indian inspired confectionery

SUGAR & SPICE VOLUME 1

I N D I A N I N S P I R E D D E S S E R T R E C I P E S

DEVNAA

CONTENTS

CHOCOLATE ROSE CAKE WITH CARDAMOM CREAM

PISTACHIO AND ROSE CREAM SANDWICHES

PANEER CHEESECAKE

SAFFRON, ORANGE AND CARDAMOM JELLY CAKE

MOCHA CASHEW CUPCAKES

CHOCOLATE & CARDAMOM MOUSSE POTS

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DEVNAAINDIAN INSPIRED DESSERTS

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CHOCOLATE ROSE CAKE WITH PISTACHIO & CARDAMOM MOUSSE FILLING (MAKES 6)

Inspired by all of the beautifully presented desserts seen in restaurantsand on TV these days, these gorgeous little mousse cakes comprisesome of my favourite flavours – chocolate, rose and cardamom. Theymake an impressive end to dinner parties and are pretty easy to make.If you do not have individual dariole moulds use a square tin as in-structed to bake the cake but layer it in a round tin lined with cling filmto make it easier to de-mould.

INGREDIENTS:

100g Shelled Pistachio NutsFor the Egg Free Chocolate Cake:450g Self Raising Flour60g Cocoa1 tsp Baking Powder1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda350g Caster Sugar125ml Vegetable Oil300ml Soured Cream1 tblsp White Vinegar2 tsp Vanilla Extract60ml Rose WaterFor the Mousse:600ml Whipping Cream200g Caster Sugar½ tsp Ground CardamomYou will also need 6 x 6.5cm Dariole Moulds (if you don’t have these then just make one big cake rather than individual ones)

METHOD:

Place the pistachio nuts in a frying pan and dry roast over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until they are green and fragrantLeave aside to cool whilst you prepare the cakePre heat oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F and grease and line a 23cm square cake tinSift all of the dry ingredients apart from the sugar into a large mixingbowl, combine and leave asideWhisk together the sugar, vegetable oil, soured cream and vinegarand then whisk this entire mixture into the dry ingredientsBeat well to ensure that all of the ingredients and thoroughly com-binedPour into prepared cake tin and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer in-serted into the centre of the cake comes out cleanCool in the tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes before turning out ontothe rack and allowing to completely cool to room temperatureGrind the pistachio nuts into a fine powderCarefully slice the chocolate cake into 4 thin layersCut 2 of the layers into 18 circles the same size as your dariolemouldsCut the remaining two layers into 7.5cm x 20cm stripsPress 6 of the sponge cake discs into the bottoms of your moulds andline the sides of each mould with the strips of sponge, trimming themas you go to fit perfectlySprinkle about half of the rose water onto the sponge in the mouldsWhisk the sugar and cream together until just past the soft peak stageFold in the pistachio powder and ground cardamomSet aside 6 heaped teaspoons of the cream mixtureDivide half of the remaining mixture between the cake lined moulds,tap to levelPlace a second disc of sponge on top of the cream in the moulds anddrizzle with half of the remaining rose waterDivide the remaining cream between the moulds, level and top withthe last discs of spongeDrizzle with the rest of the rose water and refrigerate for at least 4hours or overnightDe-mould the desserts by running a palette knife around the edge andgently pressing out of the mouldTop each dessert decoratively with a tablespoon of the reserved creammixture and a scattering of pistachios and rose petals

Serve chilled.

indian inspired confectionery

indian inspired confectionery

PISTACHIO & ROSE CREAM SANDWICHES (MAKES 10)

This is such a great summer time dessert and very easy to make! Per-fect for barbecues and summer garden parties, it can be made in ad-vance or just keep the wafers baked, the cream ready and have a jarof marmalade on the table so your guests can construct their own!The flavours are delicately fragrant and clean and the filo pastry al-lows this dessert to be nice and light, just the trick after a spicy meal.

INGREDIENTS:

100g Shelled Pistachio Nuts4 x 48cm by 25cm Filo Pastry Sheets4tblsp Clarified Butter/Ghee (melted)300ml Whipping Cream100g Caster Sugar2tblsp Rose Water5tblsp Orange Marmalade

METHOD:

Place the pistachio nuts in a frying pan and dry roast over a mediumheat for about 5 minutes until they are green and fragrant, leave asideto coolPre heat oven to gas mark 6/200C/400FCoarsely chop the pistachio nuts and keep nearbyPlace a sheet of filo pastry on a greased baking sheet and brush witha tablespoon of the melted butterGenerously scatter over some of the chopped pistachio nuts and lay a second sheet of filo on topRepeat the above process until the fourth layer of filo has gone ontop, for this layer brush with ghee but do not scatter on the pistachiosCut into 5cm x 12cm rectanglesBake for 15 minutes or until golden and crispAllow to cool completely on a wire rackWhip the cream and sugar together until almost at a stiff peak consistencyFold the rose water into the whipped creamDivide the whipped cream between 10 of the filo wafers and spread to create an even layerSpread the remaining filo wafers with orange marmalade and placeeach one face down onto a cream wafer to create a sandwichSprinkle the tops of each sandwich with more pistachio nuts and some icing sugar if desired before serving.

