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MANGO KESAR PISTA KULFI



    Summer’s nearly here, the days are getting longer and warmer... and though all of this doesn’t sound too exciting for those of us in Oman, I’m sooo happy because my favourite fruits are in season - mangoes!!


    There are a million ways I could eat this fruit, topped on breakfast parfaits, in mango smoothies, or even freshly cut as is! There’s no denying it’s the king of all fruits, so I didn’t waste any time in getting myself a couple of crates!


    Wanting to beat the heat, I reminisced on how my siblings and I would run up to the kulfi-wala as soon as we heard the familiar ringing of the bell, just to savour the kulfi when we were young! It was such a treat that we would wait endlessly, even skip our afternoon naps, just to get our dose of Kulfi! Thus, I decided to make this quick and easy Mango, Saffron and Pistachio Kulfi! The rich saffron really stands out, both in taste and colour, which is also enhanced by the sweet mango... and a bit of pistachio adds a nutty crunch!


    For those of you who haven’t had the joy of experiencing what a Kulfi is, it’s a beautiful, traditional Indian ice cream that’s made with the reduction of milk for hours, without adding any thickening agent such as eggs. It’s creamy and indulgent as it’s texture is smooth and just melts in your mouth instantly!


    This version of kulfi is super quick and simple, it requires absolutely no cooking and it’s sure to bring a smile on anyone’s face - why don’t you give it a try?




    PREP TIME: 20 minutes FREEZING TIME: 8 hours

    YIELDS: 12




    INGREDIENTS


    For Kulfi

    • 4 Alphonso mango pulp, puréed 1 1/2 cups

    • 280ml double cream

    • 1 x 397g can condensed milk

    • 1/4 tsp saffron threads

    • 1/3 cup pistachio, skinned and sliced


    You Need:

    • 12 kulfi moulds

    • 12 Popsicle sticks


    METHOD


    For Kulfi:


    1. Peel the mangoes, remove the flesh and blend in an electric blender to make the purée. Pour mango purée, double cream, condensed milk and saffron threads in a blender. Blend for 2 minutes on medium speed until everything is well incorporated. Transfer the kulfi mix into a pouring jug.

    2. Reserving 1 1/2 tablespoon of pistachios, gently fold in the rest in the kulfi mix. Keep the moulds in a stand, drop the reserved pistachios dividing equally in each mould before pouring kulfi mix.

    3. Now, pour the kulfi mix in the moulds, tap down a little to remove air bubbles, insert the popsicle sticks in the center, keeping it a centimeter above the surface of the mould. Stick it in the freezer for minimum 8 hours or overnight to set.

    4. To remove kulfi from the mould, dip the mould in a glass of water for 3 seconds, taking care not to fully immerse it, gently twist and pull it out. Serve immediately.


    COOK'S NOTES:

    • I used alphonso mangoes for this recipe, which has sweet and a slight tangy note to it. The taste of these makes it perfect for making kulfi as it balances the sweetness added with condensed milk.

    • If you are using other varieties of mangoes, adjust the sweetness by adding or subtracting the condensed milk.





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    CRANBERRY PISTACHIO SHORTBREAD COOKIES



      These super easy to make shortbread cookies are a burst of flavour and colour. A perfect contrast of green and red colour from cranberries and pistachios gives you the festive vibe and are also very inviting to munch with a cuppa.


      These light and buttery shortbreads give the right balance of sweetness and crunch from the fruit and nut used in the cookies. I try to keep a batch ready at the back of my freezer handy to make them for a lunch box snack at times.


      You can also add some dark chocolate chips to add to the crunch and sweetness.


      Make it during festive times and it can be a perfect little gift treat for Christmas, wrapped up in a bag and tagged with fancy ribbon.

      YIELDS: 25-30 cookies

      PREP TIME: 20 minutes

      BAKING TIME: 12-15 minutes

      PASSIVE TIME: 1 hour



      INGREDIENTS

      • 3 cups all purpose flour

      • 1 cup caster sugar

      • 1 1/4cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes

      • 1/2 tsp salt

      • 1/2 tsp almond extract

      • 1 tsp vanilla extract

      • 2 tsp baking powder

      • 1 egg, room temperature

      • 1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped

      • 1/2 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped



      METHOD

      1. In a stand mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy and pale in colour. Add the extracts and egg, and blend for 2 minutes until the egg is well combined.

