It is adapted from my Perfect Plain White Burfi recipe and it’s completely foolproof. Each square of burfi is perfectly crumbly and melts in the mouth. Indian sweets have never been so simple!

Easter Chocolate Burfi: The perfect kids Easter project!

If you have a glut of leftover Easter chocolate to use up, or want to make something fun for Easter with kids, this is the ideal recipe. Little ones will love decorating the slab of chocolate burfi. My little one loves adding chocolate bunnies.

What type of chocolate to use for chocolate burfi

I use milk chocolate Easter eggs for the shiny chocolate topping. Mix it with a small amount of butter to ensure it melts nicely and cuts without snapping or breaking. Be sure to use a sharp knife to cut your burfi into squares.

If you like, you can use regular chocolate bars mixed with butter, or even easier is to use cooking chocolate. This already has fat added so the chocolate burfi cuts perfectly. Indian sweet shops traditionally use cooking chocolate for their chocolate burfi. It’s pretty cheap stuff but I think it’s all part of the charm!

What does Burfi mean?

The word burfi or barfi is a Hindi word which stems from the Persian barfī, which literally means ‘icy’ or ‘snowy’. Baraf is the Hindi word for ‘ice’.

This traditional Indian sweet carries the name Burfi because of it’s cool, melt-in-the mouth texture. If you’ve ever tried the western retro sweet, coconut ice, you’ll be familiar with this concept.

How to make Burfi with milk powder

My recipe here calls for milk powder. In many cases, people use mawa (milk solids) which you can make by reducing full-fat milk. Indeed, you can also buy mawa in many South Asian food shops.

I like to use full-fat milk powder because it is readily available in most shops or online.

What if I can’t find full-fat milk powder?

If full-fat milk powder proves to be elusive, you can use skimmed milk powder and simply replace the milk in this recipe with an equal measure of double (full-fat) cream. This simple switch will produce a delicious, creamy Burfi.

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Other types of Burfi to make

• Pistachio Burfi
• Birthday Cake Burfi
• Cookie Dough Chocolate Burfi
• Plain White Burfi

Why won’t my Burfi set?

If you undercook Burfi, it will not set. Watch my step-by-step recipe video to see what the Burfi mixture should look like before you place it in the tin. If the mixture is too runny, the Burfi won’t set and the texture will be sticky to eat.

Why is my Burfi chewy?

Burfi can turn chewy if you overcook it. Be sure to cook the Burfi mixture over a very low heat. Stir constantly without stopping. Keep an eye on the texture. It is ready when the mixture forms a cohesive mass that comes away from the sides of the pan. It should look a bit like mashed potato!

Easter Chocolate Burfi recipe

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Easter Chocolate Burfi

This super-duper chocolatey take on Indian Burfi puts Easter chocolate to work for a totally cute springtime sweet! Easy and quick to make.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Keyword burfi, cardamom, indian sweets, milk, mithai, pistachio, saffron

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• L30 x W20 x D5cm (13"x9") rectangular traybake pan

Ingredients

• 240 g sugar
• 300 ml whole milk
• 130 g salted butter
• 595 g full-fat milk powder
• 1 tsp ground cardamom seeds
• 12-15 saffron strands
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp lemon juice

For the chocolate topping:

• 250 g chocolate I used Easter eggs
• 50 g salted butter
• 100 g your favourite Easter chocolate, to decorate I used Mini Eggs, Malteaser bunnies, KitKat bunnies, Smarties, Milkybar and Kinder eggs

Instructions

• Line a L30 x W20 x D5cm (13"x9") rectangular traybake pan with baking parchment.
• Heat the milk in a large, non-stick pan. Add the butter and allow it to melt.
• Add the sugar and stir until it has completely melted and you can no longer feel the crystals at the base of the pan.
• Tip in the milk powder and stir well to combine. The mixture will become thick, like mashed potato in appearance.
• Cook the mixture over a very low heat, stirring all the time to ensure it doesn't catch and burn on the base of the pan.
• Once the burfi mixture begins to come away from the sides, at about the 5 minute mark, add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, cardamom and saffron. Continue to stir for a further 2 minutes.
• Around the 8 minute mark, the burfi mixture should be thick. Once it forms a soft mass that comes away from the sides of the pan and into a ball, it is ready.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin lined with baking parchment and pistachios. Press the mixture in with a rubber spatula, ensuring the surface is as even as you can get it. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Break the chocolate into small pieces and microwave in short bursts, stirring gently in between until the chocolate has fully melted. I did 4-5 20-30 second bursts. Pour the chocolate over the burfi and spread into an even layer. Top with your Easter chocolate decorations. Allow to set in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Cut into squares using a sharp knife and serve at room temperature.

Video

Notes

• If your burfi begins to develop brown spots in places, it means either the heat is too high or you’re not stirring it enough. Keep it moving all the time to prevent burnt milk flecks.
• This burfi keeps well in an airtight container for up to a week. Keep refrigerated and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
• Burfi served cold from the fridge will be much firmer in texture.

If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Hot Cross Bun Mac & Cheese!

Love Sanjana

The post Easter Chocolate Burfi appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

What is Kheer?

A bowl of kheer is like a comfort blanket for any Indian. Hot or cold, the spice-speckled milky rice is thinner and more flavoursome than the mass of bland rice pudding that enriches memories of school dinners.

Growing up, my mother would take Kheer to the temple as offerings at Diwali. After it was blessed, it would be distributed to people to eat. I don’t know whether it was because of the blessings or because we had to wait so long that made it taste more delicious. I’m leaning towards the latter.

