Healthy Gajar Halwa (Indian Carrot Pudding)

Gajar halwa is one of my favorite Indian desserts. It’s a pudding made with grated carrots cooked in milk. While those two ingredients sound nutritious, it is important to note that a significant amount of processed sugar typically goes into this dish. However, there’s an easy way to make this dessert much healthier! The recipe below completely substitutes sugar with dates, which have a lower glycemic index than table sugar, thus avoiding blood glucose spikes. It also uses non-fat milk thickened with pureed cashews (in addition to pureed dates), which adds healthy fats and protein to the dish. The most awesome part is that the taste is almost unaltered with these healthy substitutions. If you’re feeling adventurous, you may even add some orange zest like I did to give this healthy dessert a delicious fruity flavor!

Ingredients: (Makes ~2.5 cups)

5-6 large carrots, finely grated

~10 dates, pitted

¼ cup raw cashews

½ tsp cardamom powder

2-3 cups milk (I used nonfat - use non-dairy milk for a vegan option)

Raisins, chopped cashews - optional

1 Tbsp orange zest - optional

1-2 tsp ghee (or coconut oil)

 

Soak the dates and cashews in about 1½ cups of milk for 3-4 hours. You can cut down the time considerably by heating the milk with the dates and cashews until it just starts boiling. Puree the dates and cashews with the milk. The dates are the only sweetener in this recipe (other than the natural sweetness of the cashews), so use more/less dates per your taste. The pureed cashews act as thickener, allowing the use of nonfat milk, while adding some protein to the dessert.

 

Heat ghee in a non-stick pan over medium heat. If using raisins, chopped cashews, use 2 tsp ghee, if not, 1 tsp is enough as long as you’re cooking in a non-stick pan. Once the ghee is warm, add the raisins and cashew, and stir until slightly toasted. Add the grated carrots and stir to mix well. Let it cook for ~5 min stirring occasionally. Add cardamom powder, orange zest and the date-cashew milk, stir, cover and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Keep stirring and adding more milk as needed until the carrots are soft. This halwa shouldn’t be too dry, but also not runny, so cook until most of the milk is absorbed. Let cool a bit and serve garnished with more raisins, cashews if desired.

 

~Gayatri

 

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Blueberry Banana Cheesecake Bread

We eat a lot of bananas at my house - plain, with peanut butter, in oatmeal, you name it. Sometimes we buy too many, and half of them will pass an acceptable level of ripeness before we have a chance to eat them...so I’ll mash some up to make these delectable blueberry banana muffins - my go-to recipe for using up super ripe bananas. They are perfectly sized for breakfasts, as well as snacks that don’t make you feel too guilty. But, as with many things that I make a lot, I got a little bored with these and wanted to mix things up a little bit. I came across this recipe that literally does just that: banana bread split by a cream cheese layer - yum! I’m a huge fan of cheesecake, so adding a layer of cheesecake-y goodness sounded like the perfect boost for my basic recipe.

 

Ingredients:

Base banana bread recipe can be found here

Add-ins: ~¾ cup blueberries (I used frozen, and did not thaw before adding to the batter, but did try to remove any excess ice that had built up)

For cream cheese filling

8oz cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)

6 TBSP all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9x5 loaf pans.

Prepare the blueberry banana bread batter according to the directions found here.

For the cream cheese filling, combine all ingredients and mix well (use a hand mixer with whisk attachment for best results).

Pour banana bread mixture into the loaf pans until they are ½ - ⅔ full. Pour half of the cream cheese mixture into each loaf pan on top of the banana bread batter, gently spreading it with a spoon or spatula to fill all corners. Top with the remaining banana bread batter.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent foil over the loaf pans after about 30 minutes to bake evenly and prevent the top and sides from cooking faster than the center.

 

Let the bread cool for about 15 minutes, then slice and enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea!

~Karla


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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins

Have you ever cooked/baked something only because you really wanted to try a new ingredient, or perhaps cook in your new pot or pan, use your brand new ice cream maker, creme brûlée torch, or some other appliance? Well, this muffin was inspired not by an ingredient or a cooking utensil/appliance, but by a beautiful ceramic dish that I wanted to present it in! I was determined to make something pretty to put on this dish as soon as I received it in the mail. A fresh citrusy muffin adorned with little chocolate flowers seemed perfect to go with the lovely red mushroom decoration on the plate.

 

A little bit background on this plate that I’m raving about - My friend Maitreyee makes beautiful ceramic kitchenware & decorative pieces, and she was nice enough to customize this plate for me. You can check out her shop, YayClay (love the name!) on Etsy, or Facebook.

