Almonds | Aapplemint

Decadent Chocolate Bark

Mar 122013

The Big Food Blogger - Kajal Tejsinghani

I did make it to the Cosmo but not as a fashionista, but doing what I do best …

Chocolate Bark 2

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be a part of the March issue of Cosmopolitan India. I was given the special task to come up with a chocolate recipe that could be prepared in 15 minutes. Almost immediately I was thinking Chocolate Bark. I remember seeing so many wonderful chcolate barks around christmas time, but never really got around to making any. I knew this was the perfect moment for it .

Dark Chocolate, is one ingredient that you will always find in my kitchen. I did make a trip to my favourite store however to pick up the other jewels to stud my bark. Mixing lightly salted nuts with the sweet dried fruit and chocolate is a brilliant thing to do, as your tastebuds will tingle with the different sensations at every bite. My favourite in this is got to be the honey roasted almonds hands down .

There was a little interview that the lovely Priyam from Cosmo India did with me. The whole things was not published so I thought of sharing it here.

Cosmo : Why did you choose to blog about food?

Me : Soon after I got married, I got into cooking with gusto and I started making food that looked good and tasted great. Blogging began honestly to document what I was doing, so I could see my work and have a recipe saved for whenever I needed to make it again.

Cosmo : What kind of work were you doing before then?

Me : Blogging about food is a hobby and not a job. I started blogging while I was living in Africa, where I was handling the logistics for my husbands company. Blogging used to happen post work.

Cosmo : Your cooking style is…

Me : Comforting home style cooking

Cosmo : One secret ingredient that works every time is …

Me : Chicken Powder

Cosmo : Your top tips for cooking at home are…

Me : Always plan before, it saves a lot of time if you are organised. For me thinking what to make takes up more time than actually doing the job. Always keep your kitchen well stocked, you wont believe how easy it is to dish up a lovely meal when you have everything you need lying around.

Cosmo : What’s your favourite cuisine? Why?

Me : Lebanese. A – cuz I make it really well lol but B – honestly cuz its a wonderful balance of fresh and cooked, meat and veggies, carbs and protein. It’s a beautiful sight when the table is laid out and makes you just want to dive in. Works great in parties and even for everyday meals

Cosmo : Which is your favourite eatery in your city?

Me : Fast food : Ram & Shyam Chat Walla , Restaurant : Peshawari, DimSums at China1& Indigo Cafe

Cosmo : How much time do you spend on your blog in a week? (On an average)

Me : About 4- 5 hours the day I belt out a post, including cooking, photographing, writing.

Cosmo : If you could interview one person about food, who would it be?

Me : The person I’d really want to talk to about food and get a few tips from would be Imitaz Qureshi for his Kakori kebabs & Dum Pukht preparations

Cosmo : What other food blogs do you follow? Do you have a food-inspiration?

Me : Some of the food blogs I follow are White on Rice Couple, Matt Bites, Rasa Malaysia, Rosa Maryland, Whats for Lunch Honey

Recipe for Chocolate Bark

This posh looking & tasting dessert, is unbelievable easy to put together. Makes a great after dinner dessert paired with some good dessert wine or a dollop of ice cream or good to eat just as it is.

400 gms – Good quality dark chocolate – I used 4 (100gm) bars of Lindt 70 % Dark

100 gms – Cashew nuts

100 gms – Lightly salted pistachios

100 gms – Honey roasted almonds ( they are sweet and salted )

100 gms – Dried apricots – sliced

50 gms- Pecan nuts

50 gms – Macadamia nuts

50 gms – Cranberries

100 gms – White chocolate chips

Line a 10 X 8 inch rectangular tin with parchment paper. Leave a little extra hanging over so its easy to pull the bark out.

Chop the chocolate into little pieces and put in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 2 – 3 mins stopping at every 30 seconds to stir them.

Once completely melted, pour out in the prepared tin, and very quickly and evenly spread out the nuts and dried fruit on it. Press them a little to make sure they get into the chocolate.

