When it comes to baking, the more lemon that’s involved, the better as far as I’m concerned. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t go weak at the knees for a slice of lemon drizzle cake or three. Have you?

Why is Lemon & Saffron such a great flavour combo?

One of my favourite flavour combinations has to be lemon and saffron. The humble, sharp lemon against the heady fragrance of saffron is such a winner. Whether you’re cooking something sweet or savoury, the two ingredients together are the perfect marriage of colour, taste and aroma.

Sweet is most certainly my preference because once baked, they mingle with the smell of toasty flour and fill the house with the most gorgeous baking scent. It’s pure and strong, unlike if you were making a savoury dish with 10 other spices.

In the past, I’ve successfully combined the two to make cheesecakes and seeroh (sweet semolina) which were both delicious. This time, I wanted to give a simple cupcake recipe a special makeover. They’re light, fluffy and so moreish.

How to make vegan lemon curd

Each fluffy sponge is filled with a golden-hued saffron lemon curd which I veganised with cornflour, coconut oil and coconut milk in place of eggs and butter. Use unrefined coconut oil to ensure the flavour of coconut doesn’t overpower the rest of the ingredients. It’s the saffron that gives it a pretty daffodil colour. If you have any leftover lemon curd, pop it in a jar and spread it on toast or scones for a special tea-time treat. It really is spectacular.

The best Vegan Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

These Vegan Lemon Meringue Cupcakes are a little riff on the Vanilla Birthday Cupcakes I posted a while back. It’s a straightforward one using almond buttermilk to give the cupcakes lift. If you have any questions about the cupcake baking process, check here for lots of detail (can you tell I could talk about baking forever?).

The meringue might seem daunting at first. However, once you have all your ingredients laid out in front of you, it’s very simple. You’ll need a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or robust electric hand beaters to get that meringue whipped up perfectly. Reducing the aquafaba and adding agar-agar will give it more stability and the cream of tartar and sugar will help it whip into a sweet cloud of fluffiness. I used a kitchen blowtorch to toast the tops but if you don’t have one, you can pop them under the grill for a 15-20 seconds — just be sure to remove the cupcakes from their paper cases first!

These are perfect for parties, bake sales and for when you just want to eat a cupcake or three, alone, on your kitchen floor.

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Vegan Saffron & Lemon Meringue Cupcakes

The lightest vegan cupcakes filled with tangy saffron and lemon curd, all crowned with a cloud of toasted vegan meringue.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Indian

Keyword cupcakes, dessert, lemon, meringue, saffron, vegan

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12

Author Sanjana

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 225 g extra-fine self-raising cake flour
• 160 g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp cornflour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp fine salt
• 250 ml almond milk room temperature
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 30 ml lemon juice
• 110 ml rapeseed oil or any flavourless oil of your choice

For the saffron lemon curd:

• 50 ml lemon juice
• Zest of 3 lemons
• 75 g icing sugar
• 20 g cornflour
• 30 g refined coconut oil
• 50 ml coconut milk
• Pinch of saffron

For the meringue:

• 100 ml aquafaba reduced from 200ml chilled
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 100 g caster sugar
• 25 ml water
• 25 ml agave
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp agar-agar

Instructions

• Pre-heat the oven to 175°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
• Line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cupcake cases.

For the vegan saffron lemon curd:

• To make the saffron lemon curd, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and give everything a good whisk. Cook over a medium heat, whisking all the time until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of custard. The saffron will start to turn the lemon curd a beautiful shade of daffodil yellow. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Once the lemon curd has cooled for 10 minutes, directly cover the surface with cling film to stop a hard skin forming. Refrigerate until needed.

For the vegan cupcakes:

• Mix together the almond milk and lemon juice in a jug. Allow to stand for ten minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in the oil.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, caster sugar, cornflour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest.
• Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and beat with a whisk for 1-2 minutes, until you have a smooth batter.
• Pour or scoop the batter into the paper cupcake cases, filling to about ¾ of the way up. Give the base of the tin a quick succession of taps on the work surface to remove any large air bubbles.
• Place the tin into the pre-heated oven and bake for 18 minutes, or until golden on top and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

For the vegan meringue:

• To make the meringue, place the reduced and chilled aquafaba in a clean stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the cream of tartar and whisk on high speed for 3-4 minutes until frothy.
• Combine the water, sugar, agave, vanilla and agar-agar in a saucepan and mix until dissolved. Cook over a medium heat, stirring often to stop the syrup catching and burning at the base of the pan. Use a sugar thermometer to check the temperature of the syrup. Once the syrup reaches 120°C/250°F, remove it from the heat and quickly pour it into the still running bowl of the stand mixer. Whisk the mixture for 15 minutes until white and meringue-like in texture.
• Use a spoon to remove the centres from the cooled cupcakes and pipe or spoon 2 teaspoons of the chilled lemon curd into the centre. Fill top of the plug with a few cake crumbs.
• Fill a piping bag fitted with a large, round tip with the meringue mixture. Pipe the meringue on to the cupcakes. I chose to do a simple pillowy blob but you can also use a star piping tip if you like. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can also spoon the meringue on top.
• For a toasted finish, use a kitchen blowtorch to toast the tops of the meringues before serving. I do not recommend placing the cupcakes under a grill when using paper cases. If you don’t have a kitchen blowtorch and would like to toast the meringue, consider using grill-safe silicone cupcake cases.
• Storage: Keep these cupcakes covered and at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Storing them in the refrigerator may cause the meringue to weep liquid and deflate.

Vegan Cake FAQ

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Seeroh is one of those desserts that brings out the greedy little kid in me. Sweet semolina tossed with spices and so buttery it melts as soon as it hits your tongue. Flippin’ gorgeous. And before you ask, it’s nothing like ‘school dinner’ semolina. Not even close.

Years ago we’d make special trips to the mandir (temple) during Navratri and Diwali to pray for the year ahead, see family and have an amazing, spiritual evening. Of course, I was there for all of these reasons, plus for the reason that there would be prashad – sweets like Seeroh offered to the gods that evening. After putting my hands together in prayer, I’d open them up and wait patiently for my Seeroh.

I believe glace cherries have three purposes in life; to garnish cocktails, top cherry bakewells and stud this delicious addictive treat. If you really don’t like them, replace with candied lemon or orange pieces. They’ll add an incredible texture to contrast the soft texture of this dessert.

I love experimenting with different flavour combinations with this recipe. The basic Seeroh is so simple that’s it’s easy to get carried away with different flavourings. One of my favourites is this saffron and lemon version. The other is my mum’s orange and cardamom version. I could eat it all…. day… long.

There are two ways you can serve this dish; The first is to set and cool this in a square thali so you can cut it into pieces, and the second is to serve it loose as a hot pudding. Top with a scoop of ice cream and be blown away by the insane contrast of hot and cold.

You should always store Seeroh in the fridge because it can spoil quickly at room temperature. This should keep well for 2-4 days – whether it will last that long is another story.

Hot Saffron and Lemon Seeroh with Pistachio Ice Cream
Serves 8-10

Ingredients

700ml hot milk
140ml hot water
100g sugar
50g golden syrup
140g salted butter
260g coarse semolina
Zest of 2 large unwaxed lemons – I love those beautiful Amalfi lemons
A large pinch of saffron
2 tbsp glace cherries, halved

Homemade or shop-bought pistachio ice cream, to serve (I’ll give you my recipe in another post)
Slivered almonds and pistachios to decorate
Icing sugar to dust, optional

Method

1. Heat the butter in a large non-stick pan and add the semolina. Sauté on a low/medium heat for around 3 minutes or until golden and toasted.

2. Slowly add the hot milk and water, whisking all the time. The mixture should thicken as you whisk. Add the sugar and syrup.

3. Cook on a medium heat for around 15 minutes or until a buttery sheen becomes visible on the top and sides of the mixture. Keep stirring all the time and cook for as long as it takes for the mixture to become glossy.

4. Remove from the heat, add the lemon zest, saffron and glace cherries. Combine.

5. Serve hot with a big scoop of pistachio ice cream.

That’s it. Pistachio and Rose Bombay Halwa, Gujarati Mohanthal and Hot Saffron and Lemon Seeroh with Pistachio Ice Cream. Three Diwali desserts to keep you sweet all year long.

Happy Diwali!

Love Sanjana

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It’s the simple pleasures in life I’ve always appreciated the most; chapattis with mango pickle, paratha dipped in raita and from time to time, maybe peanut butter and banana sandwiches (let’s keep that one between us).

From sitting on a Mombasa beach nibbling on maize, smothered with lemon and red chilli powder, to scoffing cassava fries doused in citrus hot sauce in university halls, these flavours are an integral part of my food memories.