Ingredients: (Makes 18)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

3 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup sour cream

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

¼ cup canola oil

1-1¼  cup white sugar

Zest from 2 lemons

1tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs
4 tsp poppy seeds

(Oil + Applesauce can be substituted with ½ cup butter)

 

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

 

Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. Add salt, mix and set aside.

 

In another bowl mix milk, lemon juice and sour cream, and set aside.

 

In a large bowl, cream together oil, applesauce, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Add eggs and beat well. Alternately add the flour mixture and the wet ingredients, mixing gently as you fold in the flour. Do not overbeat. Fold in poppy seeds.

 

Pour batter into the lined muffin tin (~¾ full), and bake in preheated oven for ~20-25 minutes until golden brown in color with tops that bounce back when touched.

 

If you want to get a little fancy and add a glaze, mix ½ cup powdered sugar with just enough lemon juice (or milk/water) to get a thick paste. It only takes a couple teaspoons of liquid. Spread or drizzle the glaze on the muffin while it is still warm. Sprinkle some lemon zest and poppy seeds on top for a beautiful presentation and an extra boost of citrus flavor.

~Gayatri

 

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Cashew Date Bars

I LOVE cashews - they are by far my favorite type of nut. It is always dangerous to keep cashews in the house because I will inevitably over-indulge in them and finish half the container in one sitting! I figure since they are one of the healthier nuts to eat, and since we rarely get cashews (they can be quite expensive!), a cashew-binge every once in a while won’t hurt in the long run.

But, as some binges go, there is regret after - regret that I didn’t have the fortitude to make the cashews last longer! Making trail mix sometimes helps, but I’m just as likely to scarf that down as I am plain cashews. Then I was introduced to the amazing idea of a cashew cookie bar (Nakd and Larabar are two popular brands), in which pulverized cashews and dates are smashed together to form a delicious (and healthy!) snack. These treats can also be a bit pricey, so (as with many things here on our blog) I set out to make my own. I added some cocoa powder, which helped tone down the sweetness of the dates, and a little vanilla extract to maintain the moisture balance which helps the bars keep their shape. The result was a tasty, healthy treat I could feel good about eating - and since the dates are quite dense and nutrient-packed (good source of potassium, magnesium, and dietary fiber), a little goes a long way to satisfy both my cashew cravings and my sweet tooth!

Ingredients:

~1 cup raw cashews

~2 cups dates, pitted and chopped

~2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder

~1 tsp vanilla extract

Place all ingredients together in a food processor and process until you get a nice homogenous mixture. If the mixture is too wet or dry, adjust the amount of nuts or fruit as desired.

Line a flat-bottomed container with plastic wrap and pour in the mixture, and pack it down firmly.

Refrigerate for at least half an hour to help it set, then cut it into bars of desired size. If you have other types of moulds (for cookies or candies) you could also use those, pressing the mixture firmly into the moulds for a variety of shapes.

Keep bars refrigerated until ready to eat. Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea!

~Karla

Other recipes you might like: cashew date smoothie

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Chikoo (Sapodilla) Cake

Have you watched the Jungle Book movie yet? I heard some mixed reviews, but I have to say I really enjoyed it. It brought back childhood memories of intently waiting every Sunday morning for The Jungle Book animated series on national television and singing “Jungle jungle baat chali hai…” (that was the title song written by Gulzar for the Hindi version of the TV show) along with thousands of other kids watching the same TV show in their homes. It was a time before Cartoon Network, with only a limited number of cartoons on Indian TV. Mowgli and his friends always made those Sunday mornings special.

This nostalgia might have subconsciously triggered the urge to make a chikoo based dessert. Chikoo, or sapodilla is a very common fruit in India and many other tropical countries. When perfectly ripe, this brown fruit is deliciously sweet and soft. Although the fresh version is hard to come by in my part of the world, the Indian grocery stores carry a frozen version of it. I wouldn’t want to eat the defrosted mushy fruit as it, but it works great in milkshakes, smoothies and ice cream… and apparently cake! I mashed up the defrosted chikoo slices and used it in cake batter as I would use mashed bananas or pureed berries. If using fresh fruit, make sure to pick ripe ones, peel and remove seeds, then mash or puree the fruit. The cardamom in this recipe gives it more of an Indian flavor, and if you didn’t know what chikoo tastes like you might think this is just a cardamom spice cake. It still tastes good though :). The texture turned out more muffin  like, and that’s the route I’ll probably go with the next time I make it. I generally try to stay away from adding unnecessary sugar, but the cardamom glaze on this cake really helps the flavor, so I would highly recommend using it - maybe add an extra hour of workout to your week to balance it out! ;-)

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

¾ cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

⅔ cup vegetable/canola/light olive oil

4-5 chickoo fruits peeled, deseeded and pureed or mashed with a fork (about ⅓-½ cup) - add a little water if required

½ tsp cardamom powder

A small pinch of salt

⅓ cup chopped walnuts/cashews (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare an 8” round baking pan by greasing the base and sides or lining with parchment paper.

Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and cardamom powder in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and oil until combined. Add sugar, chikoo puree and whisk to break down any lumps in the sugar. Add the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula until everything is combined. This batter will be thick.

Pour the batter into prepared baking pan and smoothen out the top with a spatula. Bake for 35-40 minutes until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let the cake cool down for 10-15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Let it cool further on a wire rack.

Once the cake is out of the oven, make the glaze by mixing just enough milk/water with powdered sugar to make a runny paste. Add a pinch or two of cardamom powder and mix well. Drizzle the glaze over warm cake, slice and serve with a hot cup of tea or coffee!

~Gayatri

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Gluten Free Double Chocolate Cookies

Birthdays at work have been fun lately - some harmless pranks (I guess I am enjoying them as I haven’t been pranked yet!), lunch with the team, and to make up for some of the pranking, we try to make some sweets. Recently I made some chewy chocolate cookies for a colleague’s birthday. We try to find gluten free recipes such as this one so that everyone in the team can enjoy. A lot of recipes call for gluten free all purpose flour or oat flour. But this particular one from the Power Hungry blog piqued my interest because of the flour used in it. These cookies are made with chickpea flour (Yay protein!). The recipe also used coconut oil which is a healthier fat than butter or vegetable oil, but I’m personally not a big fan of the chocolate and coconut combination. I did have coconut oil which I use for cooking often, so I decided to give it a try anyway, and was pleasantly surprised at how well the chocolate and coconut flavors complemented each other in this recipe. It’s wasn’t overpoweringly coconut-y, and the chocolate flavor definitely was the most prominent. The only change I made to the original recipe was reducing the sugar quantity. I recommend this recipe to all chocolate lovers - it’s simple to make and not that unhealthy :-)

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpea flour

⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ teaspoon baking soda

A small pinch of salt

1 large egg

½ cup virgin coconut oil

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder/granules (optional - but recommended! It really helps enhance the chocolate flavor)

½ cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

2 Tbsp chopped nuts (optional)

Sift the chickpea flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. Sifting is ideal for this recipe as both chickpea flour and cocoa powder often have small lumps. But if you don’t have a sifter or a sieve, just whisk the ingredients until you see the lumps disappear.

Coconut oil has a tendency to solidify, so if required microwave it for a few seconds to melt it to bring it to liquid form and add the coffee powder to it.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil & coffee mixture with the sugar. Once combined, add the egg, vanilla extract and whisk until blended.

Add the flours and mix until everything comes together to form fairly thick dough. Add chocolate chips, nuts, and mix. To prevent cookies from spreading too much as they bake, cover and refrigerate the dough for ~15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Roll the chilled dough into 1” balls and place them about 2” apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for ~10 minutes until the edges are firm.

 

Resist the urge to bite into a piping hot cookie, but be prepared to gorge on these once they are cooled - I bet it would be hard to stop at one!

 

~Gayatri

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Gluten-free double chocolate cookies - if you've never made cookies with chickpea flour (besan), give this a shot!...

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Monday, April 4, 2016

Baklava Ice Cream

A few months ago, Karla and I hosted an elaborate 3 course meal with mini spinach pies as appetizers and sliced/stuffed eggplant beautifully fanned out for the main course. As the menu started coming together over the weeks leading up to the dinner, we realized that the flavors we were putting together kind of had a Mediterranean flair. So, that’s the direction we decided to go with for the dessert course as well. The obvious choice was Baklava, but we wanted something quicker and easier. What could be quicker/easier than a tub of store bought ice cream!? Well, being the control freaks that we are (we are both Controls Engineers by the way), we couldn’t go with a dish that we had no control over. So we decided to start with the pre-made ice cream and then tweak it to fit the menu.

Baklava is incredibly delicious - crispy, sweet and nutty! Add to it the creaminess of ice cream, and you have the perfect dessert! Using frozen Phyllo sheets and pre-made ice cream, this beautiful dessert can be put together very quickly, and is most certainly a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

Vanilla ice cream

Phyllo sheets (use 5 sheets to make 6 cups)

Melted butter

Pistachios and/or any other nuts you like - crushed.

