2 Easy Desserts You Can Try Making To Cheer Yourself Up In These Bleak Times

Two delicious desserts you can try at home, courtesy recipes from Rachel Goenka’s Adventures with Mithai, given here. Let us know how these turned out!

Looking for some sweet inspiration to jazz up your lockdown dining? Here’s a suggestion – instead of microwaving that barfi you have at the back of the fridge, use it to make a nourishing snack bar, courtesy a recipe from Rachel Goenka’s Adventures with Mithai.

The Gourmand award-winning cookbook, which features 50 original recipes of Indian classics with a modern twist, has a ton of recipe ideas home bakers can put together with pantry staples too. Check out the Brown Butter, Rose & Chai Cake, a family classic from chef Rachel.

Pista Barfi, Cranberry & Oatmeal Bars

These oatmeal bars, with a rich, nutty barfi base, are a delicious snack for both adults and kids.

Makes 10 bars.

INGREDIENTS

Pista barfi 500 g
Cornflakes 60 g
White oats 100 g
Toasted sunflower seeds 100 g
Golden syrup 75 ml
Maple syrup 75 ml
White chocolate 50 g
Dried cranberries 50 g

METHOD

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• Line an 8×8-inch sheet tray with butter paper. Make a layer of pista barfi on the tray and chill in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Combine the maple syrup and golden syrup in a saucepan and heat over a medium flame until it comes to simmer, stirring occasionally. Set it aside.
• Melt the white chocolate in a microwave. Remove, then stir in the maple and golden syrup mixture and combine well.
• Add all the dry ingredient to the syrup mixture. Once the granola is well combined, layer the mixture on top of the pista barfi. Spread it evenly and press the granola down on top of the barfi.
• Cover the tray with cling film refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Unmould the slab and cut into even rectangular bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Bring the bars to room temperature before eating.

Brown Butter, Rose & Chai Cake

Serves 10

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

Flour 228 g
Baking powder 1/4 tsp
Baking soda 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Cardamom powder
1/2 tsp
Yogurt 160 g
Castor sugar 200 g
Oil 130 ml
Rose water 1 tsp
Black tea leaves 2 ½ tbsp
Milk 165 ml

GLAZE

Unsalted butter 60 g
Icing sugar 180 g
Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp
Rose essence 2 ml
Milk 2 tbsp

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line and grease a 8.5×4.5 loaf pan.
• Brew the tea with 165 ml milk first. Bring it to a boil, remove from the heat and keep it covered for 3 to 4 minutes to allow the tea to steep. Strain with a fine mesh sieve and bring the milk tea to room temperature before using. You need around 2/3 cup of tea.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom powder together and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the yogurt and sugar for a few minutes. Add the oil and rose water and whisk for another few minutes till the mixture is creamy.
• Add the sifted dry ingredients and the milk tea to the batter.
• Gently fold in the dry ingredients with a spatula. Pour into the greased loaf tin and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
• While the cake bakes, make the glaze. Sift the icing sugar and cardamom powder together and set aside.
• Cook the butter in a saucepan over a low flame for 5 to 8 minutes till the butter browns. Be careful not to burn the butter. Strain the browned butter to remove any impurities.
• Add the icing sugar, a little at a time, and whisk to combine.
• Add a few teaspoons of milk and rose essence to thin the glaze, so it’s a pourable consistency.
• Remove the tea cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack. Carefully run a knife around edge of the pan to loosen before unmoulding.
• Once the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the glaze on top.

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Image source: JoAnn Hayes / CC BY-SA & HarperCollins

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