I think it reason this combination works so well is because the chilli heat is mellowed out with the sharp acidity of fragrant lemon. Indeed, it’s not only Indian and East African dishes which take full advantage of this mouth-watering duo – just think about your favourite Mexican salsas and Thai salads made with the native lime.

I never remove seeds or membrane from fresh chillies – I don’t see the point. However, if you prefer to remove them for a mild flavour then remember to adjust your use of lemon accordingly. A general rule of thumb is that the hotter the chilli, the more the lemon will be able to stand up to it. If your chillies are milder, add less lemon to ensure its flavour doesn’t become overpowering. If, by chance it does, a pinch of sugar should help.

For a speedy side or snack, this sautéed cauliflower tossed with fresh green chillies, mustard seeds, turmeric and lemon juice is the perfect dish. Serve it alone, in a lunchtime wrap with falafel and yogurt, or as part of a larger meal with your favourite curries and Indian breads.

Tip: in most dishes, a pinch of sugar and salt balance the chilli and lemon combination perfectly.

Chilli and Lemon Cauliflower
(Serves 2-4)

Ingredients

500g cauliflower, broken into bite-sized florets and boiled until al dente
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp asafoetida
½ tsp turmeric
3 green chillies, sliced finely (or to taste)
Juice of ½ lemon
½ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt or to taste

Method

1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds have popped, add the asafoetida, turmeric, chillies, sugar and salt.

2. Quickly add in the parboiled cauliflower and sauté on a high heat for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Keep them moving to avoid the spices from burning.

3. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and garnish with chopped coriander.

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Happy Thursday, readers. You’re probably wondering why on earth I’m posting on a weekday. No, I don’t have a day off to chillax with a steaming cuppa chai. Sob.

Ingredients

200g milk chocolate, chopped finely
120ml double cream
2-3 tsp framboise liqueur
Raspberries and icing sugar to decorate

For the shortbread

125g butter, room temperature
180g plain flour
1 tsp lemon zest
2 drops of lemon extract (optional)
65g caster sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top of the shortbreads

Method

1. To make the puddings, heat the cream in a saucepan until just before boiling point. Remove from the heat.

2. Add the chopped chocolate and framboise liqueur to the cream. Stir the mixture very gently until all of the chocolate has melted.

3. Pour into small ramekins (they’re very rich!), top with a few raspberries and allow to cool. After around 20 minutes, place the ramekins in the fridge until 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve.

4. To make the shortbreads, preheat the oven to 150°C.

5. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the lemon zest and essence.

6. Sift in the flour and roughly combine. Using your hands, bring the mixture together to form a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

7. Remove from the fridge, roll out on a floured surface to around 3-5mm in thickness. Cover the disc in cling film and return to the fridge for a further 15 minutes.

8. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter (or any other cutter you may want to use), cut out your shortbread shapes. Place on a greased and lined baking sheet and, using a fork, prick holes into your shapes. Cut larger holes in the top if you wish to tie them with a pretty ribbon once cooled.

9. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for around 12-14 minutes.

10. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Tie with ribbon, if using.

Note: Don’t let your shortbreads brown too much (a little golden tinge around the edges is fine). If you find they’re overbrowning, turn your oven down and bake on the bottom rack for a little while longer.

Dust the puddings with icing sugar immediately before serving.

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Spill the beans. Where has the summer gone and what have you done with it? The delicious sunshine is hiding behind thick, imposing clouds. Hand me a vaporiser and I’ll do away with them. Can clouds be re-vaporised?

You know what my favourite way of holding on to summer with both hands is?

Cheesecake. Huge wedges that are bursting with indulgent summer flavours and velvety luxury, served up with a drizzle of delicious guilt. Stop drooling, it’s only a description.

One of my favourite Indian desserts is srikhand (pronounced: shree-khand). It is thick, sweet and sour yoghurt blended with cardamom, saffron and slivered nuts. Divine. So, why not blend my favourite flavours of srikhand with everyone’s favourite cheesy dessert? Thankfully I’m talking cream cheese and not cheddar.

I didn’t want the cheesecake to be exclusively srikhand flavoured because if I wanted pure, unadulterated srikhand, I would opt for that as a dessert instead of a cheesecake. Naturally. So I picked my favourite elements of srikhand as a dessert (sweet, sour, saffron) and whipped up a dessert to satisfy my srikhand and cheesecake cravings all in one go. I call it gluttonous wizardry. You can call me the dessert she-devil.

