Chocolate Mango Truffles - Micro-blog

The name pretty much says it all -- make sure to stick with the darkest chocolate that you enjoy -- I generally use equal parts 60% and 75% cocoa -- to maximize both taste, as well as nutritional benefits.

Chocolate Mango Truffles - recipe

Chocolate Mango Truffles.

Pedas for Ganesha: Indian Milk Fudge

Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, is perhaps the most famous from among the pantheon of Hindu deities.  Traditionally, Ganesha is considered the God of knowledge and is prayed to at the start of any new venture.  Every year, the birthday of Ganesha – termed Ganesh Chathurthi --  is celebrated with great pomp throughout India.  This was one of my very favorite times of the year as a child growing up in India.  The monsoons would have come to an end.  My birthday would be right around the corner.  We’d even have several days off from school.  On the morning of Ganesh Chathurthi, we would wake up early and head to the local clay artist who would have set aside a lovely clay Ganesha just for me.  We would bring home this colorful statue with great pomp – I even had a little parasol just for this occasion, so that I could hold it over Ganesha’s head as we walked him home under the scorching Indian sun.  This same ritual would be playing out all around us, as our friends and neighbors also brought home their own special Ganesha statues to install at home.  Traditionally, this would be followed by 3 to 10 days of prayer.  At the end of this period, the Ganesha statue would be taken to the local lake and allowed to dissolve.  As the clay sculpture of Ganesha dissolves, he is thought to melt away all the misfortunes of his loyal devotees.

In Bombay, in particular, Ganesh Chathurthi was celebrated with great fanfare.  In the months leading up to day, almost every temple would commission local artists to create humongous Ganesha statues – the larger the temple, the larger the statue and the more elaborate the display.  After months of seeing these temporary installations being secretively built behind burlap scaffolding, during the week of Ganesh Chathurthi, the drapes would finally be lifted and we would be allowed to wander, awestruck, through the ever-more elaborate sets.  This would all culminate with the city awarding prizes to the temples with the best displays.

Closer to home, other festivities would be brewing.  As is evident from his big belly, Ganesha is considered to be quite the gourmand, so one of the mainstays of this festival is the range of delicacies prepared by my mom and my friends' moms, alike.  

Even today, though I have moved far, far away from these scenes of my childhood, the memories of those celebrations are still fresh in my heart.  While I don’t necessarily have the time to prepare elaborate delicacies before heading out to work in the morning, I do still try to make something special in the kitchen to mark the occasion. A few months ago, I came across several recipes for microwavable Doodh peda, a type of dense Indian milk fudge.  I have since been able to adapt this recipe for just such an occasion.  So, although my ramblings about my childhood memories have been long, this recipe is anything but complicated or time-consuming.  It literally comes together in less than 10 minutes but tastes like you have been reducing milk over the stove for hours and hours.

So, in honor of today’s celebration of Ganesh Chathurthi, I give you this super simple Doodh peda or milk fudge recipe.  With its short, short ingredient list, and the ease of zapping it up in a microwave, I have a feeling that this recipe is going to make into my own fledgling list of kitchen traditions.

Microwaveable Doodh Peda or Milk Fudge (makes 2 dozen)

1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk

2 C non-fat dried milk

1 stick of unsalted butter

4 pods of green cardamom, peeled and finely ground

A pinch of saffron (optional)

Nuts (optional for garnish)

Place butter in a large microwavable bowl and microwave for about a minute, until butter is melted

Stir in dried milk and condensed milk until well mixed

Place bowl on a plate, and heat in microwave at full power for 4 minutes in 1 minute intervals

After each minute, remove from microwave and stir well

Watch carefully so that the mixture doesn't bubble over while heating (but in any case, that's what the plate beneath the bowl is for)

Once mixture is thickened to a fluffy ricotta-like consistency, add cardamom and saffron.

Mix well, and spread on plate to cool for about 2 minutes

Once it's cool enough to handle, make 1 inch balls and flatten out slightly to form a thick disk

Garnish top of disk with nuts or more saffron

Store for up to a week in the fridge

Mendiants

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade.  So what do you do when life gives you leftover ice-cream toppings from a sundae party?  Why, you make mendiants, of course!

Perhaps I should explain.

This past weekend, we hosted our annual neighborhood ice-cream party in our garden.  The neighbors came.  We lingered over music and ice-cream sundaes and root-beer floats (that all-American thing that I still can’t stomach, but that’s a story for a different day).  But when all was said and done, we were still left with several cartons of ice-cream and tons and tons of toppings.  The ice-cream part was easy to dispatch – a small celebration at work to congratulate one of my colleagues took care of most of it.  But I was still left with a whole load of toppings including mini chocolate chips, dried coconut, salted pistachios, roasted cashews, and other yummy treats.

