Tag: Dessert

Mango Cheese Cup Cake

Desserts

A no gelatin, no agar-agar and a no-egg cheesecake which is creamy, silky and smooth. This no-bake decadent dessert consists of a base made from crushed digestive biscuits and another layer of cream cheese and mango puree.

Makes 15 cupcakes

  • Add biscuits and butter base to the cucake liners and press it firmly
  • Beat the whipping cream until peaks form
  • Combine the whipped cream, cream cheese and mango puree
  • Spoon the mixture into the cupcake liners and freeze

Ingredients:

For The cheesecake:

Cream Cheese (full fat) – 300 g (room temperature)

Thick yogurt/Greek yogurt – 1 cup

Powdered sugar – 1/2 cup

Lime juice – 1 tbsp

Mango puree – 1 cup

Whipping cream – 1/2 cup

For the base:

Digestive biscuits – 190 gms

Melted unsalted butter – 1/3 cup

For topping:

Cubed mango – few

Mango puree – 2 – 3 tbsp

Mint leaves – a few

Preparation:

For the base :

In a vessel, place the biscuits and break it into pieces. Transfer them to a pulser and run it once until you get fine crumbs. Transfer it to the vessel again and add the melted butter to it and mix well.

Meanwhile, place the muffin liners in the muffin pans. Transfer the biscuits crumb and butter mix equally among the 15 muffin pans and press it until they are compact.

Mango:

If you are using fresh mangoes, take the flesh off 2 mangoes and puree them in a pulser to a smooth paste. Keep aside 1 cup for the cake and around 3 tbsp for the topping. If you are using a store bought canned mango puree, take 1 cup of it and add lime juice and blend until smooth.

For the Cream cheese:

Place the cream cheese in a bowl. Add powdered sugar to it and yogurt and mix it well using a whisk or an electric hand-held mixer. Then, add the mango puree and mix well again.

For the Whipped Cream:

In another mixing bowl, prepare whipped cream as per the instructions on the packet (I added 1/2 cup of cold milk to one sachet of whip mix powder and beat it well for about 5 minutes until stiff peaks form).

Assembling:

Gently, fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mango mix until it combines well. Do not mix too much.

Fill in the muffin cups with this mixture using a spoon carefully. Smooth out the top using a small spoon/spatula and shake the muffn pan to allow the mixture to settle in. Place it in the freezer for 3 hours or more until they are firm.

Remove the muffin liners and transfer it to a serving plate. You may spoon some mango puree on top of the cupcakes, add 1 or 2 mango cubes on each of the cup cakes and decorate it with a mint leaf. Tastes best when served as it slightly starts to melt. Remove it from freezer and wait for 5 minutes before you serve.

Easy Ambalapuzha Paal Payasam

Desserts

Ambalapuzha Krishna temple in Kerala is famous for its paal payasam. Rich and creamy, it is usually made with red chemba rice and served without garnishing of nuts or raisins.

I have a sweet tooth and love all types of payasams. But this one from the kitchens of Kerala is an absolute special. My version of this payasam is an easy recipe shared by a friend in Kuwait, Nandini and I would like to thank her for the same. I loved this recipe and have prepared it many times and every single time, it has turned out to be a winner.

Ingredients:

Milk – 4 cups

Basmati rice or broken red rice – 1/4 cup

Sugar – 3/4 cup

Cardamom powder – 1/4 tsp

Raisins fried in ghee – 1 1/2 tsp

Cashewnuts fried in ghee – 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Though this payasam is traditonally made from broken rice, I have used plain basmati rice for this recipe.

Boil 4 cups of milk in a pressure cooker. When it starts to boil, add 1/4 cup rice to it and stir well. Once the milk boils again , add 3/4 cup sugar and stir well. When it starts boiling again, close the lid of the pressurre cooker, put on the weight and keep it on the small gas burner on a very low flame. Let it cook for 40 – 45 minutes.

If the milk starts to come out, place a thick wet cloth (preferably a small turkey towel) over the cooker, close to the whistle. You will need to remove the cloth in between and wet it again and place it on the cooker, as it will turn dry.

Once the cooker cools down, remove and check the payasam. It would have turned pinkish cream in colour. Add the cashewnuts, cardamom powder and raisins and serve it hot or cold, as per your preference.