I’ve used my usual baked cheesecake recipe, adapted from Kurma Dasa’s Great Vegetarian Dishes. His recipe produces a mighty fine cheesecake and allows for oodles of flavour experimentation. My kind of thing.

Saffron is a spice collected from the saffron crocus (a flower native to Southwest Asia) and has medicinal properties as well as culinary uses. It is predominantly used in Persian, Arabic, Mediterranean and South Asian cuisines, and it imparts a heady, earthy fragrance to dishes as well as a deep yellow hue. Always use it sparingly. By weight, saffron is the most expensive spice in the world and nobody can argue over prices when each crocus contains three single strands of pure saffron, handpicked by ever-patient and light-fingered saffron collectors. How many crocuses are needed for a coin sized amount of saffron? I wouldn’t dare to venture a guess.

Did you know?

-It is alleged that the name ‘saffron’ comes from the Arabic term ‘asfar’ meaning yellow in colour.

-Saffron crocuses only flower in mid-Autumn and the stigmas and styles must be harvested quickly after their dawn bloom.

Being thrown off the Spice Trail

Beware of saffron copycats. For years, saffron fakes have been abundant and it really isn’t easy to tell whether you’ve been conned out of your pennies (or should I say pounds?) or not.

Here are a few tips I always keep in mind:

-Always go to a reputable dealer or spice stockist

-To test if your saffron is real, soak a few strands in hot water. If yellow/orange dye comes off, leaving a white coloured strand then the saffron is bogus. This is a trick used by spice hustlers who use artificially dyed corn husk fibres to replace the delicate saffron strands. They won’t have a musky aroma and will be of no use. What a mistak-er to make-er. Bin them and don’t buy the same ones again.

-American and Mexican saffron is not the same as genuine saffron. It is made from safflower and has the same colour and appearance, but no taste or smell. Again, a pointless purchase.

-Once you find a genuine box/packet of good saffron, remember the brand and stick to it. In my opinion, Spanish ‘La Mancha’ saffron is the most wonderful (unless you happen to live near a pond full of saffron crocuses and pick your own). Do you think they do saffron P.Y.O’s? Maybe at Lakshmi Mittal’s pad.

-To get the most out of your saffron, place it in a bowl and microwave it on high for 10-15 seconds to lightly toast it and dry it out (be VERY careful and keep a watchful eye on it). Gently rub it through your fingers when you add it to your dish and it will release heaps of flavour and colour. Magic.

Saffron & Lemon Srikhand Cheesecake
(serves 10-12)

For the base:
250g ginger nut biscuits (or graham crackers), crushed finely
1/3 cup melted butter

For the filling:
500g ricotta cheese
500g softened cream cheese (I used original Philadelphia)
1 1/3 cups double cream
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tbsp cornflour
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp lemon zest
¼ – ½ tsp saffron, toasted as directed above

Method

1. Combine the crushed biscuits and melted butter and firmly pat it into the bottom of a greased 10-inch springform tin. Make sure it’s even and tightly compacted. Cover this with plastic wrap and refrigerate the whole thing.

2. For the filling: in a large bowl, beat together all of the ingredients (excluding the lemon zest and saffron) until it has thickened. Kurma suggests not to overmix this.

3. Fold in the lemon zest and saffron and place the mixture on top of the chilled biscuit base. Smooth the top down.

4. Place this in a preheated oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 1 ¼ hours or until firm and golden. If you find that the top of the cheesecake is going too brown, reduce the temperature and cook for a longer period of time.

5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate for 8-10 hours before cutting and serving.

The post Saffron & Lemon Srikhand Cheesecake appeared first on Sanjana.Feasts.

So come on tell me, how many Valentines cards are you expecting this year? One? Two? Two dozen?

Strolling through a busy high street with a numbing wind pinching my fingertips, I ramble past a quaint little chocolate shop. I am absorbed. I shuffle into the shop wide-eyed in merriment at the prospect of sampling the array of delightful delicacies. Shelves are chock-full of heart shaped chocolates packaged in heart shaped boxes that are tinted with deep shades of crimson and baby pink. Each box is tightly wrapped with the finest silk and organza ribbons, as if they are concealing the precious pearls of an oyster found in a cavernous, dark sea. I long to reach out and pick up one of everything, go home and eat until I cannot move. Good job the costly price tags force me to march straight out of that wicked chocolate shop which had fallen from grace.