So, as I was taking stock of all the leftovers, it occurred to me that this would be a perfect time to make mendiants – something I’ve been wanting to do since Christmas, last year.  As I was also in the midst of planning a weekend getaway, I figured these would be a nice treat to bring along to share.

Mendiants are simply little disks of chocolate that are studded with a variety of nuts and dried fruits and allowed to set.  They are usually made by chocolatiers as a way to quickly fashion something out of leftover tempered chocolate.  Apparently, the name mendiant comes from the word mendicant, which would explain why my spellcheck infuriatingly keeps correcting my typing as I write this post.  Traditionally, mendiants showcased four different kinds of toppings representing the four different Roman Catholic monastic orders.  Inspired by the robes of the four orders, mendiants featured raisins for the Dominicans, hazelnuts for the Augustinians, dried figs for the Franciscans, and almonds for the Carmelites.  A quick search through Google did not satisfy me that the colors of the fruits and nuts really correspond to the robe colors of each of these orders, but then again, mendiants were invented far before the days of Google, so I guess I should not question it too much.

Anyhow, to get back to the kitchen, I decided to melt down the remainder of my chocolate chips and top them with various things to make my first batch of mendiants.  To make mendiants, it’s important to have a properly tempered chocolate.  One of my favorite websites, Cooking forEngineers, does a great job at explaining what tempering is and why it’s important.  But the Cliff’s Notes version is that properly tempered chocolate is essential for that unparalleled snap you hear when you bite into a quality piece of chocolate.  Now, if you go and read through the CforE site, you will see that there are many different ways to temper chocolate.  My preferred method for small scale applications like this recipe is the microwave method.  Essentially, this involves placing chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, and heating at 30 second intervals and stirring in-between until about 80% of the chocolate is melted.  Follow this up with vigorous mixing of the chocolate until the unmelted chocolate melts into the already melted chocolate.  You can read all about the cool science behind this at the CforE site – this post is already too long, as it is.  I love dark chocolate, so this is pretty much the only kind I buy, but you can really make this with any kind of chocolate that you prefer.

Once you have your tempered chocolate, you are limited only by your imagination in making mendiants.  On the first batch, I went conventional with pistachios, dried coconut, golden raisins, and cashews.  But soon after, I was inspired to take it up a notch and made my second batch with dried mango, roasted cashews, toasted sesame, and a liberal pinch of sea-salt.  Both batches were delicious, and I can already see endless possibilities for future recipes.   

On that note, I would love to hear about the imaginative things you decide to put on your mendiants, but I only have one request – please, no BACON!

Mendiants

Tempered chocolate

Toppings – a variety of dried fruits and nuts

            Suggestions:

            Pistachios

            Cashews

            Dried coconut

            Raisins

            Sea salt

            Toasted sesame

            Dried figs or mangos

            A pinch of paprika

Layer a baking sheet with wax paper

Spoon tempered chocolate into 1-inch diameter disks

Before chocolate hardens, place toppings decoratively on top

Allow to set at room temperature or in the fridge

Store refrigerated up to 3 weeks in an airtight container

Peach Ginger Tart

When it comes to fruit, I’m of the opinion that fresh and unadorned is best.  Especially in the summertime, I really don’t believe in fooling around with fresh fruit, when they are at their chin-drippin’ best.  One of the exceptions to this rule of mine, of course, is the copious amounts of jam that I bottle every summer in anticipation of dark winter mornings when only a bit of Hood berry jam, preserved at its peak, will chase away the doldrums.  So, I have never really understood the obsession with various fruit pies and other sweet creations that claim to somehow augment something that is pretty perfect to begin with.

But as with any rule, exceptions must be made.  For instance, when you’ve invited people over for a mid-summer meal and want to impress with something more creative than cut fruit.  In the case of my “Don’t mess with summer fruit” rule, another exception I make is for fruit tarts, such as this Peach-Ginger Tart.  This is especially true for stone fruits like peaches, plums, and cherries, that pair wonderfully with a bit of sugar, a bit of spice, and a flaky pie crust.  But in keeping with not messing with the fruit too much, I like to keep my recipes very simple, opting not to peel the fruit or poach or cook it in any way before baking.  This generally leads to a very rustic looking product that still manages to capture the flavor of summer fruit at its best, while elevating it to something that you might serve at the end of a long summer repast without appearing too lazy.  Yet, these are so easy to put together, especially if using store-bought pie sheets, that they will not cut too much into your lazing around doing nothing time, either.  

This tart can be made as shown using a 9” tart shell, or can be adapted to make individual galettes.  Either way, it tastes great by itself, or with vanilla bean ice-cream, on a balmy summer evening.  