PANEER CHEESECAKE (MAKES 6)

Paneer is the Indian equivalent to the English cottage cheese or theItalian ricotta and it is made in almost the same traditional, home-made way. Soft, mild cheeses are perfect for cheesecake so I thoughtwhy not make an Indian inspired one, with Indian cheese and Indianflavours! The crème fraiche adds a little creaminess and a slightly tartflavour to complement the softness of the paneer.

INGREDIENTS:

2L Milk2 tblsp Lemon Juice100ml Water200g Caster Sugar300ml Crème Fraiche25g Ground Pistachio Nuts½ tsp Ground Cardamom18 Ginger Biscuit

METHOD:

Start by making the paneer – Prepare a colander by lining it with acheese cloth and place it in the sink, ready to pour the hot milk intoBring the milk to a boil in a heavy based pan placed over a medium heatAs soon as the milk comes to a rolling boil stir in the lemon juice tosplit the milkAfter about 20 seconds you should see the milk solids separate andthe liquid become slightly green in colour pour the entire contents ofthe pan through the lined sieveWash the paneer with cold water, tie up the cheesecloth to enclose the milk solids and tie the cloth so that it hangs from the tap to let allthe excess water drain awayLeave to drain for at least one hourWhen the paneer is dry, place the water and 100g of the sugar together in a pan over a medium heat and crumble the paneer inAllow the paneer to boil in the sweetened water for about 10 minutesand then drainUse the back of a spoon to press as much water as possible out of the paneerPlace paneer in a blender alongside the remaining sugar, crèmefraiche, pistachio nuts and cardamom, gently pulse together to combineCrush a ginger biscuit into the bottom of 6 serving bowls, top with halfof the cheesecake mixture, another crushed biscuit and the rest of thecheesecake mixtureChill overnight in the fridge and top with another crushed biscuit oneach dessert just before serving.

indian inspired confectionery

indian inspired confectionery

SAFFRON, ORANGE & CARDAMOM JELLY CAKE (SERVES 8)

Saffron has been used to flavour cakes and buns for centuries – notonly does it add a sense of luxury and rarity but it also it lends a beau-tiful, exotic flavour as well as a pretty yellow hue to the sponge. I lovethe pairing of sweet oranges with saffron, and the cardamom creamin this recipe lifts and lightens the entire cake. It can be quite difficultto layer jelly into a cake so don’t worry if you aren’t able to get it per-fect on your first go. If jelly isn’t quite your thing try grating some or-ange zest into the cake batter or once the cake has baked, pour alittle orange blossom water on top while it is still hot.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Egg Free Saffron Cake:65ml Water¼ tsp Saffron Threads180g Self Raising Flour¼ tsp Baking Powder¼ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda125g Caster Sugar60ml Vegetable Oil50ml Yoghurt1tsp White VinegarFor the Vegetarian Orange Jelly:1 sachet Vegetarian Gelatine300ml Orange Blossom Water25g Caster SugarOrange Food ColouringFor the Cardamom Cream:150ml Whipping Cream75g Caster Sugar¼ tsp Ground Cardamom

METHOD:

Pre heat oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F and grease and line a20cm square cake tinPlace the water and saffron in a pan over a high heat and allow tocome to the boil, leave aside to coolSift all of the dry ingredients apart from the sugar into a large mixingbowl, combine and leave asideWhisk the sugar, vegetable oil, yoghurt, and vinegar into the saffronmixture and then whisk this entire mixture into the dry ingredientsBeat well to ensure that all of the ingredients and thoroughly com-binedPour into prepared cake tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewerinserted into the centre of the cake comes out cleanCool in the tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes before turning out ontothe rack and allowing to completely cool to room temperatureWhilst the cake is cooling prepare the jelly – carefully and very pre-cisely line a 20cm cake tin with cling filmFollowing the manufacturers guidelines on your vegetarian gelatinemake up 300ml of jelly, replacing the water ingredient with orangeblossom waterStir in the orange food colourPour the jelly into the prepared tin and allow to chill until firmCarefully slice the cooled cake into 2 x 1cm layersPlace one cake layer carefully on top of the jelly in the cake tin andvery carefully turn upside down, de-mould and remove the cling filmYou should have the cake layer with the layer of jelly sitting perfectlyon topWhip the cream, sugar and caster sugar together until soft peaks formand spread this evenly over the orange jelly – the jelly will wobblequite a bit so be careful!Carefully place the second layer of sponge on top of the cream andplace the entire dessert in a freezer for 1 hour (firming it up will makeit infinitely easier to cut)Cut into 5cm by 10cm rectangles, dust with icing sugar and servechilled.

