping cream – 12oz
Icing sugar – 2tbsp
Cream of Tartar – a pinch

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 10 inch round pan or a 13x9 rectangular pan, preferably with a removable bottom. I used a springform pan.

2. In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water , add eggs , sugar and vanilla extract. Keep stirring the mixture until it all the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes smooth and pale yellow in color. 

3. Beat the above mixture on medium speed until it doubles or triples in volume. Add the flour and baking powder to this mixture and combine until smooth and lump-free. 

4. Fold in the milk and melted butter into this batter and check for a flowing consistency. 

5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for around 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature. 

6. In a bowl , mix the condensed milk , evaporated milk and whole milk and combine. Pour this milk mixture evenly onto the cake and refrigerate overnight. At the end of this, the cake would have absorbed all the milk that it was soaked in. 

7. Beat heavy whipping cream with icing sugar until soft peaks form. Add the tartar to this (stabilizing agent) and beat on high speed until stiff peaks are obtained. Transfer the icing into a piping bag and pipe away your favorite patterns.

The Marble Cake

This was to welcome a new addition to the baking collection - a Bundt pan. Food blogs that I follow were always paying tribute to this pan by using it for age-old classic European cakes that turned out absolutely gorgeous. I opted to go in for a much simpler cake - a chocolate and vanilla marble cake. That happiness you get when the marbled pattern is intact on cutting the cake - totally worth all the calories that this beauty is loaded with !!

INGREDIENTS

For the Cake

Butter - 8.5oz softened to room temperature

Granulated Sugar - 2 cups

Eggs - 6

All-purpose flour - 2 ¾ cups

Vanilla Extract - 1tbsp

Baking Soda - 1tsp

Sour Cream - 1cup (250ml)

Bittersweet chocolate chips - 8oz (1 cup)

For the Chocolate Sauce

Semi-sweet chocolate chips - 8oz

Heavy whipping cream - 1/2 cup

Chopped nuts - a handful

PREPARATION

1. Combine the butter and sugar till it becomes creamy and fluffy. This takes about 7 minutes at low speed on a stand/hand mixer.

2. Add the eggs in to the butter mixture , one at the time and combine well until they are fully incorporated. Slowly add in the flour , one cup at a time , to this mixture and fold well.

3. To this batter , add the baking soda and the sour cream and fold well. Do not beat or overwork the batter at this stage. 

4. Separate the batter into two halves. In one portion of the batter , stir in melted chocolate chips and fold until combined well. 

5. Grease the bundt pan with some butter/cooking spray and use an ice cream scoop to place alternate scoops of vanilla cake batter and the chocolate cake batter. Continue to work in layers until all the batter has been used up. Run a fork through the batter to create a marbled pattern and smooth the top of the cake pan with a spatula. 

6. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F and bake for 47 minutes. Make sure that a cake tester inserted comes out clean before inverting onto a wire rack. Cool the cake until it reaches room temperature.

7. For the chocolate sauce , combine the semi-sweet chocolate chips and heavy cream in a heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl on top of a saucepan containing simmering water. Heat until the chocolate and cream and completely mixed together. 

8. Pour the sauce on top of the cake and garnish with chopped nuts (hazelnut , almonds and pecans).

                  

Gulab Jamun Cheesecake

This is the first of my fusion cakes. Tamil New Year's day was fast approaching and I wanted to make some dessert at home. It all started with a debate on the ever traditional gulab jamun versus a much simpler classic , the cheesecake. Well , if there's going to be a war in the house between two favorite desserts , why not enjoy the best of both worlds in one stunning dessert ? The gulab jamun cheesecake has ever since been a staple at family functions too and after an eight month hiatus , it's time to reveal the recipe.

INGREDIENTS
For the base

Honey Graham Crackers - Roughly 350g (used 20-25 of these)
Butter - 1stick (8tbsp) melted

For the cheesecake

Cream Cheese - 10oz (each pack of Philadelphia cream cheese is 8oz)
Granulated Sugar - 1/4 cup
Egg Yolks - 3
Eggs - 1
Lemon Juice - 2tbsp

The gulab jamuns can be prepared from a ready-mix or can be prepared from scratch. 

PREPARATION

1. To prepare the crust , breakdown the honey graham crackers until you get a coarse powder. Add melted butter to the graham cracker crumbs and mix until they're combined. Press this mixture down on a 10inch springform pan and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes so that the crust sets.

2. In a mixing bowl , beat the cream cheese and sugar until well combined. Add the egg yolks and whisk again. To this , add the 1 whole egg and beat until combined. Fold the lemon juice into this mixture. 

3. Cut the gulab jamun spheres into half and place the halves on the crust face down. Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the jamuns. 

4. Pre-heat the oven to 340F and bake the cheesecake for 25-30 minutes. At the end of baking , the cheesecake should have bubbled up to a golden brown top. Refrigerate for about half an hour.

5. Use gulab jamuns , a condensed milk glaze , cherries and slivered almonds to garnish.