      2. In a large bowl, sift flour, salt and baking powder. Add cranberries and pistachios to dry mix.

      3. Drop 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter mix and blend for 2 minutes until combined.

      4. Add the remaining dry flour mix in two batches to the butter mixture and blend until it is well combined.

      5. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface. Knead lightly to make it smooth. Divide the dough in 2 batches. Shape one batch of the dough into a thick log, about 2 inch thick in diameter. Place the log on large sheet of cling film and wrap it tightly. Twist and knot the sides of the plastic wrap to secure from the ends. Freeze it for 1 hour.

      6. Repeat step 5 for the other batch.

      7. Preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

      8. Remove the cookie dough out from the freezer, unwrap the cling film and cut the log into 1/4 inch thick discs. Place them on cookie sheet 1.5 inch apart and bake for 12-15 minutes until slightly golden brown around the edges.

      9. Transfer on to the cooling rack and cool completely before storing in an airtight jar.



      COOK'S NOTES:

      • These logs can be prepared days ahead and stored in freezer.

      • The wrapped dough logs will stay in freezer for up to 2-3 months. Discard the plastic and cut and bake as per the recipe.

      • If preserving the cookie dough in freezer for later use, make sure these logs are wrapped tightly in the plastic wraps to avoid freeze burning.

      • Baked cookies store well up to a week in an airtight jar.

      • Don't over bake the cookies else your shortbreads will be slightly hard.



      SPICED CARROT AND ORANGE CAKE



        Had some friends coming over last week for tea and that’s enough reason for you to whip up something so decadent and delicious. Made Spiced Orange and Carrot Walnut Cake with zesty cream cheese frosting... I make this often as carrot cake is a family favorite. Its zesty fluffy dreamy cream cheese frosting pairs just right to cut through the sweetness of carrot cake.


        It certainly is a crowd pleaser dessert which goes so well whether you serve it for tea or as a dessert...it’s super delicious!! I topped it up with basil shoot and leaves which are blooming beautifully in my garden.


        The cake plate I used is a mystery...I must admit, I bought it few years back, but somehow I wasn’t very convinced with my purchase and it was hiding behind in my crockery cupboard, pulled it out and thought of using it the other day...and to my surprise it just looked an absolute stunner. So so happy that I chose this to present my cake...what do you say??

        SERVES: 16-20 servings

        PREP TIME: 20 minutes

        BAKING TIME: 30 minutes



        INGREDIENTS

        • 175g unsalted butter, room temperature

        • 1 cup soft brown sugar, firmly packed

        • 3 eggs

        • 1 naval orange, zested and juiced (1/3 cup)

        • 2 medium carrots, washed peeled and grated

        • 2 cups self-raising flour

        • 1/2 tsp baking soda

        • 1/2 tsp baking powder

        • 1/2 tsp salt

        • 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

        • 1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated

        • 1 cup walnuts, chopped

        Cream Cheese Frosting:

        • 4 oz/125g cream cheese (full fat), room temperature

        • 95g butter salted, room temperature

        • 1/2 cup icing sugar

        • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

        • Zest of 1 orange

        For Garnish:

        • 6-8 Dehydrated orange circles

        • 6-8 walnut halves

        • 5-6 Fresh basil leaves



        MET

        1. Preheat oven to 180°C, grease and prepare the 9” ring pan with butter.

        2. In an electric mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar and zest together with paddle attachment until it’s light and creamy in texture, add eggs one at a time and beat them for 2 minutes.

        3. Add orange juice and mix for another minute, don’t worry if the mixture curdles.

        4. Remove bowl from machine.In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder and nutmeg; now add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two batches and fold with spatula to combine well and make lump-free batter.

        5. Fold carrots and walnuts in batter until well combined, and take care not to over mix it.

        6. Pour the batter in greased and prepared pan, bake it in pre-heated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the the skewer comes out clean. Leave it in pan for 10 minutes, remove on cooling rack to cool cpmpletely.

        To Make Frosting:

        1. In an electric mixer bowl, whisk the cream cheese for a minute till it’s smooth and creamy; add butter and whisk for 2-3 minutes until the butter and cream cheese are smooth and fluffy in texture.

        2. Add sugar, vanilla and zest, blend for another 1-2 minutes until well combined and has thick spreadable consistency.

        3. Spread the frosting on the cooled cake and decorate with extra chopped walnuts, dried orange slices and basil leaves.

        4. Let it set in the fridge for 20-30 minutes and serve.


        COOK'S NOTES:

        • Remove the cake out of the mould or baking pan after leaving it to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. If you remove immediately, it will break and if you leave it too long in pan, the cake will sweat and will have a soggy crust.

        • The cake should be completely cooled before frosting it.


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