Freeze for about 10-15 mins till set. Remove gently and place on chopping board and cut into desired sized slices/pieces. Store them at room temperature or if you like in the fridge in an air tight container.

Eid Mubarak & A Sweet Treat – Firni

All, Dessert, Featured 7 Responses »

Aug 302011

The holy & spiritual month of Ramadan has finally come to an end, and as this wonderful day of celebration sets in, I would like to wish you all Eid Mubarakh ! Eid-ul-Fitr is a joyous occasion and marks not only the end of a month full of fasting, sacrifice, commitment and steadfast prayers but its also a day of gratitude for the everyday blessings in life. It brings together friends and families, and encourages Muslims to continue the teachings from the month of Ramadan throughout rest of the year, particularly the lessons of giving, kindness, tolerance and generosity to the less fortunate. The month of Ramadan has helped us all to generate thoughts that are pure such that we are able to spread sentiments of love. We need to spread the message of peace, first peace within one self, then of course peace that should be shared amongst all around us.

“May the Blessings of Allah keep your heart and home happy and wishing you all once again a joyous Eid Mubarak !”

And speaking of which, no celebration would be complete without something sweet.Usually its Sheer Korma or Kheer for Eid, but for me, Firni hits the spot ! Served chilled, this rich rice and milk dessert is difficult not to like. It is traditionally served up in an earthenware bowls – and not just because that’s the way it’s always been done. The clay absorbs the excess moisture, keeping the rice pudding firm and creamy. Firni seems to have made it way in our hearts, and has been around for long. One of the lovely things the Mughals did was, introduce this delectable dish to us. The origins of it are said to be somewhere in Persia or the Middle East, but these days it’s gaining too much popularity in our nation. And it’s no longer the good old plain Firni. Its taken on may flavours, infused with seasonal fruits and preferred toppings. Firni’s are whole new rage now.The other variations of Firni include Kesar, Badam, Mango, Coconut, Rose, Strawberry and these days I even hear there is a Blueberry! From posh restaurants and to roadside joints, Firni’s are everywhere.

Though there’s nothing quite like the homemade taste and it’s enormously satisfying to make these sweets from scratch. This recipe unlike the traditional rich and heavy ones is a cheat’s version (and I’ve got to thank my best friend’s mum in law for this recipe). I’ve omitted the cream and khoya and opted for toned milk rather than full fat. So it’s easy on the calories and yet it delivers. Flavourful, creamy and every bit festive. I do insist however to try and get some earthen pots. The taste of the clay bowls is irreplaceable and the Firni would be incomplete without them. Inshallah you will love this dessert

Ingredients

1 lt Toned Milk

3 Heaped tablespoons Basmati rice

3 tablespoons Sugar ( adjust to your liking)

1 tsp Kewra Essence ( you can get creative here and substitute for Vanilla essence or any other of your choice)

Handful of Almonds soaked and slivered

Handful of Pistachios soaked and slivered

4-5 Cardamom pods peeled and powdered

Few strands of Saffron for garnish

Silver Warkh (optional)

Begin with soaking the basmati rice for a few hours. 3 to 4 should be enough. If you are using the earthen pots, soak them in a bucket of water overnight. If not, regular glass bowls would also do just fine. Coarsely grind the rice making sure you do not churn it into a paste. Remember the rice will further break on cooking and you do want a little bite to the Firni rather than having it taste like custard. Use some of the milk to grind it. When you have achieved the right consistency, mix it with the remaining milk and pour it in a heavy based saucepan. Start to cook it on medium fire stirring continuously. When it reaches a boil add the sugar and kewra essence and further cook it till it begins to thicken and reduces in quantity. Be patient this could take a while. It shouldn’t be too dry but rather a bit runny. It will further thicken on cooling. Now mix in most of the prepared dry fruit, leaving some for garnishing. Bring to room temperature and pour out in the individual bowls and wrap tightly with cling film and chill in the refrigerator till set. When serving top up with the remaining almonds, pistachios, cardamom powder and saffron. For that extra bit you could garnish with some silver warkh( Silver paper)