What kind of rice should I use?

Traditionally, Kheer is made with basmati rice and not short-grain pudding rice. It can be made directly from washed and soaked aged basmati or with leftover cooked rice (less creamy than the former). Basmati rice makes a huge difference to the flavour of the Kheer and is what differentiates it from traditional western rice pudding recipes.

Mixing rice

Controversial disclosure: My recipe for Kheer uses a 50/50 combination of aged basmati and short-grain pudding rice. Not only does this add the fragrance of traditional Kheer, it also ensures a level of creaminess that makes me weak at the knees. Having said this, feel free to mix things up by using 100% basmati or 100% short-grain rice if you like. There are no hard and fast rules, only personal preferences. After all, the rice is just a carrier for copious amounts of milk and/or cream in any rice pudding recipe.

Rice pudding, remixed

Name a better combo than white chocolate and raspberries. I’ll wait. Stir chopped white chocolate through the cooked Kheer and allow it to melt into a liquid gold puddle right before your eyes. Not only does it smell like a chocolate shop, it also adds a silky, melted ganache vibe that demands the tart juiciness of fresh raspberries.

Serve the finished Kheer hot, warm or cold but most importantly, don’t forget the berries and extra chocolate shavings on top.

How can I veganise this White Chocolate & Raspberry Kheer?

I haven’t tested a vegan version of this recipe. That being said, you could try it with almond milk and coconut cream. There are some wonderful vegan white chocolate brands available now. iChoc have a great one.

Ingredients you’ll need to make White Chocolate & Raspberry Kheer

• Aged basmati rice
• Short-grain pudding rice
• Whole milk
• Sugar
• Cardamom
• Saffron
• Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• Raspberries
• White chocolate
• Dark chocolate
• Flaked almonds
• Chopped pistachios

How to make White Chocolate & Raspberry Kheer

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White Chocolate & Raspberry Kheer

White Chocolate & Raspberry Kheer is an Indian-style rice pudding supercharged with spices, juicy berries and luxurious chocolate shavings.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Indian

Keyword chocolate, pudding, raspberries, rice, rice pudding, white chocolate

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Equipment

• Large, heavy-based saucepan

Ingredients

• 75 g aged basmati rice
• 75 g short-grain pudding rice
• 1.6 L full-fat milk
• 200 ml double cream
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 5 cardamom pods seeds removed and crushed
• 8-10 strands saffron
• 1 tbsp flaked almonds
• 1 tbsp chopped pistachios
• 100 g white chocolate chopped

Topping:

• 100 g fresh raspberries
• Shaved white chocolate
• Shaved dark chocolate

Instructions

• Mix the rice together in a bowl and rinse briefly. Don’t rinse away too much starch as this is what will make the Kheer creamy.
• Put the rice into a large, heavy-based saucepan. A non-stick pan is ideal as the milk will will be less likely to catch and burn at the base of the pan. Pour in the milk and add the sugar, cardamom, saffron and vanilla. Stir and bring to the boil.
• Stirring frequently, simmer the Kheer uncovered on a medium-low heat. Once it begins to thicken, you’ll need to stir more often. Once reduced to the consistency of thin porridge or cake batter, beat the Kheer with a wooden spoon until the grains are soft and tender. This isn’t the time for al dente rice.
• Switch off the heat and gently stir in the cream, nuts and chopped white chocolate. Continue to mix until melted. The cold cream will help reduce the temperature of the Kheer so the chocolate doesn’t seize up.
• Serve hot or cold with raspberries and chocolate shavings. I haven’t specified quantities for the chocolate shavings because let’s be honest, who am I to tell you how much chocolate to put on top?

Notes

• If you want sweeter Kheer, add 1 tbsp more sugar. Indeed, feel free to omit the sugar completely you don’t want to add it. The sweetness mostly comes from chocolate in this recipe.

• Add 2 tsp rosewater for a delicious raspberry and rose Kheer. It really is delicious this way.

• If you don’t like white chocolate, you could stir in chopped dark chocolate. You may need to adjust the sugar quantities slightly given that white chocolate is much sweeter than dark chocolate.

• For the chocolate shavings: Using a sharp knife, carefully scrape the back of a large chocolate bar starting at the side furthest from you. Keep your fingers and body out of the way and use two hands to scrape the surface with the knife, in a long motion. Alternatively, grate the chocolate using a microplane or use a vegetable peeler.

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Like this? You’ll love my Gulab Jamun Cake

Love Sanjana

The post White Chocolate & Raspberry Kheer appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

Question: When a muffin is packing this much chocolate, can it still legitimately be considered breakfast?

The secret to big, fluffy vegan muffins

The secret is that there is no secret! This recipe is so basic. Using only a handful of ingredients for the muffin base batter, you’ll wonder why muffins ever need eggs or dairy at all. These muffins puff up like magic and dome beautifully on top. The chocolate chips remain suspended so you get a welcome chocolatey hit with every mouthful.

My love affair with salted hot chocolate

I had my first taste of salted hot chocolate roaming the restaurants of Vienna in search of apple strudel. When I found churros with salted hot chocolate instead, I forgot all about the strudel.

Ultimately, if you love sea salt-sprinkled chocolate chip cookies, you will go nuts for these jetpuffed muffins.

The magical almond-hot chocolate topping

They have a crunchy topping of flaked almonds, hot chocolate powder and sea salt. I stir these ingredients with melted vegan butter to create a paste that is spooned onto the muffin batter once the cases are filled.

