Coconut Fudge Pops with Dulce De Leche Filling...Laddoos re-incarnated!

I am an insanely emotional person. I believe in care. I believe in Love & Solidarity. For me all of they form the main traits of my personality. Though these feelings are somehow fading away gradually from our society yet i can never ever let go off them. I have been brought up in a family where sentiments, morals are valued more than any of there other hostile counterparts. Most of this has been carved out from my mom's teachings and guidance. I hate to be amongst the crowd, and detest a stereotype way of living and carrying a typical perception for things! Well, its not the way i have ever lived or ever aim to follow ever in future. I am backed by profound values that guide me and i can never compromise on them. My values, my thoughts have been engrained in me since my childhood while some came across as an experiences of life.

Time change, so do people and their outlook. Agreed. But then the change is needed only if its a desirable one. Every minutes life's transforming and so the temperament of people who are around. Some for good and some for bad..not knowingly though. Yet change is inevitable. In their on way they accept it as a development for better. Life has a purpose for all. A few chase it, a few live totally unaware of it and few don't bother. The latter is the case of today's world. But i am still stuck at the former one and my hunt continues. Only when we look beyond the banality of life, do we really get close to the essence and significance of it. All of this sounds a bit bizarre but yes a few of us still live up-to it.

Accepting a change coz thats a trend and promises an attractive life (with many hidden compromises)...is not my way of living!

A Change that conforms to my principles, my ideologies and has a betterment stored for me and for those around me is welcome and appreciated.

Coconut Fudge Pops, my today's post is my dedication to the idea of change!! A change for good..guaranteed. So take some time off from the regular nariyal laddoo and for this festive season, let it be the beginning of a change, a change for good, a change for growth, a change for new learnings! These gorgeous beauties are new-aged nariyal laddoos but with a contemporary drift to match the urban & chic lifestyles.

The pops have been filled with the caramel - Dulce de leche and the outer covering has been dusted with the four types of flavorings - Pistachios, Chocolates, Rose and Saffron. Doesnt it sound DROOLSOME..yes it was indeed..What say? Isn't it a change for good without parting ways with something essential.. :)

 Ingredients:-

2 cups freshly grated coconut
1 ltr full cream milk
200 gms sugar
1 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder
1/2 cup roasted semolina (sooji)
1 tbsp ghee

For The Filling
100 gms Dulce de Leche

For Garnish
 

Green Color effect - 50 gms Pistachios lightly pan roasted and finely blitz in a blender 
Pink Color effect - fresh rose petal, washed & dried for a day or two and then very finely chopped
Brown Color effect - 50 gms grated dark chocolate
Yellow Color effect - dessicated coconut & saffron dipped in 2 tsp of warm milk and vigorously mixed to ensure the color is deep yellow

100 gms dessicated coconut (packaged one)

Steps to follow:-

1. Heat a wok and add some ghee
2. Since its a freshly grated coconut, we need to roast is lightly till it releases its aroma.
3. Once the aroma is released, pour in the milk and add sugar and cardamom powder.

NOTE: i have kept the sugar quantity a bit on a lower side since the filling be added in the center which itself will be sweet.

4. When the mixture becomes thick, reduce the flame and cook for more minutes.
5. When the mixture becomes a bit semi-solid,add the sooji and mix well.
6. Let it cool for sometime.

Your laddoos are ready!

Now for my contemporary twist, you need to add the caramel in the center of the laddoo and then cover it up. The caramel ingredients and process are as below:-

Ingredients:-

1 Can of Condensed Milk
3 ltrs capacity pressure cooker

Steps to follow:-

1. Fill a pressure cooker with water to almost full capacity, just leaving a few inches from the rim.
2. Immerse the can into the pressure cooker and close the lid. Switch on the gas on high and then put on the weight.

3. After the first whistle, simmer the flame and let it cook for 30 minutes on low flame.
4. Switch off the gas and let it cool down to room temperature. DDL is ready!!
5. Wait for the jar to cool down. Let it cool completely and refrigerate if not using immediately.

The making of Pops

1. Take a small portion of laddo mixture onto your palm and spread it well like you flatten an atta dough ball

2. In the center add 1 tsp of DDL (Dulce de leche), covering the caramel well ensure nothing oozes out. Now make a perfect ball, pressing well each time between the two palms. Complete all the balls following the similar process.

3. Now to the pistachio powder add handful of dessicated coconut and roll the balls in this to get green colored fudge pops.

4. For pink pops, add the dessicated coconut to the dried & chopped rose petals and roll the balls in them.

5. For brown one, to the grated chocolate add some coconut and roll the balls in them.

6. In the saffron mixture, add handful of dessicated coconut and mix vigorously ensuring all the milk is absorbed and the coconut takes up a lovely yellow color. Leave it to dry.