Carrot Pudding (Gajar Ka Halwa)

All, Dessert, Featured 17 Responses »

Apr 012011

Ever wonder why we Indian’s are crazy about our Gajar ka Halwa (Carrot Pudding) ? Its hard to resist its rich sensuous red colour, the flavour of fresh seasonal carrots, the smell of ghee and cardamom rising with a soft sizzle, the contrasting texture of crunchy nuts and the saffrony sweetness which engulfs your senses. All this served up hot with a scoop of a vanilla ice cream … I have seen people with with a stiff resistance to sweets dissolve into a simpering helplessness and ask for more !

Mind you, this halwa is an Indian speciality and is made only a few months a year. The star here being the ‘Red Carrot.’ For the longest time I’ve believed that these red carrots grew only in India, and are available only in winter. And its the showing of red carrots in the markets that apprises us that winter is here, and so is the halwa season. This post comes really late as we’ve stepped into summer and these are the last of the red carrots. As you can see the difference in the regular orange carrots and the red ones, you can imagine that the latter is no substitute, in colour and in taste. I haven’t really been very regular with my blogging and my apologies for that. Been busy with a few things,but above all been busy renovations and with home furnishings… you know this can take up so much time and energy.

Now back to the pudding … the usual recipe calls for cooking together the grated carrots, milk n sugar, but I do it differently. My way guarantees a glowing red colour and a very light and not too sweet halwa.

Ingredients

1 kg Red Carrots – grated
1 cup Whole Milk
8 tbsps Ghee
1/2 cup granulated Sugar
1/2 cup slivered Almonds and Pistachios
2 tablespoons Golden Raisins
1 tsp powered Cardamom
Few strands of Saffron

Take a heavy based pan. Place all the grated carrots in the pot on low fire and cover it with a lid, will its water releases. After about 10 mins increase the fire and dry fry it till all the water from the carrots dries up. This brings out its rich red colour. Now to give it body, add the milk, sugar, and cardamom ( you can add more to suit your taste) and let it boil together stirring continuously. As it begins to dry up, add the ghee and raisins. Further fry continuously till all the milk evaporates and the ghee begins to separate from the carrots. By now the halwa will be of a fiery red colour. Serve in a dish and garnish with saffron and slivered dry fruits. Serve hot as it is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Financiers topped with Roasted Almonds in Caramel and Chocolate

All, Baking, Featured 34 Responses »

Dec 112010

Chocolate-Financiers-with-a-Roasted-Almond-n-Caramel-Topping-1

Special people deserve special treats. My son’s godmother and my best friend in this whole wide world celebrated her birthday this week. Usually I’m never in town on her birthday, but this time around I got lucky. It’s amazing how time flies when you are in the company of the people you simply adore … priceless moments. Since I’ve had very few chances to cook for my darling friend, I knew instantly I had to bake for her this birthday. She’s intolerant to dairy and doesn’t eat store bought stuff. All the more reason to make something special for her. I opted for my all time favourite financiers aka friands ‘cuz they just always turn out so good. I’ve previously made them here and here . This time around I decided to do a non-dairy chocolate version topped with a non dairy ganache (taken from David Lebovitz) and sprinkled with a Roasted Almond brittle coated with chocolate. I think they all worked so magically together … The soft, moist, delicate and not so sweet cake with a rich chocolate ganache topped with a crackling and crunchy chocolate coated roasted almonds in caramel. It was a big winner .