The salty-nutty-chocolate mixture bubbles and toasts in the oven to create a nobbly, domed top that tastes intensely like almond praline.

Ingredients you’ll need for Salted Hot Chocolate & Almond Muffins

• Plain flour
• Caster sugar
• Light brown sugar
• Unsweetened almond milk
• Oil (any unflavoured)
• Aquafaba (water from a can of unsalted chickpeas)
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Vanilla extract
• Dark chocolate chips (any vegan)
• Your favourite vegan hot chocolate mix (I use this one)
• Flaked almonds
• Vegan butter
• Sea salt flakes

Step-by-step: How to make Salted Hot Chocolate & Almond Muffins

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Salted Hot Chocolate & Almond Muffins

Tall, dark & handsome vegan SALTED HOT CHOCOLATE & ALMOND MUFFINS; you’re looking hella fine, babes! Studded with dark chocolate chips and topped with a crunchy almond hot chocolate crown, this is a muffin for serious chocolate lovers only.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword almond, cake, chocolate, dark chocolate, hot chocolate, muffins, vegan

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Ingredients

For the muffins:

• 350 g flour
• 100 g caster sugar
• 100 g light brown sugar
• 200 ml unsweetened almond milk room temperature
• 100 ml unflavoured oil of your choice
• 100 ml aquafaba
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 75 g vegan dark chocolate chips tossed in 1 tbsp plain flour

Topping:

• 4 tbsp your favourite vegan hot chocolate mix
• 2 tbsp flaked almonds
• 1 tbsp melted vegan butter
• 1 tsp sea salt flakes
• Extra chocolate chips if desired

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 175°C/350°F. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with large tulip cases.
• In a small bowl, mix together the hot chocolate powder, flaked almonds and vegan butter. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, fine salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add the almond milk, aquafaba, oil and vanilla extract. Whisk until just combined. It doesn’t matter if it’s not perfectly smooth. Fold in the flour-dusted chocolate chips.
• Fill the muffin cases, a little over 3/4 of the way up. Top with some of the hot chocolate and almond mixture. Sprinkle with sea salt and extra chocolate chips if desired.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes, until golden and risen. If a metal skewer inserted into the centre of the muffins comes out clean, they’re done. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin and then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

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Like this? You’ll love these Vegan Lemon Meringue Cupcakes!

Get my delicious Vegan Lemon Meringue Cupcake recipe here.

Love Sanjana

The post Salted Hot Chocolate & Almond Muffins appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

In an attempt to create all that I seek in a good brownie, I’ve tried no fewer than 25 variations of this recipe before . My aim? To strike the perfect balance between fudgy and cakey, chocolate-rich but not overwhelmingly so, and of course, to produce the highly-coveted glossy, crackly top.

The entire process has been as intense as the cocoa solids in the chocolate I was baking with.

A great vegan brownie recipe

My final bar is everything I look for in a truly wicked brownie. Squares of dense chocolate fudge, 2.5cm deep, encased in light chocolate cake, and crowned with a glossy, paper-thin “meringue-ish” patina. They’re moist, but not so much that they don’t benefit from being washed down with a glass of cold milk. And most importantly, they’re not so intensely flavoured that they feel too grown up to be a nostalgic treat.

Brownies will only be as good as the chocolate you use

Brownies made with dark chocolate will produce a brownie with more more bitter notes than brownies made with milk chocolate. I follow the school of thought that advocates the use of the best quality chocolate you can afford. After all, brownies are all about showing off great chocolate.

I’m yet to find a vegan milk chocolate I love, so I stuck to my two favourite dark chocolate brands in this recipe. If you do makes these brownies with milk chocolate, note that the recipe will result in brownies that are lighter in colour and much sweeter than the original.

My best advice is to choose the chocolate brands you actually like the taste of. It sounds silly but this is an easy thing to overlook. Having said this, feel free to mix things up with a couple of different brands. Baker extraordinaire, Stella Parks suggests blending multiple chocolate brands in her fabulous cookbook, Bravetart. Using multiple varieties allows you to build depth of flavour in your brownies. It works.

These vegan brownies are the ultimate balance between fudgy and chewy, chocolatey and sweet.

Finding your flavour inspiration

Whilst the most important flavour of any brownie comes from the chocolate, there is a simple beauty in being able to customise them to your taste.

Some great brownie mix-in ideas

• Chopped nuts
• More chocolate (your favourite candy bar, for example)
• Crushed cookies or cookie dough
• Fruits like cherries or raspberries
• Spices. If you know me, I’m all about masala magic

My midnight brownies are flavoured with star anise and orange zest. It’s a truly breathtaking combination that was meant to be paired with chocolate.

The eight-pointed star releases a delicious liquorice aroma when ground into a fine powder. Muddling it with the zest of an orange mellows it down for Asian vibes your brownies will welcome.

Baking for relaxation

Do you ever get an itch to wander into the kitchen and bake? I do. It’s an inexplicable longing to make magic for the people you love (including yourself because self-love is important too).

It’s not often I go in to the kitchen completely sure of what I’m going to make. I’ll have something in the fridge or cupboard I know I want, then I forage about until I find the perfect partners for what I fancy and they could be totally bizarre combinations I’ve never tried before.

If I’ve learned anything from all my years of experimental cooking is that you have to be fearless. FEARLESS. Yeah sure, sometimes things don’t turn out the way you plan but that’s what takeaway pizza and shop-bought ice cream is there for.