Peach-Ginger tart

Ingredients:

1 pie crust (either store-bought, as I prefer, or use your favorite recipe)

4-6 firm but ripe peaches, sliced into ½ inch thick slices

¼ C packed brown sugar

¼ C white sugar

2 t ginger powder or 1 T finely grated ginger root

1 T corn starch

Juice of 1 lemon

Mix all ingredients (except pie crust, of course) and marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or overnight in the fridge

Preheat oven to 350 deg F

Line a greased 9” tart pan with pie crust

Cover with wax paper, fill tart with dry beans or pie weights

Bake for 15 minutes and remove

Fill pie with fruit filling, and bake for 40 minutes or until filling is set and crust is golden brown

Serve warm or at room temperature

Baked Apples

When it comes to food, occasions like Valentine’s day can present a real dilemma. You have two options – either brave the crowds and head out for dinner, in which case the long waits and overpriced menus are sure to kill the romance. Alternatively, you can slave over the stove to churn out a memorable meal, at the end of which endeavor, you are left with barely enough energy to be civil through the meal, much less contemplate the subsequent....clean-up ;)

So, as an alternative, I like to save my eating out on such occasions for the following weekend, and focus my dinner efforts on creating a memorable dessert -- preferably one that doesn’t require a whole lot of hands-on time. That way, even if you’re eating leftovers for dinner, you can still end your meal on a sweet note. This recipe for Baked Apples fits all the criteria for a quick and memorable weeknight dessert. It’s a breeze to make, cutting your time in the kitchen and freeing it up for lots more romance.

Happy Valentine’s Day, my dear readers!

Baked Apples

4 large baking apples, such as Jonagold or Golden Delicious

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp butter

Core apples and peel (optional)

Mix other ingredients together in a bowl and stuff into apple core

Place in a shallow baking dish

Pour enough water into dish to just cover the bottom

Bake at 350 deg F, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until tender when poked with a fork

Baste occasionally with juices in the baking dish

Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream

Pineapple Cream Cake

Talk to any Bangalorean about their favorite food places in Bangalore, and without a doubt, the neighborhood Iyengar Bakery will feature prominently in their top food-related memories. Iyengar Bakery, for those not in the know, is a chain of bakeries dotted around Bangalore, serving up simple pastries and cakes, and spawning a dozen imitators around the city. Apart from some of the iconic items such as dil pasand and masala bun, Iyengar's also serves up two very delicious cakes – black forest, and pineapple. If your family is anything like mine, it’s probably split down the middle with half preferring the sweet, moist, cherry-laden black forest, with the other half siding with the fresh and fluffy pineapple cake.

While I myself fall firmly in the former camp, I was recently racking my brains for a chocolate-free birthday cake for a friend, and decided to give the pineapple cake a try.

The recipe was surprisingly easy and completely delicious. Although you may associate pineapple with summer days, I think it’s equally scrumptious in the middle of winter. Since this recipe uses canned pineapples, finding the right ingredients should not be too hard. I also think it comes quite close to the Iyengar Bakery version, which was a nice antidote to the homesickness that has been creeping up on me during the holiday season.

So here’s my recipe for a Pineapple Cream Cake. Regardless of where home may be for you, I wish you all the flavors and joys of home this Christmas.

Pineapple Cream Cake

For the cake

1/2 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C corn starch

1 C sugar

4 eggs, separated

1/2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1 t pure vanilla extract

For the icing

1 C heavy whipping cream

3 T sugar

For the filling

Pineapple chunks canned in pineapple juice (not syrup)

Bake the Cake
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 10-inch Springform pan
2. Sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt.
3. Whisk together egg yolks, vanilla, and 1/2 C of sugar on high speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes.
4. Clean beaters, and beat the egg whites with 1/2 C of sugar at medium speed until stiff and glossy about 3-4 minutes.
5. Lightly fold the egg yolk mixture into egg white mixture, using a silicone spatula
6. Add the flour mixture to the eggs in four additions, mixing lightly after each addition
7. Transfer batter to the greased baking pan and tap smartly on counter to eliminate air bubbles and smooth top
8. Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
9. Release from pan, and let cake cool before frosting.

Prepare the icing
Pre-chill a metal bowl and beaters. Add cream and sugar to bowl and beat till cream is completely whipped. If you are short on time, using a pre-whipped topping such as Cool Whip should do just fine.

Assemble the cake
Slice the cake in half, creating two layers.
Place first layer on serving platter, and drizzle liberally with pineapple juice from canned pineapples.
Spread a 1/2 inch layer of whipped cream
Place pineapple chunks over cream and top with second layer.
Drizzle second layer with pineapple juice
Cover with whipped cream, and decorate as you wish.

This cake tastes better the day after it's assembled, after the flavors have had a chance to get to know each other.