Ingredients

100 gms margarine/butter

100 gms grated dark chocolate grated

140 gms icing sugar

25 gms plain flour

85 gms ground almonds

3 large egg whites

The Ganache frosting

10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

½ cup water

¾ cup margarine/butter

Roasted Almond in Caramel coated with chocolate – Topping

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon margarine/butter

2 cups roasted almonds slivered

1 cup chopped dark chocolate

Start with making the chocolate coated almonds in caramel first . You could even start a day ahead. Melt the sugar in a pot . Stir continuously and when it all melts, with the colour starting to change and turns a rich amber colour, slip in the butter mixing it well. Add the roasted almonds. The almonds should be way more and the caramel just enough to coat it. Take off the heat and pour it out on a greased surface or marble slab. Quickly with a rolling pin, flatten it out and let it cool. Now melt the chocolate in another pot and coat the brittle in the chocolate, making a thick coating and place it on greaseproof paper and let it set. Then finely chop these up making thin chards and save them for later.

For the Financiers , preheat oven to 180C. Melt the margarine in a microwave and keep aside. Sift the icing sugar and flour in a bowl. Stir in the ground almonds and grated chocolate. Whisk the egg whites to soft peak stage and fold them into the dry mixture. Now pour in the butter and mix gently, incorporating everything together. Pour into greased financier tins or cupcake moulds until they are 3/4th full. Bake for 15 mins. Don’t overbake them, they need to be moist within. Let them cool. To make the frosting melt the chopped chocolate with the water in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove the bowl from the pan of water. Add the margarine and whisk them into the chocolate until completely melted and the ganache is smooth. Cool until spreadable, which may take about 1 hour at room temperature or just chuck it in the freezer till its set. Then scoop out and put it in a piping bag with a star nozzle. Pipe onto the cupcakes and generously sprinkle with the chocolate almond topping. Tastes best at room temperature.

Rosé Chikki

All, Dessert, Featured 25 Responses »

Dec 042010

I cannot find an appropriate enough excuse for having disappeared for so long. But not blogging for all these months made me realize one thing … I couldn’t stay away. Its something I’ve been doing for over 3 years now, and its become a part of my life. I missed it. And so I’m back …*crossing my fingers* … and as always its got to be with something sweet !

I’ve been in India for the past 9 months now and being in this part of the world only means one thing – FOOD FOOD FOOD ! Lots of it ! I cannot begin to tell you how I’ve been eating, be it street food, ethnic cuisines, lovely home cooked meals by my mamma or simply stuff I’ve been making with all the great local produce. “Chikki” is Indian for ‘Brittle’. It is very popular all over my country and is traditionally made with jaggery but there are soft brown sugar and white sugar versions too. Actually the variety available these days is insane starting from peanuts, to ground peanuts, sesame, almonds, pistachios, cashews, mixed dry fruits, khus khus, with shredded coconuts, split chickpeas, puffed rice etc … Chikki is very easy to make and is made in many households all over. Though its easily available in shops at every nook and corner, there’s nothing like making your own. And you don’t even need a candy thermometer. We do it the old fashioned way. Below you can see the different kinds of chikki’s that are available and above is Rosé Chikki. Made with mixed dry fruits, saffron, rose extract and topped with dried rose petals. These taste so wonderful and addition of Rose just makes it so much classier. Perfect to impress served just the way they are, or sprinkled on some home made ice cream-it adds that extra crackle and crunch or they are even great as give away presents.

Ingredients

1 tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
1 cup fine white sugar
2 cups mixed dry nuts – cashews, almonds and pistachios
1 tsp pure rose extract
dried rose petals for topping

You will need a heavy bottom pan for making the chikki in and either a marble surface or a rectangular tin well greased with ghee to set it in. Start with heating the ghee in the pan and then add the rose extract and sugar. As soon as it melts and get a light amber colour add the nuts and give it a good stir. Immediately pour it all out on the cold surface or in the tin and evenly and thinly spread it out at a 1 cm thickness. Be careful as its very hot. Either use a rolling pin or grease the bottom of a steel cup and use it to press the chikki evenly. Now very gently lay the dried rose petal leaves on top and gently press them in so they set in. While its still warm use a sharp knife to made the desired sized shapes so its easier to break off once they cool. Store in airtight container.