Ingredients you’ll need to make my Vegan Crackled Midnight Brownies

• Plain flour (all-purpose flour)
• Icing sugar
• Cornflour
• Cocoa powder (not hot chocolate mix)
• Baking powder
• Ground flax seeds
• Aquafaba (water from a can of unsalted chickpeas or beans)
• Water
• Refined coconut oil
• Dark chocolate (1-2 of your favourite brands)
• Light brown sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Ground star anise
• Orange zest
• Fine salt

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Vegan Crackled Midnight Brownies

Named so because of all the nights I stayed up until midnight trying to perfect the recipe! These vegan brownies are the ultimate balance between fudgy and chewy, chocolatey and sweet.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword baking

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author Sanjana

Equipment

• 20cm x 25cm x 10cm-deep (8" x 10" x 4"-deep) non-stick baking tin or 9" x 4"-deep square

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 120 ml aquafaba hot
• 100 g plain flour
• 50 g cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 125 g dark chocolate chopped (I used a blend of two of my favourite brands)
• 60 g coconut oil
• 200 g icing sugar
• 50 g light brown sugar
• 60 ml hot water
• 1/4 tsp ground star anise
• Zest of 1 medium orange

Instructions

• Grease and line a 20cm x 25cm x 10cm-deep (8" x 10" x 4"-deep) traybake tin with coconut oil and baking parchment. Leave an overhang at either side to lift the brownie out easily later.
• Pre-heat the oven to 175°C/350°F.
• In a small bowl, mix together the ground flax seeds and hot aquafaba. Allow to stand for 5 minutes.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cornflour, baking powder and salt.
• Place the chocolate and coconut oil over a bain-marie and allow it to melt, stirring gently. Once melted, remove from the heat and set aside. You can also microwave them in a glass bowl on high power in 30 second intervals until melted. Stir gently between each blast. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Add the icing sugar, brown sugar, flax-aquafaba mixture, hot water, orange zest and ground star anise. Whip for 2-3 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth and shiny.
• Add the sifted dry ingredients and whisk again until smooth and glossy, about 90 seconds.
• Pour into a lined pan and bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely in the tin before slicing for perfect squares.

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If you like this recipe, you’ll love these Vegan Rice Krispie Treats made with REAL vanilla!

Love Sanjana

The post Vegan Crackled Midnight Brownies appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

They’re…

• VEGAN
• NO SPECIAL FLOURS
• ZERO COCONUT OIL
• NO FLAXSEEDS, CHIA SEEDS, BANANAS OR APPLESAUCE
• FREE FROM COMMERCIAL EGG REPLACERS

These vegan cookies spread beautifully. This is thanks to @sarah_kieffer and her revolutionary #bangonapan pan-banging technique. Finally, the flavours are on another level of spectacular.

The perfect vegan cookie

Describing the qualities of a perfect cookie is almost as subjective as trying to describe what breed of dog is the cutest, which Avenger is the most badass or what the coolest kind of shark is. Everyone will give you a different answer.

My choices are as follows: Soft cookies with crispy edges, golden retrievers, Thor and hammerhead sharks. My momma didn’t raise no fool.

I’ve been testing this recipe for Vegan Pistachio & Vanilla Salt Cookies for a long time. I’m pleased to say that finally, even without eggs and dairy, they’re perfect. This is because the cookies spread beautifully. I’m overjoyed with how this batch turned out.

Moreover, they’re exactly how I like them — thin and crispy around the edges, with soft middles that’s cookie perfection right there. Each one is studded with dark chocolate chips and pistachio nibs. I made my own vanilla salt by infusing flaky Maldon sea salt with fragrant vanilla beans. This was sprinkled on top of the cookies whilst they were still warm, too. Amazing!

It’s honestly the most gorgeous thing. Not to mention, I now want to sprinkle vanilla salt over EVERYTHING!

Things to remember when make Vegan Pistachio & Vanilla Salt Cookies

Rest the cookie dough

Firstly, the cookie dough needs to rest for 24 hours. I know, it’s a test of willpower but in order for the flavours to develop, and the moisture and fats in the dough to hydrate and solidify correctly, this resting period is crucial. Make sure you start the day before if you want a perfectly-spread vegan chocolate chip cookie.

If you bake this dough straight away you’ll find the flavour is less pronounced and the texture is very soft and doughy. It will not have the crispiness and chewiness of rested dough. If you like your cookies to have a melt-in-the-mouth quality, go ahead a bake them straight away. This logic is not the same for all cookie recipes, however. It very much depends on the ingredients you use and how they are combined.

Fat, fat, fat

For example, a cookie made with coconut oil instead of vegan butter (equally proportional in the recipe) will yield a firmer, crispier cookie that spreads much less, even before resting because the vegan butter contains hydrogenated fat (basically fat + water) which also hydrates the dough and evaporates slowly whereas coconut oil is considered a pure, non-hydrogenated fat. Again, the final result depends on the combination of all the ingredients in a recipe, as each modification will produce different cookies in both taste and texture.

Replacing eggs

I’ve tried what feels like every trick in the book when it comes to replacing eggs in baking recipes (20 years+ experience), from boxed commercial egg replacers, to soy-based alternatives, applesauce, bananas, yoghurts and the oh-so fashionable aquafaba, flaxseed and chia seed “eggs”. I’m not discrediting the merit of any of them. Their effectiveness at replacing the binding and leavening agents of whole eggs is relative to the food you are making. In short, some egg replacers work better than others, depending on the recipe.

