‘Diwali’, our very own festival of lights is once again round the corner to brighten our lives. We get to bond with our loved ones over homemade Indian sweets. This year, Nature’s Basket wants you to add zing to your traditional celebrations. Try these amazing Diwali Dessert Mashups with easy to find ingredients.
1) Carrot Halwa Trifle
Ingredients:
- For the carrot halwa:
- 3 cups carrots (grated)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 10 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 tablespoon cardamom powder
- Pinch of Saffron
For the trifle
- 1/2 cup roasted cashews
- 1/4 cup roasted sweetened desiccated coconut, pulsed to form a powder
- Whipped cream
- 20 Digestive biscuits or ginger snap cookies, crushed and mixed with 1/2 cup ghee or melted butter
Instructions:
Carrot Halwa
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cashews and cook (approx. 2 min)until lightly golden.
- Add the grated carrots to the skillet and cook them for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low-medium and add condensed milk, heavy cream and whole milk. Mix it well.
- Cook for another 10 minutes occasionally stir until the mixture is creamy. Add a pinch of Saffron, mix well and let it cook for another 5 minutes
Trifle
- Dry roast the desiccated coconut and once cooled, grind to a coarse powder. Set aside.
- If you are using raw cashews, roast them in little butter or ghee until they turn golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Add the crushed biscuits in the shot glass, then spread little bit carrot halwa followed by whipped cream and garnish with roasted cashews and coconut.
The carrot halwa trifle must be stored in the refrigerator to keep it good for 3-4 days.
2) Gulab Jamun Cheesecake
Ingredients:
⦁ Gulab jamuns: 15 nos
⦁ Graham Cracker mix: one pouch – or take 10 digestive biscuits and crush it to a powder.
⦁ Butter : 3 tablespoons
⦁ Unflavored Gelatin: 2 pouches
⦁ Warm water: 1/4 cup
⦁ Greek Yogurt / Hung Curd: 2 cups
⦁ Grated Paneer : 3 cups
⦁ Condensed Milk: 1/2 cup or little more to taste
⦁ Saffron + chopped pistachios + dark chocolate shavings for decoration
Instructions:
- Melt the butter and add it to the crushed biscuits and mix it nicely
- Spray the springform pan with cooking oil and line it with the graham cracker mixture. Spread evenly and press gently. Refrigerate it to set. It will take 25 minutes to 30 minutes
- Add the gelatin in 1/4 cup of warm water, set it aside for a couple of minutes
- Take a blender and mix grated paneer, Greek yoghurt and condensed milk together. Add the gelatin mixture and again mix it nicely
- Take the pan out from refrigerator, spread the jamuns, pour paneer mixture on it. Spread it evenly and put it in the refrigerator until it is set
- Dip the pan into warm water for 5 to 10 seconds, loosen edges with a knife and open the springform pan
- Sprinkle saffron strands and chopped pistachios on the top and cut it into pieces and serve chill.
3) Thandai Mawa Muffin:
Ingredients:
⦁ 1 cup whole wheat flour
⦁ 1/2 cup rice flour
⦁ 1 teaspoon baking soda
⦁ 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
⦁ 4 tablespoon thandai masala
⦁ 1/4 cup sugar
⦁ 1/2 cup ghee/clarified butter
⦁ few drops rose essence
⦁ 1 1/2 cup milk
For glaze
⦁ 1 cup icing sugar
⦁ 2 tablespoon yoghurt
⦁ 1 tablespoon thandai masala
For Praline
⦁ 1 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
⦁ 1/2 cup sugar
Instructions:
For Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line 6 large or 12 small cupcake tin with paper liners.
- In a mixing bowl mix together wheat flour, rice flour, baking soda, baking powder and thandai masala.
- In another bowl add ghee and 4-5 ice cubes. Whip the ghee with a balloon whisk until it is pale and creamy. Remove the ice cubes.
- Add sugar and rose essence in the ghee and whisk again until soft and fluffy.
- Now add the flour mixture and milk alternately into the ghee mixture and whisk to combine.
- Divide the batter into the prepared cupcake liners.
- Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the oven comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool the cupcakes on wire rack.
For glaze
- In a mixing bowl, add icing sugar and yoghurt. Mix until combined. Stir in thandai masala and whisk again.
For praline
- Preheat oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bake the pistachios for about 5-7 minutes, remove and set aside.
- In a saucepan, add sugar and start cooking it without stirring.
- Once the sugar has melted and is slightly brown in colour, remove and pour it over the pistachios.
- Let the pistachios set and after 10 minutes, break the praline into pieces.
Assembling cupcakes
- Once cupcakes are cooled, drizzle or spread the glaze on top of them and insert one piece of praline in the centre.
- Serve and enjoy the cupcakes.
You can check out more festive recipes at Nature’s Basket.com.