Christmas Financiers

All, Baking 19 Responses »

Dec 232009

Take all the goodness of a Christmas fruit cake and put it in a light and delicate – ground almond + egg white batter… What do you get ? Christmas Financiers ! This is my twist on the traditional festive cake. Smaller cuter financiers which of course are not only great to eat, but again great as give away presents. This does not need much advance preparation. Just marinate the dried fruits overnight in equal amounts of brandy and amaretto, they absorb enough flavour to come through the ethereal batter. When you’re ready this hardly takes any time to put together. Bake to a lovely golden brown colour and let them cool completely before you wrap them individually in fancy paper.

Ingredients

100 gms butter
140 gms icing sugar
25 gms plain flour
85 gms ground almonds
3 egg whites
50gms mixed dry fruits – raisins, blackcurrants, glace cherries, orange peel
3 tablespoons brandy
3 tablespoons amaretto

Preheat oven to 180C. Strain the dry fruits and lay them on a kitchen towel to absorb any remaining alcohol.
Melt the butter in a microwave and keep aside. Sift the icing sugar and flour in a bowl. Stir in the ground almonds.Whisk the egg whites to soft peak stage and fold them into the dry mixture. Now pour in the butter and mix gently, incorporating everything together. Fold in the dry fruits now and pour into the financier moulds. Bake for15-20 mins or till golden brown.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year

Summer Salads – Savoury and Sweet

All, Non-Vegetarian, Vegetarian 34 Responses »

May 252009

As the days stretch and warm up, the sunny, enchanting outdoors just scream at you to get out n have some fun. This weather calls for, entertaining and having parties in your backyard or poolside, by the beach or carry a picnic basket to the park. Cool crunchy salads are especially inviting at such time. These two salads are just perfect for any such occasion. Pretty leafy salads, delicate summer berries and chocolates are all essentials, as are fresh and healthy ingredients. Quick to prepare and easy to eat, looks impressive too.

Prawn Salad with Quail Eggs

Serves 6

18 quail eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp roughly chopped tarragon
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
9 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 raw tiger prawns, peeled
Juice of 1 lemon
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
bag of mixed baby lettuce

Place the eggs in a small saucepan. Cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Cook for 2 mins then remove and cool under cold running water before peeling. In a small bowl whisk together the, mustard, tarragon, vinegar and 6 tbsps of olive oil. Season to taste and set aside. Clean the prawns – remove the heads and peel off the shells leaving the tail on. Run your knife down the length of the back and pull away the digestive thread. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with kitchen towel. Now set a frying pan over a high heat and add the remaining 2 tbsps of olive oil. Season the prawns and briskly fry them in 2 batches, turning regularly, for about 3 mins or until pink and cooked through. Remove and dress with the lemon juice. Now in a large mixing bowl, put the slices spring onions, mixed lettuce, halved eggs and dress with the vinaigrette. Gently toss the salad together, mixing them evenly. Serve in individual plates, getting equal amounts of prawns and eggs in all of them.

Chamomile Berry Salad with Chocolate Almond drops

Serves 6

200 gms white chocolate
100 almonds or walnuts
1 unwaxed lemon
200 ml water
3 organic camomile infusion tea bags
50 gms caster sugar
500 gms cherries and blueberries
800 gms strawberries hulled and sliced

Begin with making the chocolate almond drops. Lay some baking paper on a baking sheet. Break up the chocolate and place in a bowl and microwave for a minute, stopping in between to stir, as white chocolate burns easily. Mix in the nuts and using a teaspoon, drop 18 or more blobs of chocolate nuts onto the baking tray. Chill until set. Now finely pare the lemon zest with a potato peeler and place in a saucepan with 200 ml water. Bring to boil and cook briskly for 3 minutes, then remove from heat and add camomile tea bags. Leave to infuse for 5 mins, strain into another bowl and infuse the sugar. Once dissolved and cooled and 2 tbsp lemon juice. Stone the cherries and mix together all the berries. Add the camomile syrup and serve with the chocolate drops.