First you need to figure out the purpose of the egg in a particular recipe, and then work out what ingredient/s work best to substitute. For example, in my recipe, a combination of aquafaba, baking soda and cornflour do the job required to achieve my idea of the perfect chocolate chip cookie. That is to say that the cookie is golden and crispy around the outside and soft and crinkled in the middle.

A note on vegan chocolate

Hit up your favourite health food shop, well-stocked supermarket or online retailer for vegan chocolate chips. My current favourite is Sainsbury’s free from chocolate chips and Ombar Vegan Milk chocolate. If you can’t find vegan chocolate chips, chop up your favourite vegan chocolate bar for delicious chocolate chunk cookies with puddles of melted chocolate. I use two kinds of chocolate in my cookies for a more rounded flavour.

Pimp your Vegan Pistachio & Vanilla Salt Cookies

• Swap the pistachio nibs for chopped roasted hazelnuts or almonds.
• Use spelt flour for extra nuttiness or for a gluten-free version, use gluten free plain flour for a crispy chocolate chip cookie.
• Vanilla beans are important in the flavouring of this recipe but if you can’t get them, replace the vanilla in the dough with 1 tbsp good vanilla extract and sprinkle with plain sea salt flakes.

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I love to see your recipe remakes. If you make a recipe from my blog, tag me on social media using the hashtag #sanjanafeasts

Love Sanjana

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Vegan Pistachio & Vanilla Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Perfectly soft and crisp vegan cookies studded with chocolate chips, pistachio nibs and flaky vanilla sea salt.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate chip cookies, cookies, vegan

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 18

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

• 320 g plain flour
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 200 g vegan butter
• 80 g soft, light brown sugar
• 80 g caster sugar
• 200 ml aquafaba, reduced down to 30ml cold
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 100 g vegan chocolate chips and/or chopped vegan chocolate chunks
• 80 g pistachio nibs or roughly chopped pistachios

For the vanilla sea salt:

• 25 g flaky sea salt
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

Instructions

• In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and cornflour.
• In a separate bowl, add the vegan butter, sugars and the seeds from the vanilla pod (reserve the pod for the jar of vanilla salt later). Beat until light, pale and fluffy. Slowly beat in the aquafaba until smooth.
• Add half of the flour mixture into the beaten butter mixture and combine. Next, fold in the the rest of the flour mixture until you have a dough. Fold in the chocolate chips and pistachio nibs, reserving some chocolate chips to sprinkle on top halfway through baking.
• Use a medium-sized ice cream scoop or your hands to make the dough balls. Place them on the baking tray in rows leaving a small gap around each one. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for 24 hours. You could also place into a lined airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months.
• To make the vanilla salt, gently mix together the sea salt flakes and vanilla bean seeds. Store in an airtight container along with the scraped vanilla pods used for the salt and cookies.
• When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 170˚C/350˚F. Line three large baking trays with baking parchment. If baking from frozen, add an additional 3 minutes on to the cooking time.
• Place the cold cookie dough balls onto the lined trays with enough room in between each for spreading.
• Bake for 5 minutes, remove from the oven and wearing oven gloves, firmly bang each tray on the worktop a few times to flatten the tops and encourage the cookies to spread. Sprinkle with a few flakes of vanilla salt and more chocolate chips if you like. Return the cookies to the oven and bake for a further 8 minutes (11 minutes if cooking from frozen), until lightly golden around the edges.
• Remove the trays from the oven and allow to cool slightly before eating. They’ll firm up as they cool down.

If you like these cookies, you’ll go LOOPY for these Baked Vegan Vanilla Doughnuts. You’re welcome!

Love Sanjana

The post Vegan Pistachio & Vanilla Salt Cookies appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

What’s in this Indian-Inspired Rocky Road?

Truffle-like chocolate studded with pistachios, almonds, dried mango, crystallised ginger, Turkish delight, mini marshmallows and spiced shortbread biscuits. Dried rose petals top the Rocky Road off beautifully.

Last-minute Mithai

I’ve been known to leave things to the last minute at Diwali time when it’s customary to gift Indian sweets (“mithai”) to your nearest and dearest.

This recipe is a quick and easy raid-the-cupboard workaround that hits the spot when Pendas, Jalebis, Gulab Jamuns and Burfis are all too time consuming to make.

It’s also great for people who aren’t too keen on Indian sweets.

I’ve added all the things I love to this (namely pistachios, Nankhatai from the wonderful Chins’ Kitchen and Turkish delight) but you can swap any of these for what you like best.

Ways to Customise your Indian-Inspired Rocky Road

Other delicious mix-ins would be candied pineapple, coconut cookies and chopped dates. If you’re after a more authentic Indian sweet taste, add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom or cinnamon. This is your sweet treat to customise.

How to add jellies and marshmallows to Rocky Road

Freeze the Turkish delight pieces and mini marshmallows for about 2 hours before you start making these. This will help them keep their shape so you’ll get beautiful pink and white- studded pieces when you cut the Rocky Road.

Box it up for gifting

This Indian-inspired Rocky Road looks stunning when boxed up for gifting and even make a great after-dinner treat when you feel like dessert but are short of time.

How to store this Indian-Inspired Rocky Road at home

Store them in an airtight container in the fridge and they’ll keep well for up to 10 days, although I doubt they’ll last that long.

Follow me on Instagram for more Indian recipes!

After receiving a tonne of requests for Indian sweets through my latest Instagram Q&A session, I have a handful of Indian-style sweet recipes lined up, all in time for Diwali. I hold these Q&As regularly so make sure you’re following my Instagram Stories to tell me what you’d like to see next.