7. Roll the remaining balls onto yellow colored coconut and there you go, yellow balls are ready.

8. While all the the laddoos are ready, take some wooden skewers and cut them into halves.

9. Since the laddos are still a bit warm, they will be pliable so pierce the skewers right in the center of the laddoos and firmly hold the laddoos so that they don't fall apart.

NOTE: This is THE most crucial step here. As laddoos need to be proper pressed against the skewers to ensure its well stuck.

10. Refrigerate in the fridge and serve when set.

The revamped look of traditional coconut laddoos is my portrayal of the modern living. So Celebrate this festive season in a new spirit with new idea of fun yet restoring the vintage philosophies.

Choco Crunch Meringue Cookies

By now, i am sure enough is known about the association of my Happiness with the idea of baking. Perhaps, the greatest joy of baking a sweet or savory, is the idea of getting floury, sticky and wholly involved. 

Today, was one of those days, when i wanted to cook (out of sheer Happiness as always), but had no fixed idea of what, and had no actual meal to prepare to justify fiddling about in the kitchen. It was then that i convinced myself that there were some quick easy cookies that needed to be made. What a Joy!!!!! Cookies are mostly free form kind, you either spoon them onto a tray or roll them into balls between your hands to shape them but then what i invented was a complete an experiment.

I had a lot of unused stuff stocked in my refrigerator waiting to be consumed. Half a dozen eggs, few oranges and a handful of almonds.. How would i make cookie out of it?? What would that taste like??!!?? Cookie baking with a list of restricted ingredients seemed distant, but then if one's thinking cap is on, then an archaic practice of cookie baking can also be modernized. 

Cookie baking has to be, however innocently, one of the great culinary scams: it implies effort, it implies domestic prowess, but believe me, this delight from my kitchen is a heartthrob of all and an incredibly easy one. 

Ingredients:-

Choco Crunch Meringue Cookies

    3 oz eggs whites (about 3 large eggs)

    3/4 cup granulated sugar

    2 tablespoon powdered sugar

    1 teaspoon vanilla

    1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

    226 gms chocolate, melted and cooled

Orange Drizzle

    1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

    2 Tbsp honey

    2 cloves

    ½ inch cinnamon stick

Almond Praline

    30 gms castor sugar

    30 gms almond unskinned

Steps to Follow:-

Orange Drizzle

Combine the honey and orange juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Throw in cloves and cinnamon. Turn the gas on a low flame and let the mixture simmer until half the quantity. Let it cool when the quantity has been reduced to as desired.

Almond Praline

Heat a pan. Add sugar and almond and allow the sugar to melt. Keep the flame low. Do not stir the mixture. Instead you may swirl to ensure the sugar melts uniformly. Cook caramel, until deep golden. Cool the praline on a parchment paper until hard, about 15 minutes. Chop praline or you may blitz to a rough textured powder.

Choco Crunch Meringue Cookies

1. Heat oven to 275 degrees F. Line bake sheet with parchment. 

2. Place egg whites in a stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk and whip until soft peaks hold. Gradually add in both sugars and then vanilla and vinegar. 

4. Increase speed and whip until mixture is free of sugar grit when rubbed between two fingers and the meringue holds stiff and glossy peaks. 

5. Once all the ingredients have been incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue whisking until the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks. 

6. Once the meringue is stiff, drizzle a some cooled chocolate (from the 1st step) on top of the meringue – DO NOT MIX IN.

7. Unmixed chocolate drizzle is what gives the meringues their interesting swirls. 

8. Use a 3-tablespoon sized cookie dough scoop to portion out a meringue onto the prepared baking tin. 

9. Continue drizzling chocolate over the meringues before scooping until all the meringue batter is used. 

10. Bake meringue for about 40-50 minutes or meringue easily peels away from parchment paper. Cool on a wire rack. 

11. Plate the meringue cookies on a platter and drizzle some orange syrup topped with some nutty praline.

Suffering from sweet cravings but running short of time or in a hurry?? Then this recipe of new-aged cookie, as i term it to be, can be made to augment a tub of good, bought ice cream to ridiculously great effect. And to everyone's surprise this sweet treat is easier than making any dessert you could think of.

Rose & Cardamom Panna Cotta

Often its the case that things happen because they were destined to take place. There is no connection, no association, yet, when such incidents occur, they leave one wondering why did that happen really?? Sigh!! But its only a little later that you realize, the reason. 

Here's my story when i was struck with something that was completely clueless about! 

