Your Cooking Coach
Show MenuHide Menu

Category Archives: Dessert

Besan and Nariyal Barfi (Indian Confection Made with Chickpea Flour and Coconut)

Here is one of my favorite Indian sweets! Happy Diwali! Enjoy..

  • 1 cup besan (chickpea flour)
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • ½ cup fresh ricotta cheese
  • 4 to 5 green cardamoms (seeds taken out and crushed)
  • 1¼ cups sugar
  • Sliced almonds
  • Pistachios, chopped

Heat a medium frying pan and add the coconut oil. Add the besan and sauté on medium heat for at least 30 minutes (or more) till the mixture turns a light caramel color.
Add the ricotta, coconut and cardamom seeds. Mix well and let the moisture from the ricotta cook out- about ten minutes.
Turn the heat off and add the sugar. Mix well until all is incorporated.
Spread the mixture on to a shallow platter with edges. Smooth with a spatula and sprinkle the almonds and pistachios and press down with fingers. Keep in fridge for half an hour to set. Take out and cut into small squares and serve.

Cardamom Saffron Panna Cotta

This is a good dessert for Diwali- the cardamom and saffron come through loud and clear!

  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
  • 3 teaspoons powdered gelatin
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed saffron threads
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Eight 4 ounce ramekins

Pistachio Topping

  • ¼ cup pistachios
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar

In a small saucepan heat the cream, sugar and salt until steaming hot (not boiling), stirring from time to time. Add the cardamom pods and saffron. Cover and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Meanwhile pour the milk into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Add the milk and gelatin to the cream and reheat to steam, stirring well to dissolve gelatin (make sure not to boil). Strain the mixture into the ramekins and refrigerate overnight.

Grind the pistachios, salt and brown sugar in a grinder.

Top the panna cottas with ground pistachio mixture and serve.

Apple Cake with Pumpkin Whipped Cream

Another favorite…

  • 1/3 cup plus ½ cup cane sugar
  • ¼ cup apple cider
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 large Honey Crisp apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
  • 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup apple cider
  • ½ cup extra light olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square pan (any shape will be fine)

Stir together 1/3 cup sugar with apple cider, lemon juice and cornstarch in a small saucepan, then stir in the apples. Bring to a simmer and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt and remaining ½ cup sugar in a medium bowl.
Whisk together egg, cider, oil and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the flour mixture- whisk till combined.
Spoon the batter into baking pan spreading evenly. Then pour apple mixture evenly over batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or till cake is done.

Pumpkin Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • ¼ cup confectioners sugar
  • ½ cup pumpkin puree

Whip the cream in a standing mixer till soft peaks form. Add the sugar and pumpkin puree. Whip for another minute and chill for an hour before serving with cake.

Honey Orange Walnut Cake- Great for Rosh Hashanah

This cake is delicious- everyone loved it. It was light yet very moist due to the honey orange syrup.

Try it for the upcoming holiday.

  • 1 ¼ cup white whole-wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest

Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and orange zest in a medium bowl. Whisk to aerate. Keep aside.

  • ¾ cup raw sugar
  • 1/3 cup extra light olive oil
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ cup 1% milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup toasted chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour a 9 inch round cake pan.

Beat the sugar and olive oil in an electric mixture for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat for another 2 minutes. Add the milk and mix for 30 seconds and add the walnuts. Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix well and pour into the round cake pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the done. Let cool and take out of pan onto a flat platter.

Honey Orange Syrup

  • 1 cup honey
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice

In a small saucepan, combine the honey, water and orange juice. Bring to a boil and cook on simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn heat off and slowly drizzle the honey syrup on to the hot cake. Repeat till all of the syrup is absorbed.

Let the cake cool before serving.

Apple Cranberry Bread with Orange Zest

Apple Cranberry Bread with Orange Zest

  • 1½ cups white whole-wheat flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup extra light olive oil
  • ¾ cup turbinado sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups grated apples
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest

Heat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan and keep aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Keep aside. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add one egg at a time mixing in between. Add the grated apples, cranberries and orange zest and mix well. With a rubber spatula mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated.
Transfer the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes before taking it out. Cool completely before serving.

Pumpkin Apple Bread with Streusel Topping

All I can say is, yum, yum!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • 1½ cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1 cup raw sugar
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup apple cider
  • 1 large Pink Lady apple, chopped

Streusel

  • 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon butter, softened

Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter with a fork in a small bowl. Keep aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter and flour a 9X5 pan.

Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon powder in a medium bowl. Whisk well and keep aside. In the meantime in a mixer, add the sugar and butter. Beat till the mixture is creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and apple cider. Beat well and slowly add the flour mixture. Mix well and fold the diced apple. Transfer the batter to the pan and top with the streusel mixture. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes till the cake is done.

Spiced Pumpkin Chocolate Bread

Pumpkin Bread

  • 1¼ cup white whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • ½ teaspoon powdered cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup turbinado sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup extra light olive oil
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup toasted walnuts
  • ½ cup chopped dark chocolate

Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a medium bowl, set aside. Lightly brush a 9X5X3 inches loaf pan with butter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the oil and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add one egg at a time mixing in between. Add 1 cup pumpkin puree and mix for about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer.
With a rubber spatula, mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the nuts and chocolate and transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes before taking it out. Cool completely before serving.

Pumpkin Bread 1