Indian-Inspired Rocky Road recipe

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Indian-Inspired Rocky Road

Truffle-like chocolate studded with pistachios, almonds, dried mango, crystallised ginger, Turkish delight, mini marshmallows and spiced shortbread biscuits. Dried rose petals top the Rocky Road off beautifully.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Indian

Keyword chocolate, marshmallows, rocky road

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Chilling time 8 hours hours

Total Time 8 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

• 300 g milk chocolate
• 300 g dark chocolate
• 140 g unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• 100 g Turkish delight cubed
• 100 g Nankhatai broken
• 40 g toasted pistachios plus more for sprinkling on top
• 20 g toasted flaked almonds
• 20 g dried mango cut into 2cm pieces
• 20 g crystallised ginger cut into 2cm pieces
• 60 g gelatine-free mini marshmallows
• 2 tsp dried rose petals
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

• In a freezer-safe container, freeze the Turkish delight pieces and mini marshmallows. This will help them keep their shape for pretty slices.
• Place the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water. Give it a gentle stir every 5 minutes until melted and well combined. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
• Add the crushed Nankhatai, Turkish delight, nuts, dried mango, crystallised ginger and mini marshmallows. Combine to coat.
• Spread the mixture into a 9” x 6” brownie tin lined with greaseproof paper. Flatten the top and scatter with extra pistachios and dried rose petals.
• Cover and allow to set in the fridge for 6-8 hours.
• Slice however you like and serve with masala coffee.

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If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for

Love Sanjana

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I’m truly comforted if the steam is robust enough to reach my nostrils quickly, the familiar smell bringing instant comfort. When it’s warm enough to hold, I like to clutch the mug with both hands, tight enough to feel my arms tense up a bit, rather like embracing an old friend.

That goes back to the days I’d refuse to go to bed until I’d had a mug of saffron, cardamom and almond milk. Yorkshire diva. It was a treat reserved for special occasions or following on from particularly terrifying nightmares.

I’d watch my mum preparing it, her skilled hands flaking each almond, one at a time. She’d then use a brass pestle and mortar to bash a cardamom pod with the satisfying clang, not unlike the sound of a temple bell ringing after arti.

The Spanish saffron strands would stain the warm milk a sort of daffodil yellow, making it appear rich and luxurious, like clotted jersey cream. Once simmered together, the kitchen would be filled with the sweetest smell which in itself was soothing enough to send me to the land of nod, even before it reached my lips.

Milo love

Another hot drink I fell in love with at a young age was that old classic, Milo. I had my first taste aged four in Mombasa, Kenya. All us cousins would have hot Milo made for us at breakfast and before bed and Milo time was my favourite time of the day.

Some of us were such fans that the granules were good enough to be munched straight up, by the spoonful.  And when I say some of us, I mean me.

That faux choco malt flavour tastes like all the comforts of home. It’s sweet but not overly so and somehow you feel like you’re replenishing your body’s energy stores with it.

Just as well too because we used to spend a hell of a lot of time running around the agasi (roof terrace), throwing things down below and shouting for the man from the shop across the road to fetch us the bubblegum that had stickers under the wrapper.

But I had to grow up from being that Milo-drinking, bubblegum-chewing kid from the roof one day. Now I’m preparing to welcome a fresh new little person into the world and quite soon I’ll be the one preparing those warm bedtime beverages.

So this post is an ode to the old times of being comforted and feeling loved throughout my entire childhood. I’m ready to pay it forward to someone else now. And what better way to celebrate them than with a cake that has all the flavours of Milo?

Baby Feasts. Due April 2018.

Eggless Malted Chocolate Whipped Ganache Cake
Makes one 3-layer, 10-inch cake

Ingredients:

700g plain flour
510g caster sugar
150g cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
180ml buttermilk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
6 tbsp Milo dissolved in 320ml hot water
300ml sunflower oil
1 tsp salt

For the whipped ganache:
450g dark chocolate, chopped
450g double cream
3 tbsp malt extract
Pinch of salt

Dark and white chocolate curls, to decorate

Method:

1. For the chocolate cake, preheat oven to 160C and butter and line three 20cm diameter cake tins with baking paper. Whisk together all the dry ingredients. Combine all the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Whisk until smooth. Divide among prepared tins, bake until a skewer inserted comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, loosen around the edges with a knife and turn onto wire racks to cool completely.

2. For the whipped ganache frosting, heat the cream in a saucepan until hot but not boiling. Add the malt extract and chopped chocolate. Stir gently until melted and smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate until it has thickened slightly but is still soft. Beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. It will become paler in colour, too. Use immediately.

3. Trim the cakes if the tops have domed a little. Sandwich each layer with the whipped ganache frosting. Spread the frosting on the outside and smooth out. I used a Wilton 1M open star tip for the ruffled swirls on top. Decorate with chocolate curls.

Love Sanjana + bump

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In my family, I’ve been known as a burfi monster since I was a kid. I was gap toothed, chubby cheeked and all about the sweet stuff. My wonderful masi used to make sure she had a stash of chocolate burfi whenever I went to visit on special occasions – and still does to this day. And although I’ve learned to control myself over the years, I’ll always be its’ number one fan.

