ShareMishti doi reminds me, and probably all Bengalis an earthen pot filled with a brownish mass of sweet curd.

• 
  
  Full Cream Milk-1ltr
• Sugar-8 tbsp
• Yogurt -2 tbsp
• 1 Earthen pot (optional)

ShareMy idea of the perfect dessert involves custard in any shape or form.

•  Sugar-2/3rd cup
• Water-1/3rd cup

Add sugar and water to a heavy stainless steel saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. When it starts to brown, swirl the saucepan around but do not stir. This will ensure that the sugar turns color evenly and will help wash any crystals off the side. When it is thick and a light, nutty brown, remove from heat and pour directly into molds; swirl each mold to coat evenly with the caramel.

• Milk-2 1/2 cups
• Sugar-1/2cup
• Eggs-3
• Egg yolks-3
• Vanilla extract-1tsp

Bring the milk to just below a simmer in a saucepan.

ShareThis amazingly delicious sweet is very simple to make. Surely we should have the luxury of indulging ourselves, once in a while, to savor such sinful temptations!! -:)

The halwa can be served either warm or cold. I prefer my halwa to be warm. But the taste is heavenly either way.
Ingredients:

• Unsalted bread-1 loaf
• Sugar-1cup
• Condensed milk-1 small tim
• Red food colour-a pinch
• Crushed Cardamoms-6
• Milk-1/2liter
• Rose water-2tbsp
• Ghee-2tbsp
• Chopped cashewnuts,almonds and rasins-1/2cup
• Oil-for deep frying

Heat oil for deep frying.Add the dried bread pieces and fry them till they turn golden brown.Drain on paper towels.
In a heavy bottomed pan,pour in the milk and boil.Simmer flame and layer the fried bread slices over the milk.Now pour the condensed milk,rose water and sugar syrup.
Exess milk/water shoul have been absorbed by now.
Heat ghee in a small pan and fry the nuts till golden in colour.
Add the ghee and nuts to the halwa and gently mix.So that you have a soft halwa with crisp bits of fried bread in between.
It tastes good both warm and cold.

ShareJilebis are one of the few Indian sweets that I love... perhaps it's because they're not just sweet but have a sour tang to them that comes from fermenting the batter.

• Maida 2 cups
• Sugar ½ cup
• Water 1¼ cup
• Curd ¼ cup
• Rose water 1 teaspoon
• Soda bicarbonate a pinch
• Oil for deep-frying
• Salt a pinch
Allow the mixture to ferment for 7 hours.
Boil the sugar to get a syrup. Cool and add the rose water to this.
To the batter add the soda powder and mix well.
Heat the oil for deep frying and force the batter through a piping bag to form spirals.
Deep fry till golden brown and soak it in the sugar syrup and serve.

ShareMagnesium and calcium are important minerals that help lower blood pressure, reduce the frequency and intensity of tension and migraine headaches (triggered by blood vessel spasms), reduce airway spasms in asthmatics, and regulate the sleep patterns of women suffering from menopause-induced sleep disturbances (a possible side effect of menopause). In addition, calcium is essential for bone structure and health, and has been shown to offer protection against colon cancer.

Here is the all time favourite chikki using these wonder seeds.

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  Sesame seeds-1cup
• 
  
  Grated Jaggery or sugar-1cup
• 
  
  Ghee=1tsp

ShareI have developed a serious obsession with Garrett’s Popcorn !!!
I heard it’s the most expensive popcorn!! What makes it so special is that each piece of popcorn is huge,evenly cooked. It has a variety of flavors. There’s caramel and almonds, caramel, caramel and hazelnut, butter, cheese, and many more.Afterall it's a Chicago special!!  A tip is to avoid the tins as this seems to triple the price and just go for popcorn in a bag which is far more reasonable.

Do I finally decided to make the all time famous caramel popcorn myself.Believe me I wasn’t disappointed with the results

Caramel Crisp Popcorn recipe
Source: chicagotribune.com


Ingredients:
1 heaping tablespoon solid coconut oil or peanut oil
1 cup unpopped white popcorn
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Method:
Heat coconut oil in a large pot over high heat. Add 6 kernels to pan as testers; cover. When at least 3 of the kernels pop, add remaining kernels. Shake pan occasionally as corn pops. Keep over high heat until popping slows to a few pops per second, about 5 minutes. Empty popped corn into a large brown paper bag. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Shake bag to distribute salt and drain excess oil; discard unpopped kernels. Measure 13 cups of fully popped kernels; spread on large roasting pan; set aside.

Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and baking soda in medium heavy saucepan; heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches 235 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.


Heat oven to 250 degrees F.
Carefully pour caramel mixture over popcorn. Stir mixture with heat-resistant spatula or buttered wooden spoon to evenly coat popcorn, working quickly to coat kernels.

Bake popcorn 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes to continue coating uniformly. Remove pan from oven; cool on wire rack. Break apart any clumps of corn with your hands.


Tips for success:
Use white kernels for tender popcorn.
Use coconut oil if you can find it. Though its saturated fat content is high, it makes a big flavor difference. Like shortening, it is solid at room temperature. If you can't find coconut oil, you can use peanut oil as a substitute.
During baking, stir gently to avoid breaking kernels, but stir thoroughly to cover as many kernels as possible.

ShareAnde ki Mithai is a Pakistani/Indian sweet that is made from eggs, sugar and clarified butter, ghee. It was a traditional dessert served at weddings back-in-the-day. It doesn’t taste like eggs, so egg-haters give it a chance.
You might have a heart attack by just seeing the amount of ghee that goes into the original recipe.
But, I do alter my recipes so they aren’t as caloric as they should be. And the best part is, no one knows the difference except for me :-)

Ingredients:
Eggs-6
Ghee-6tsp
Almond-a big fistfull
Saffron-Half gram(2pinches)
Sugar-4tsp
Condensed milk-1 tin
Milk-1/2 cup
Rose water-2tsp

Soak almonds in warm water for about an hour and peel the skin off.Reserve 5 almonds which will be needed for garnish.

Gring almonds,saffron ,rose water and milk together to a fine paste.Beat eggs and strain it.To the eggs,add the ground mix ,condense milk and ghee and blend well with an egg beater.
Grease the baking dish with ghee and pur the batter into it.Garnish with almond strands and saffron strands.

Baking:
Preheat the microwave for 10mins at 150degrees.
Bake at 180 degrees for 20mins.(check every 10mins.The knife should come out clean when checked)

Enjoy this great dessert which I have altered so as to have a guilt free dessert !!!