A Very Rich Italian Chocolate Cake

All, Baking 34 Responses »

Jan 232009

Its got what every chocoholic dreams of … the perfect crackling exterior, the soft squidgy intensely chocolaty interior with just the right amount of nuts and hint of alcohol … take a bite of this cake and you can feel it melt away on your tongue, satisfying you to the very core … there is never such a thing as too much chocolate … I think this must be the food of God !

I’ve been away for long, and i couldn’t think of a better way to get back to my baking/blogging than this absolutely rich, flour-less and butter-less chocolate cake. I have a lot of catching up to do, but until then i leave you with this cake, see if you can resist it

Plain flour to dust
A wee bit of butter to grease the baking tin
125 gms hazelnuts
100 gms walnuts
225 gms blanched and peeled almonds
225 gms good quality dark chocolate (70%)
50 ml Amaretto
50 ml Tia Maria
2 Tablespoons black coffee
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp milk
220 gms caster sugar
5 large eggs – separated

Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and dust with flour a 24″ cake tin, and line the bottom with greaseproof paper. Place the hazelnuts and walnuts on a baking tray and lightly toast them. Let them cool. While the nuts are baking pulse the almonds and chocolate in a food processor until the consistence of breadcrumbs. Transfer to a large bow and stir in the Tia Maria, Amaretto, milk, coffee, cinnamon, and half the sugar. Add the egg yolks one at a time mixing well. Now take the walnuts and hazelnuts and blitz them coarsely in the food processor and add it to the cake mixture and mix well. in another clean bowl, whicsk te egg whites till stiff and then add the rest of the sugar and beat till shiny. Now very slowly fold in the whites spoon by spoon, without knocking out too much air. Pour into baking tin and bake in middle shelf for 1 hr or skewer comes out clean. Serve with a dollop of mascarpone or rich vanilla ice cream or just some good ole coffee/dessert wine !

A Christmas Cake n Seasons Greetings to All

All, Baking 52 Responses »

Dec 252008

This Christmas, the spirits in Mumbai have been particularly low. Due to the terrorist attacks exactly a month ago on Mumbai the celebrations have been subdued and are low key. Such is the nature of this festive season in Mumbai which have been fueled by global recession and the recent carnage by terrorists, that we have lost ourselves in revenge, forgiveness, fear, politics, ministers, war, death and hatred instead of finding ourselves in the solace of Love, peace, carols, decorations, joy, friends, festivities and celebrations. As a show of solidarity during these testing times we have kept our Christmas a relatively simple affair, with just a simple traditional Christmas fruit cake, and even foregoing the turkey.

Christmas cakes are made in many different ways, but generally they are variations on the classic fruitcake. They can be light, dark, moist, dry, heavy, spongy, leavened, or unleavened. Sticky mounds of chopped raisins, candied peel, almonds, nuts, and cherries have to be doused with brandy, rum and other assorted spirits and mixed thoroughly. Baking a Christmas cake, a few days before Christmas is fine, but ‘feeding’ it with alcohol, will ensure the cake is full of rich flavours and aromas. You can serve it as a pudding after a meal with custard or brandy butter; or as a Christmas cake with a layer of traditional marzipan icing on top made from ground almonds. I woke up quite late to make my Christmas cake, as i figured i will need atleast something festive this Christmas. So i got only a weeks time to drouse my pile of dry fruits n nuts and baked my cake just at the nick of time. Chose to omit the marzipan, and just went for a simple dusting of icing sugar and served it with some chilled custard.

150 gms sultanas
150 gms raisins
150 gms currants
75 gms glace cherries
50 gms candied oranges or mixed peel
50 gms chopped almonds
50 gms chopped walnuts
4 shot glasses of VSOP Champagne Cognac

Mix everything together, and store it in an airtight container for as long as you can. I kept ir for 7 days.