Diwali was always a special time in our home. It would warrant us going to Indian sweet shops to stock up on boxes of brightly-coloured treasures to share with family and friends. My dad’s heart is as big as my appetite so he always made sure we nabbed one of everything. There’d be rows and rows of burfi, penda, mohanthal, halwa, laddoo, gulab jambu, kaju katli, pista rolls, soan papdi and jalebi, in every colour under the sun – an Aladdin’s cave of milk-based sweets, topped with gold and silver leaf.

As they glimmered behind glass cases, I would stand there mesmerised by all the colours and textures. By the time dad had selected what would go in each box, he’d turn to me and ask what I like in my own special box of sweets. This was the moment I had been waiting for…

I’d choose coconut burfi, saffron penda, mawa penda, kaju katli, Bombay halwa – one pink and one green and of course, my beloved chocolate burfi. This still happens, BTW and it always takes me back to those happy times.

At home, I’d eat them as a mouse would eat a hamper of cheese – nibble a bit of each one, and then methodically determine the order in which I’d devour the sweets.

So what would you say if I told you that chocolate burfi + cookie dough had a party in my kitchen and things got pretty wild? Layers of cardamom burfi, classic chocolate chip cookie dough and milk chocolate combined to create the wickedest chocolate burfi you’ll ever experience. Make it for Diwali, make it for your birthday, make it for any random Wednesday if you want, I promise you’ll only ever want it this way from now on.

Fellow chocolate burfi monsters, I dedicate this one to you.

How to Make Cookie Dough Chocolate Burfi in the Microwave
Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients

For the burfi layer:
180g full-fat milk powder
1 x 397g tin sweetened condensed milk
Pinch of ground cardamom (seeds from about 3 pods, crushed)

For the cookie dough layer:
70g unsalted butter, softened
120g soft brown sugar
160g plain flour
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g milk chocolate chips
Pinch of fine salt

For the chocolate layer:
250g milk chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

Method

1. Grease a 6-inch long X 9-inch wide X 3-inch deep tin with groundnut or sunflower oil. Cut a piece of greaseproof paper to fit in the bottom of the tin to make the burfi easier to lift out later. You could also use a 6-inch round tin, just make sure it has high sides.

2. First, combine the milk powder and condensed milk in a large, microwave-safe bowl.

3. Microwave on high power for one minute, remove from the microwave and stir well. Return to the microwave and repeat three more times, so you’ve cooked it for four minutes in total, stirring every minute. Doing it in bursts like this will ensure the mixture doesn’t burn.

4. Add the ground cardamom and stir again before immediately spooning into the tin. Spread it out as evenly as you can and smooth it over. Press it in firmly to make sure your layers come out perfectly – you can use the base of a steel bowl or a cake smoother if you’re looking for very even layers. If it starts sticking, apply a little oil to whatever you’re using. Set aside and allow to cool.

5. To make the cookie dough layer, place the softened butter and sugar in a large bowl. Whip until fluffy and pale, about 3 minutes. Add the flour, baking powder and vanilla extract. Whip until it just comes together. Next, throw in the chocolate chips. Go in with your hands to gently bring it together and form a dough.

6. Place the cookie dough layer over the cooled burfi layer and repeat the smoothing over process as above. Try to get the layers even. Allow to cool.

7. Chop up the chocolate for the topping and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it on a medium heat in 30-second bursts until fully melted. Don’t stir it too much or the chocolate will seize. You want it to be shiny and perfect for pouring.

8. Pour the chocolate over the cookie dough layer, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon.

9. Allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight.

10, Run a knife around the edges of the tin and turn it out onto a board. This is where your greaseproof paper makes everything easier. Slice into pieces and devour. Decorate with gold lustre dust or leaf if you’re feeling fancy.

Love Sanjana

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So, I united chevdo and chocolate chip cookies and their baby turned out to be a goddamn champion.

Imagine this – the perfect balance of sweet, salty, spicy, crunchy and chewy in one little disc of happiness. The edges are slightly crisp, while the middle is soft, chewy and studded with chocolate chips, peanuts, potato chips, corn flakes, puffed rice and crispy lentils. If you love salted caramel or chocolate with chilli or sea salt, you’re going to go doolally for these egg-free cookies.

The moment when you sit down to masala chai and ‘naasto’ (snacks) is the instant your troubles and stresses fizzle away. The soothing, milky masala tea erases the furrows in your brow and the crunchy, savoury, sweet and spicy snacks fill you with the feeling of home comforts. It’s a simple pursuit that inadvertently becomes an occasion without even trying. Flawless.

Of course, there is no naasto time without chevdo. A crunchy, savoury Indian snack in which every ingredient is fried to golden perfection before being tumbled together with salt, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, sugar and chilli. The ingredients vary from recipe to recipe but the essentials include: potato sticks, whole mung beans, corn flakes, puffed rice, chana daal, peanuts, curry leaves and sultanas.

So you’re probably thinking that this sounds similar to that notorious bar snack, Bombay mix? Yeah, well it’s definitely not the same as that.

However, Bombay mix is a derivative/form of chevdo in the sense that it’s a whole load of sweet, spicy, salty, crunchy ingredients fried and combined for a snack sensation that’ll set your taste buds alight.

Chevdo can come in a variety of forms. My favourite is the mild kind with a decent ratio of crunchy ingredients to nuts and spices to sultanas. Perfectly balanced chevdo is a tough thing to come by but once you find your brand, you’ll always be able to count on it.

You can buy it from the supermarket in the Indian snacks section, from speciality shops that are probably still using the family recipe, perfected over decades or order it online.