I was on a look out on a recipe of a savory to contribute for a food event on an FB group, that i am a part of. I picked my key ingredients as Rose and Cardamom, still clueless with what to cook. This Italian dessert, delicately named, Panna Cotta, was one such case that just stormed up suddenly in my kitchen that day. I was completely uninformed about the ingredients of this dainty looking Miss, until i found myself in a local store frantically collecting stuff for my sweet cravings! 

I can't recall how and when i happened to hear this name, but i remember whenever its was, since then i have had an apprehension towards this jello, that making it would be a daunting task! Ha ha ha ha..Really??? I mock at myself now, laugh at my own presumptions and wonder how stupid i could be! The little did i know that this was THE one of the easiest sweetsomes to master! Finally, i attempted it, and it was all done in 30 mins!!! Yes, thats all! Mine was a royal amalgamation of Rose and Cardamom, sound exotic, Isnt it?? Trust me, it tasted similar too. An easy peasy pudding for which you could have varied versions of flavors - Vanilla, Saffron or Chocolate or may be Mango..You are permitted to think aloud with its flavors coz this dame will never give you a tough time...I bet!

Try it yourself to conquer your fright just like i did..ha ha ha!

 

Ingredients:-

1.5  cups heavy cream

¼ cup Sugar

1.5  tsp powdered Gelatin

3 tbsp cold water

½ tsp freshly grounded cardamom powder

2 tbsp fresh rose petals – Churned in a blender with little milk

2 tbsp chopped pistachios

Flavorless oil for ramekins

Steps to Follow:-

1. Line the ramekin with slight oil and keep aside. 

2. Sprinkle gelatin over the cold water in a bowl and let it stand for 5-10 minutes, until soft.  3. Heat the heavy cream with sugar in a saucepan until the sugar is completely dissolved.  

4. Add in the pureed rose petals and thoroughly mix. 

5. Remove from the heat and stir in the cardamom powder. 

6. Add the gelatin to the warm panna cotta mixture & stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. 

7. Divide the mixture and pour into 2 ramekins and refrigerate (Freezer compartment) of atleast 3 – 4hrs. 

8. Garnish with finely chopped rose petals and pistachios  juliennes. 

So here It is..the gorgeous beauty, absolutely drool worthy, waiting to be yours truly! Try this Italian pud and grab appreciations galore!

NOTE: De-moulding these lovelies could be tricky, so when out of the snowy zone, heat some water in a pan and give it a boil. Dip the ramekins in the hot boiling water for NOT more than 5 secs.  Run a knife around the edges of the ramekin and invert it on a serving platter. If the panna cotta doesn't de-mould right away, tap the ramekin lightly on the countertop to loosen it. If it still doesn't de-mould, return it to the hot water bath for another five seconds and repeat. Still doesn't, don't panic, Panna cotta can also be served without de-moulding. :)

Dates & Almond Kheer

'Kheer' is synonymous with Indian Households. It is the best way to cherish sweet moments with family during festivals and a perfect prasadam for pujas at home. We Indians just love to be traditional, don't we? :) 

Be it a Rice Kheer or Sabudana Kheer, we simply dote on it! Its a culture which has cascaded down from generation to generations - from our Grand Mothers to our Moms and then to us. 

If you yearn for the goodness of your granny's or mommy's home-cooked sweet delicacy, try this Dates & Almond Kheer and it will bring back the authentic flavors of Nostalgia!

Ingredients:-

Milk - 500 ml

Water - 100 ml

Dates (de-seeded) - 30 gms

Almonds (soaked in water for 3 hrs) - 20 gms

Pistachios - 15 gms

Kishmish - Handful of them

Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Rose water - 2-3 drops

Sugar - As per taste

Saffron - 2-3 threads

Ghee - 1/2 tbsp

Steps to Follow:-

1. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the milk and water and give it a boil.  (Set aside 1/4 cup of milk)

2. Let the milk simmer in low flame. Meanwhile, peel off the almond skin and coarsely grind around 20 gms of Dates and 10 gms of skinned almonds in a mixer along with the milk kept aside.

3. Add the dates-almond paste to the milk and stir thoroughly and let it simmer for another few mins.

4. Chop the remaining dates, skinned almonds & pistachios and add them to the mixture.

5. Add rose water, cardamom, kishmish to the kheer.Give it a stir.

6. Check for sweetness and if you wish to add sugar, add it as per your taste.

NOTE: As per the sweetness required, you can replace sugar with condensed milk as well. 

7. Once the milk has reduced a bit in quantity and has slightly thickened, turn Off the flame.

8. Let the kheer cool and transfer in a bowl and garnish with saffron and almond at the time of serving.

Quick Tip: You may garnish with chopped fresh rose petals as well and for sure your dish will steal the show! A luscious treat to the taste-buds and to the eyes. :)

Stay sweet and spread love!