225 gms self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4th tsp grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon pd.
1/2 tsp mixed spice
225 gms unsalted butter
225 gms demerera sugar
4 large eggs
some more VSOP Champagne cognac – depends on how boozy you want to make your cake

Start with lining your baking tins with silicon paper and pre heating the oven to 140 C. I used two 6″ cake tins to get 2 small cakes, you could just go for one big one instead. In a bowl sift together the dry ingradients. In another bowl cream the sugar and butter till light and creamy. Add the eggs one by one and while beating them in be carefull not to curdle the mixture. Now with your hand , gently fold in the dry mix spoon by sppon, untils its all incorporated. Now fold in the spirit soaked fruits n nuts and give it one good stir. Divide equally between the tins and cut a silicon paper round to cover the top of the cake to prevent it from burning in the slow baking process. Put them in the lowest shelf of the oven and let it bake for an hour n a half. Once the time is up, get them out and let them cool in the tins for 30 mins, but if you are impatient like me, 15 will do Now turn the cake cake upside down in a big box with a cover, and prick hole with a skewer on it. Drizzle some of the cognac on the cakes and cover tightly so as the cake does not dry out and it soaks all the booze. Keep doing this ‘ feeding’ at regular intervals , until you are satisfied that the cake has had enough. When ready to eat, dust with icing sugar and serve with some traditonal English custard .

Wish you all Happy Holidays ! Cheers !

XOXO

Date And Roasted Almond Ice Cream

All, Dessert 75 Responses »

Oct 012008

Oh yes! Its another post with dates …You can’t blame me for using this wonderful fruit so much these last couple of weeks. Its sweet, its creamy, its dulcet, its luscious, its nutritious, and above all its simply irresistible n I just can’t seem to get enough of it. I used them in semolina cookies – Ma’moul and I also made Date Truffles. I was thinking, what else can I possibly use dates in, and then hubby said, why don’t you make ice cream ! And just that second I knew what I wanted to do. Since I’ve never had date ice cream before, I had to try it out. Another flavour I really love is toasted almond. And I had a feeling that these two would be magnificent together. And I couldn’t have been more correct! This ice cream turned out so good, I couldn’t stop telling myself what a good job I’ve done !

But firstly I’d like to wish everyone Eid Mubarak! The month of fasting and steadfast prayer has finally come to an end. This Ramadan went by so quickly I cant believe its already a month! And this wonderful date and roasted almond ice cream is just the perfect sweet to celebrate this wonderful day.

6 egg yolks
2 ½ cup semi skimmed milk
2 cups whipping cream
¾ th cup fine granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed pitted and finely chopped dates
¾ th cup almond slivers
½ tbsp butter
First start with making the custard. Bring the sugar, milk and cream gently to a boil. Turn of the heat and set aside. Remove about a cup n half of this liquid and put it in the blender along with the dates and puree it. Set aside. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks. Whisk 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture into egg yolks; pour yolk mixture into pan. Stir constantly over low heat until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 4 to 6 minutes; do not boil. Now add the date puree to this mixture and mix very well, and let it cool to room temperature. Pack it in an airtight container and chill it in the fridge overnight. And since you’re already in the kitchen, u might as well use this time to slow roast the almond slivers. Slice them finely, and on a very small flame toast the almonds in a frying pan, till they are slightly crisp. Now remove from pan, and add the butter to the pan. As soon as it melts bring back the almonds to the pan and roast till light brown and an aromatic earthy smell fills up the kitchen. Cool n store in airtight container for next day. Also you might need to put your ice cream maker in the freezer the night before so don’t forget to do that!
Now when you’re ready to make the ice cream, pour in the date custard mix into the maker and as it churns add in the roasted almond slivers 1 tablespoon at a time, making sure they mix evenly. Freeze in an airtight container for atleast 6 hrs before serving. When serving, garnish with some more of the roasted almonds. This portion should make 10-12 servings.

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