I made what I call caramel apple cupcakes. Basically, fluffy cupcakes full of shredded apples, frosted with cream cheese frosting and drizzled with a homemade caramel sauce. Okay, i will give you a minute for that to sink down. Can you say “Yippee-yoo!!” That’s exactly how you feel when you bite into one! This year,…
Gulab Phirni {Creamy Rose Flavored Rice Pudding}
If you are looking for something sweet yet light with a hint of the exotic, then this dessert is for you. That’s exactly what I craved one day. I knew phirni fit the bill perfectly. Phirni or firni is an Indian dessert from the Punjab region. It is the more exotic cousin of a traditional…
Doodh Peda {Indian Milk Fudge}
My absolute favorite Indian sweet is the gulab jamun. Doodh (milk) pedas come a close second. I’ve always made gulab jamuns from a ready-made mix and bought pedas from the store. Never tried making them from scratch. I find that gulab jamuns made from ready-to-make dough mixes are actually pretty good. So I decided to…
Shakarkandi-Sooji Halwa {Indian Sweet Potato & Semolina Pudding}
The one good thing about the approaching winter is that there are no dearth of celebrations, festival and holidays. I have vowed to make a dessert every evening from now until Diwali, the Indian festival of lights. Make that until Thanksgiving. Okay, maybe not everyday, but every other day then. Or at least twice a…
Bhapa Doi Or Baked Yogurt Pudding {With Pomegranate Coulis}
Imagine this. A dessert so luscious and so delightful, that you savor the taste and texture long after it’s all gone. And even better, what if I told it takes less than 5 minutes of hands-on time? Meet bhapa doi, a traditional Bengali dessert which is nothing but a sweet yogurt pudding. Bengali cuisine is…
Paal Kozhukattai {Rice Flour Dumplings In A Coconut Milk Pudding}
Some recipes are so close to the heart, they really don’t need a special occasion to be enjoyed. This is one such recipe. It is a classic, rustic, soul-satisfying dish from Tamil Nadu, also found in parts of Kerala. My mom makes this the best and I have practiced it over the years to sort…
Pokemon Birthday Cake {Yellow Layer Cake With Chocolate Buttercream}
It was the little guy’s birthday last week. His 6th, to be precise (ohh, I still haven’t gotten used to saying that!). Six years now that I’ve been a mother/personal assistant/playmate/nurse/teacher/personal chef/groomer. As he grows up, I find that I need to wear some of those caps for a little lesser time with each passing…
Basbousa {Semolina Cake With Lemon-Rose Syrup}
If you are craving something sweet and decadent, you are in luck! I have just the thing for you today. This is basbousa or basboussa, an Egyptian specialty, also known as namoura, revani or ravani in different countries around the Middle-East. This dessert is sinfully decadent, but at the same time really easy to make…
Fresh Peach Muffins {With A Crunchy Oatmeal Streusel}
I love muffins, they are so much fun to bake and eat. The traditional muffin method is the easiest way of whipping up a baked treat. Just combine the dry and wet ingredients in a huge bowl, mix, bake and you’re done! Muffin recipes are usually really forgiving, and they turn out so fluffy and…
Strawberry Vanilla Cake
I’ve been on a hunt lately, a hunt for beautiful stoneware that can go from the oven straight to the table. And it has to be heavy stoneware, not glass or glazed porcelain. When I began this search, I quickly realized that the most beautiful pans do not come cheap. And the ones I did…
Honeydew Melon, Cucumber And Lime Popsicles
It’s getting hot, hot and hotter by the day. Some days are hot and humid and that is the worst combination ever. And on days like that, the best things to eat should come straight out of the freezer, icy cold and delicious. But if I had ice cream every day during the Texan summer,…
Lauki Ka Halwa {Bottle Gourd Pudding}
Has it ever happened to you, when you tasted something extraordinary just once and you can still recollect its aroma, taste and every little nuance that made it special in the first place? There are some foods that linger in your memory for a long time, almost forever. I still remember the first time I…