MOCHA, CASHEW NUT & CARDAMOMCUPCAKES (MAKES 12)

Cashew Nuts have become a common ingredient in Indian cuisineever since they travelled across to western coast of Goa with the Por-tuguese settlers. Most often used in curries, cashews are sometimesalso ground into a paste and sweetened to produce one of the mostcommon varieties of barfi – ‘kaju katli’. Coffee came to India via theDutch on the eastern coast of India yet the two flavours meet in themiddle and go so well together! This recipe uses a cashew cream en-cased within a chocolate and coffee flavoured cake, topped with awhite chocolate and cardamom buttercream.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Egg Free Mocha Cupcakes:20ml Hot Water2tsp Freeze Dried Coffee170g Self Raising Flour25g Cocoa½ tsp Baking Powder½ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda250g Caster Sugar47ml Vegetable Oil100ml Soured Cream½ tblsp White VinegarFor the Cashew Nut Cream:50g Cashew Nuts125ml Whipping Cream40g Caster Sugar½ tsp Freeze Dried CoffeeFor the White Chocolate Cardamom Buttercream:30g White Chocolate, roughly chopped175g Unsalted Butter½ tsp Ground Cardamom200g Icing SugarA pinch of Salt

METHOD:

Pre heat oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F and line a 12 cavity cup-cake tinDissolve the coffee in the hot water and leave aside to coolSift all of the dry ingredients apart from the sugar into a large mixingbowl, combine and leave asideWhisk the sugar, vegetable oil, soured cream, and vinegar togetherwith the coffee mixture Whisk the wet mixture into the dry ingredientsBeat well to ensure that all of the ingredients and thoroughly com-binedPour into prepared cupcake tin and bake for 15 minutes or until askewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out cleanCool on a wire rackRoast the cashew nuts in a frying pan over a medium heat until goldenand fragrantAllow to cool before grinding into a fine powderWhisk the cream, sugar and coffee together until the mixture formsstiff peaks and then fold in the powdered cashew nuts Cut a cone shaped hole into the top of each cupcake, going abouttwo thirds down and keep aside the cut out piecesFill the cavity created in each cupcake with the cashew cream Push the cones back into the cupcakes to create a smooth surface ontoGently melt the white chocolate and keep aside to coolBeat the butter until smooth and then beat in the ground cardamomAdd the melted chocolate and then beat in the icing sugar to create asmooth, fluffy icingPipe the buttercream on top of each cupcake and sprinkle a tiny bit ofsalt over each oneServe at room temperature.

indian inspired confectionery

indian inspired confectionery

CHOCOLATE & CARDAMOM MOUSSEPOTS (MAKES 4)

A chocoholics delight – these smooth, intense, rich, chocolate potsare so hard to resist and make the perfect indulgent after dinner treat.It is quite hard however to find a recipe that doesn’t contain egg andis still sufficiently rich so here’s my vegetarian friendly recipe with a little spice for added luxury. You can indeed use dark or white chocolate instead and flavour as you wish – dark chocolate and orange is brilliant!

INGREDIENTS:

200g Milk Chocolate (roughly chopped)100g Salted Butter (cut into small pieces)¾ tsp Ground Cardamom350ml Double CreamVegetarian Gelatine

METHOD:

Place the chopped chocolate, butter and cardamom in a large mixingbowl and leave asideWhisk the cream and the gelatine (I use one sachet of VegeGel but ifyou are using an alternative please add following the manufacturer’sguidelines) together in a saucepanPlace the saucepan over a medium heat until the milk is hotPour the hot milk over the chocolate mixture and allow to stand for 1minuteCarefully beat all the ingredients together until the chocolate and butter have melted and you have a smooth, well combined mixtureDivide into four small serving bowls and chill overnightServe chilled with some grated chocolate on top or ginger biscuits on the side.

indian inspired confectionery

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