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CHOCOLATE RUM BALLS



    Chocolate cake rum balls are an absolute delight and so so easy to make and a best use of your leftover cake shavings. A very versatile recipe which will come together in just minutes with the ingredients you have at hand in your pantry.


    I make lot of boutique and sculpted cakes for weddings, birthdays and special occasions but often you are left with lots of cake shaving leftovers from designing or leveling your wedding cakes. Found the best solution by converting these shavings into much more decadent and interesting dessert to serve. I save these shaving tightly wrapped up in the freezer and make use of them for many different recipes later as and when needed.


    These chocolate rum balls are the result of those preserved cake shavings and are so so delicious that you can fix up a decadent and enticing dessert to impress your friends and family within no time. This time I wanted to experiment with different flavours so I made pistachio as well as cocoa dusted Truffle Rum Balls. Don't they look amazing?? Couldn't keep my hands off of them and stop myself at just one. Do give it a try and leave the comments below after trying out this recipe at home. I would be really delighted to hear your comments below. Happing Baking!

    PREP TIME: 15 minutes

    ASSEMBLY TIME: 20-25 minutes

    MAKES: 25-30



    INGREDIENTS

    • 1kg chocolate cake crumbs

    • 1/4 cup maple syrup

    • 50g dried cherries, finely chopped

    • 150g chopped nuts,(I used pistachios, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts)

    • 90 ml rum

    • 1 orange, zested

    For coating:

    • 1/2 cup cocoa powder

    • 1/2 cup pistachio nuts


    METHOD

    1. In a food processor, pulse the cake and make the crumbs. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

    2. Add maple syrup, cranberries, nuts, rum and orange zest. Mix them all together and stick it in the fridge for 2 hours.

    3. Now using the small ice-cream scoop, make the balls slightly smaller than the golf balls.

    4. Blitz the pistachios into a grinder to a crumb.

    5. Roll the balls into pistachio crumbs or cocoa powder and serve.


    COOK'S NOTES

    • I made this recipe with leftover cake shavings. But to make these you can use a store bought chocolate cake or make your own to make these rum balls.

    • Run can also be replaced with another liqueur of your choice to make it boozy.

    • Skip the alcohol to make it for children or adults who do not consume alcohol. Infuse with orange juice instead.

    • Any nuts you have in your pantry like almonds, cashews, walnuts etc.or dried fruits like raisins, sultanas, prunes or candied peels can be added instead of the nuts and fruits mentioned in the recipe.

    • You can also roll the balls in desiccated coconut or toasted sesame seeds or walnut crumb as a variation.

    • These can stay fresh until a week in refrigerator.

    DATES ALMOND AND PISTACHIO CHOCOLATE BURFI



      Diwali is all about celebrating, decorating your house, dressing up and of course, making and feasting on a lot of delicious food and traditional mithai (Indian sweets)! Instagram is stormed with Diwali mithai preparations as Diwali isn’t complete without the mithai... everyone is busy making and sharing pictures of their Diwali mithais. But for me, my family and I have been off sweets for a few months now and was wondering how I can create something healthier and share the Diwali festivities with my family without indulging in sugar and piling on too many calories.


      I solved my predicament by creating this amazing Diwali burfi - a Dates Almond and Chocolate Pistachio burfi infused with rose water! It’s totally sugar free, but honest to goodness my family and I didn’t even miss the typical assortment of sweets that are laden with sugar! This was sooo delicious and absolutely melted in your mouth, popping a new patakha (firework) of flavour as you eat it! And somehow this totally different and healthy recipe perfectly encapsulates the warmth and the spirit of Diwali!


      Indulge yourself this Diwali into something which is totally sugar-free, gluten-free and a vegan mithai which is much more healthier, nutritious and festive at the same time!! Happy Diwali!

      PREP TIME: 15minutes

      MAKING TIME: 15 minutes

      PASSIVE TIME: 30 minutes

      TOTAL TIME: 1 hour

      YIELDS: 16



      INGREDIENTS


      For Dates Layer

      • 250g madjool dates, pitted

      • 100g dark chocolate buttons or chopped chocolate bar

      • 100g rolled oats or oats flour(coarse)

      • 2-3 tbsp maple syrup (optional)

      • 3 tbsp/ 50g almond butter

      • 50g pistachios

      • 1 tsp vanilla

      • 1/2 tsp dalt

      • 3 tsp rose water

      For Almond Layer:

      • 1 1/4 cup almond powder

      • 3 1/2 tbsp maple syrup

      • 1/2 tbsp almond milk

      • 1/4 tsp almond essence

      For Chocolate Layer:

      • 150g dark chocolate buttons/ chopped block

      • 3 tbsp virgin coconut oil

      For Ganishing:

      • 20 gm pistachios, roughly chopped

      • Dried rose petals

      Equipment needed:

      • 8”x8” square baking pan about 2 inch high (I used the loose bottom pan)


      METHOD


      1. Soak dates in hot water for 10 minutes. Keep aside.

      2. In a blender, coarsely grind the rolled oats. Keep aside.

      3. Drain water from the dates, blend to a fine paste. Add ground oats, almond butter and salt; blend for a minute until just well combined. Now add chocolate buttons, vanilla and rose water and give a quick blend. You will see the chocolate slightly melting, which is good.

      4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Now taste your mixture and if you find your mixture is not wet and sweet enough, add the maple syrup else you can skip it. Add pistachios and mix well.

      5. For almond layer, sift the almond powder, add almond essence, maple syrup and mix with a spatula.

      6. Now line the bottom and sides of pan with baking paper, pour the dates mixture at the bottom, spread evenly and press it gently with the help of spatula. Now pour the almond mixer on top and spread it evenly with the off set knife or a spatula. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

      7. Just before removing from refrigerate, make the chocolate layer. Pour chocolate button and coconut oil in a heat-proof bowl, microwave it for 30 seconds, mix with rubber spatula and heat again for 20 seconds. Gently mix and heat for another 20 seconds until your chocolate is melted and glossy.

      8. Now remove the pan from refrigerate, pour the melted chocolate on top, quickly spread it with offset knife and sprinkle the pistachios and rose petal on top. Let it set for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.

      9. Push the set burfi out of the pan and cut it into slices.

      10. If you are not using the loose bottom pan, slice it into 16 squares with the sharp knife and gently remove pieces from the pan. Serve at room temperature.


      COOK'S NOTES

      • Add the maple syrup to the dates layer only if you find your mixture is not soft and sweet enough.

      • Maple syrup can be replaced with agave syrup as well.

      • When you are spreading the chocolate you need to be swift in spreading else your chocolate will set and you will not be able to stick your garnish on top. As soon as you spread the chocolate quickly sprinkle the chopped pistachios and dried rosemary petals on top and let it set.

      • I used loose bottom square pan, you can also make it in ordinary pan but make sure you line it with parchment paper to release it easily from the bottom and sides.

      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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