For my recipe, I went for a mild corn flake chevdo mix but you Kenya chevdo (mild and not spicy in the slightest) is also a delicious option. The only thing I’d say is steer clear of commercial Bombay mix packets or really spicy chevdo mixes. They will overpower your cookies and the balance of sweet, salty and spicy will be all out of kilter.

These cookies are bonkers-awesome and you should definitely make them. Your friends and family will welcome the surprise of flavours and let me tell you now, they are the most addictive things that will ever come our of your oven.

Sweet and Salty Chevdo Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 18-20 cookies

Ingredients

225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g caster sugar
80g soft light brown sugar
150g milk chocolate chips
130g unsalted butter, room temperature
100g mild chevdo mix (regular or Kenya chevdo)
30g dehydrated potato powder
40g liquid from a can of chickpeas (aquafaba)
½ tsp vanilla extract
Melted dark chocolate, for dipping (optional)
More chevdo for decorating (optional)

Method

1. Whip the butter in a stand mixer until light, fluffy and pale. You can also do this by hand or use a hand-held electric mixer.

2. Add the caster sugar and brown sugar and whip for 3-4 minutes until super light.

3, Add in the dehydrated potato powder and chickpea liquids (this is the egg replacer and will make your cookies super soft, chewy and delicious – you won’t taste them in the finished cookies). Add the vanilla extract and beat for a few minutes.

4. Combine the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Gradually add this in to the butter mix in two stages. Do this slowly so you don’t overwork the mixture.

5. Fold in the chocolate chips and chevdo and use your hands to bring the cookie dough together. It should be soft, not sticky.

6. Pre-heat the oven to 160C. Line three large baking trays with non-stick baking paper and roll the dough into ping-pong ball sized rounds using your hands.

7. Space each cookie dough ball onto the trays, leaving space around each one – they will spread in the oven. Place the trays in the fridge for 10 minutes.

8. Bake the cookies for 7 minutes, remove them from the oven and use the back of a teaspoon to press them down gently. I find this results in a chewier middle. Return to the oven and bake for a further 7-8 minutes until golden. If you prefer your cookies cakey, skip the flattening step and bake for 14-15 minutes.

9. Remove the cookies from the oven – they will be super soft and delicate so leave them to cook on the trays for 10 minutes.

10. Gently lift the cookies onto a wire rack using a spatula and allow to cool completely.

Once cooled, you can serve them as they are but if you want to be fancy, dip each one in melted dark chocolate and sprinkle with more chevdo. Chill until the chocolate sets.

Store the cookies in an air-tight container at room temperature. They are best eaten fresh but will keep for 3-4 days.

I doubt they’ll last that long.

Love Sanjana

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And said bribery always involved sweets.

Chocolate Limes to be precise. She had a stash of these retro classics stowed away in her top drawer for when you answered a question correctly, or were simply doing something that was out of your comfort zone. Even though it was a single sweet you probably wouldn’t have given a toss about if your nan had offered one up at the weekend, it was the status, power and sense of achievement that came with that limey shell and chocolate middle. It made you feel like you had truly taken a step forward that day.

Don’t even get me started on the time one kid mapped the entire family tree of Henry V111 on the wall and earned himself a tidy SIX Chocolate Limes – one for each deceased wife. The whole class was seething with jealousy.

My point is, it’s always important to reward yourself. Someone I look up to very much once said to me, ‘Don’t be fixated with end goals. Reward your successes every step of the way, recognising the things you’re learning and how they’ll ultimately contribute to a bigger picture. Learn new skills and collect a multitude of new experiences. Consistently accomplish your aspirations, however small.’ This is something I believe can keep us motivated and not overwhelmed by long-term goals.

If I learnt anything in year five, it was that the chocolate limes reward system was the dog’s bollocks and a legit way to make you feel great about achieving something – when you’re ten. Now we’re all grown up, I felt the need to take standard sweets to the next level.

These Lime and Dark Chocolate Melting Moments are incredibly soft and almost Viennese Whirl-like in texture. A combination of flour, icing sugar, butter and cornflour creates the most wonderful melt-in-the-mouth feel. Inspired by those retro Chocolate Lime sweets, the biscuits are packed with lime zest and extract, while the chocolate buttercream filling gives them the most delicious bitter sweetness. Add a smidge of lime marmalade for added indulgence. I’m a life-long advocate of Rowse Shredded Lime Marmalade.

So tell me, what have you achieved today? Whether you saved a life or simply managed to have a great conversation with someone new, treat yourself to one of these Lime and Dark Chocolate Melting Moments. You deserve it.

Lime and Dark Chocolate Melting Moments
Makes 18

Ingredients

For the biscuits:
200g plain flour
200g unsalted butter, softened
40g icing sugar
30g cornflour
Zest of 2 limes
Drop of lime extract (optional)
Drop of green food colour (optional)
Pinch of salt

For the chocolate filling:
120g unsalted butter, softened
90g icing sugar
100g dark chocolate, melted
30g cocoa powder

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C. Line two flat baking sheets with greaseproof paper.

2. Place all the ingredients for the biscuits into a food processor fitted with a rotating blade and switch it on to high. Process until you have a smooth dough that leaves the bowl fairly clean.

3. Place the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large, star-tip piping nozzle and pipe an even number of rosettes or swirls onto the sheets. Try to make sure they’re all a similar size to make sandwiching them together easier later on.

4. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. To make the filling, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the cocoa powder and chocolate and continue to beat for 10 minute.

6. Pile the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe onto the biscuits before sandwiching with another, or simply spread the buttercream on with a teaspoon.

Love Sanjana

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