Honey

Heat oven to 350F.

Lay down one phyllo dough sheet on a cookie sheet. Brush the sheet with melted butter, and carefully place another sheet on top. Repeat until you have stacked 5 sheets. Cut into 6 squares. Repeat the process if you’d like to make more cups.

 

Grease a muffin pan, and place one phyllo sheet square in each cup, pressing down with your hands to form a pastry cup. Bake for ~10-15 until the phyllo cups are golden brown. Let the cups cool completely before serving.

 

While the cups are baking, place another sheet of phyllo dough on a cookie sheet and bake it in the oven until golden brown and crispy. Once cooled, crush the baked phyllo sheet and mix it with the crushed pistachios.

Take one scoop of vanilla ice cream, and roll it in the crushed mixture of nuts and crispy pastry. Place it on a plate or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat until you have enough scoops of ice cream, and place the coated ice cream balls in the freezer until ready to serve.

Place a phyllo cup on a plate, add a prepared scoop of ice cream, drizzle some honey on top, and dig in!

~Gayatri

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Baklava Ice Cream - Soft and crispy, sweet and nutty dessert!http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2016/03/baklava-ice-cream.html

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Saturday, March 5, 2016

Pistachio, Cashew and Chopcolate Chip Biscotti

A couple months ago I was in the Maryland and DC area visiting friends. I reached their home in the evening after a very short flight, so I was in no way tired and was excited to explore the area with them. But probably to ensure that I won’t get cranky from hunger, my hosts decided to feed me some snack before we headed out. My friend Soumya brought out a plate of beautiful looking biscotti that I couldn't have resisted even if I wanted to. She told me that she had bought those at Starbucks. Had she not told me later that she was joking, I would have absolutely believed that! These decadent homemade biscotti were much easier to bite into than the usual extra hard ones, and so tempting that it became my favorite travel snack for the rest of the trip.


 

 

A little bit of a background on biscotti and my love/hate relationship with them - until I came to the US some 10 years ago, I didn’t know these cookies existed. But while I was at Purdue, the Nonni’s triple chocolate biscotto (yes, that’s the singular form!) quickly became a fairly regular afternoon snack. As much as I love the taste, the disappointing thing about biscotti for me is that they are generally difficult to eat without dunking them in tea/coffee/milk. But they taste so good, that I was determined to find out why the extra hard (and not all that pleasant) texture. Turns out, the twice baked hard cookies were prepared that way to increase the shelf life in the verrrrry olden days (biscotti can be traced back to 1st century AD). These long-lasting cookies used to be a convenient snack for travellers. Apparently during the European renaissance period, these cookies were even enjoyed dipped in wine!

Anyway, coming back to the present- I found out that Soumya had used one of Giada De Laurentiis’ biscotti recipes with some very good modifications. She had cut down on the sugar and used all brown sugar instead of white, orange zest instead of lemon, and also changed up the add-ins such as nuts, chocolate etc. I followed her directions, with one minor change of switching out half of the all purpose flour with whole wheat. The baking times I used are also lower than the original recipe - partly because I was worried about ending up with very hard cookies, and partly because I was too impatient.

Ingredients: (Makes ~3 dozen biscotti)

2 cups flour (I used half all purpose and half whole wheat flour)

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ cup dark brown sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

zest of 1 Navel orange

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

¾ cup coarsely chopped nuts (I used half cashews, half pistachios)

⅓ cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and orange zest. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until well combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. This is not an easy step, but persist and you’ll end up with a lovely dough.

At this point it is best to use your hands (or perhaps a wooden spoon) to mix in the nuts and chocolate chips.

Divide the dough in half, and make two elongated logs. Put them on the prepared pan, leaving some room since they will expand a little. Gently pat them down, trying to ensure the width and height stays approximately the same everywhere to ensure even baking.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool on a wire rack for ~10 minutes before slicing about 1” thick using a sharp serrated knife. At this stage the cookies are still cooking inside with the heat that's trapped and are a bit fragile, so they are prone to breaking if the wait time is too short or too long. I like to start slicing around 10 minutes after taking them out of the oven, and as I get to the center of the logs, I let them rest for another minute or two if they’re too warm.

Place the biscotti back on the baking sheet, cut side down, and bake for another ~12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an air-tight container.

Enjoy with a steaming cup of tea or coffee… or wine if that suits your taste!

~Gayatri

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Delicious crispy (but not overly hard!)...

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Thursday, February 25, 2016