I left those heart shaped chocolates in heart shaped boxes in the shop that reminds me so much of the chocolate shop featured in Chocolat; a novel and film I hold close to my very own heart. At home I wonder how to re-create the joy I felt when walking into that sinful chocolate shop…

In the end I realised there was only one way to do it. I was thinking eggless cake.

So what are you going to be this year?

Devilish or Angelic?

‘100% Naughty’ Eggless Cardamom and Chocolate Cheesecake

(Adapted from Kurma Dasa’s ‘Baked Cheesecake’ in Great Vegetarian Dishes)

 

 

Ingredients for the base:

 

1/4 cup butter at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 ½ tsps vanilla extract

1 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

 

Ingredients for the filling:

 

500g ricotta cheese

500g cream cheese, at room temperature (I used Philadelphia- and also nearly picked up the one with Garlic & Herbs. I’m sure you guys won’t make that mistake)

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 ½ cups sugar

1 tbsp cornflour

1 1/3 cups double cream

1 ½ tsps vanilla extract

1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted

½ tsp cardamom, ground into powder

 

Method for the base:

 

1. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Cream together the sugar and butter and add the vanilla extract.

 

2. Combine the flour mixture with the butter mixture quickly with cold hands or a fork.

 

3. Press the mixture into a greased 10 inch springform tin.

 

 

Method for the filling:

 

1. Beat together all of the ingredients excluding the cocoa powder and ground cardamom until it has thickened. Kurma suggests not to overmix this.

2. Place half of the mixture into a separate bowl and add the cocoa powder and cardamom powder. Combine thoroughly.

 

3. Place the white layer of filling over the uncooked base and finally the chocolate filling over the white layer.

 

4. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 1 ¼ hours until set (I left mine for 1 hour because my fan oven cooks things a little quicker).

 

5. Allow to cool and refrigerate for day. You will just have to resist the temptation of diving right in!

 

 

OR

 

‘100% Nice’ Eggless Lemon and White Chocolate Cake

 

 

Ingredients for the sponge:

 

200g plain flour

100g skimmed milk powder

160g icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar)

1 tbsp vanilla extract (or the seeds from 1 fresh vanilla pod)

100g butter, softened

2 tsp’s baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ cup plain natural yogurt

½ cup water

½ cup milk

Zest from 4 unwaxed lemons

4 tbsp fresh lemon juice

 

Method for the sponge:

 

1. Sift together the plain flour, skimmed milk powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Set aside.

 

2. In a separate bowl cream together the icing sugar, vanilla and butter.

 

3. Gently mix in half of the sifted flour mixture.

 

4. Add the milk and water and mix until there are not any lumps (but don’t overwork it).

 

5. Add the yogurt and the remaining sifted flour mixture and lemon juice and zest then fold these in using a metal spoon. Take care not to beat it too much.

 

6. Grease and line three 6X1inch cake tins and divide the mixture equally between them.

 

7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20-25 minutes.

 

8. When cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

 

For the White Chocolate Ganache/Buttercream:

 

340g good quality white chocolate broken into small pieces

1 ½ cups double cream

125g butter, softened

 

Method for the Ganache/Buttercream:

 

Place the chocolate and cream in a bowl over a pan of boiled water (does this remind you a little bit of Food Tech lessons at school?) Stir until the chocolate has melted into the cream. Remove from the heat and allow to cool in the fridge until very cold. This could take an hour to several hours as the white chocolate has no cocoa solids, unlike milk and dark chocolate. Beat in the butter until the mixture has thickened.

 

To Assemble:

 

Sandwich the three layers together using the ganache/buttercream and cover the cake with what’s left (if you haven’t eaten it by itself already like I almost did!)

 

 

But wait, of course there has to be a third option. For all of us who like to sit on the fence, enjoy the best of both worlds and choose to remain 50/50…

 

Just do what I did…

 

… And make BOTH* (yes, this entails the scoffing of both cheesecake and cake).

 

Good times.

 

However many Valentines you have this year, please take the time to feed them something sweet (‘sweeten them up’ so to speak!)

 

*KO Rasoi does not accept any responsibility for indigestion, erratic weight gain, ‘death by chocolate’ or ‘couch potato’ syndrome caused by rapid scoffing of delicious cakes.

 

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