Quinoa CCC Cookies

This summer, I spent couple weeks with my parents in India and fortunately I celebrated Mother’s Day in-person after almost 12 years. Since I was around, I asked my Mum for any special requests and she immediately gave me a brief (pretty sure she has been thinking about this since I informed her my travel schedule) jotted down on a sticky note - create a sweet treat using Quinoa, Whole Wheat Flour, Jaggery and Chocolate. Phew! Someone has been watching Masterchef Mystery Box Challenges…

Based on the brief and incorporating my favorite coffee and cardamom flavor combo - I made these indulgent cookies that are hard to eat just one. The pops of quinoa, the aroma from cardamom and the melty chocolate and caramel bits make these delightful accompaniment with morning coffee… although I have seen my partner sneak a few while working late night! By using vegan butter and chocolate, you can totally keep it vegan and by using your go-to gluten free flour blend you can make it GF too!

*Note: CCC here stands for - Coffee, Caramel and Cardamom

Ingredients (about 25-26 medium or 17-18 large cookies)

Dry Ingredients
230g Whole Wheat Flour (spelt flour will be great too)
1.5 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt (or fine sea salt)
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
2 tsp Ground Cardamom

Wet Ingredients
115g Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature (substitute with Vegan Butter)
95g Coconut Sugar or Light Brown Sugar (subsitute with 80g Jaggery and increase Caster Sugar by 15g)
50g Caster Sugar or Powdered Sugar (alternatively pulse granulated sugar in food processor for 30-60 seconds)
2 tbsp Flaxmeal (ground flaxseed) whisked with 5 tbsp Tepid Water and rested for 15-20 mins
2 tbsp Instant Coffee Powder/Granules
2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract

Filling
175g Cooked Quinoa, at room temperature
75g Sea Salt Caramel Chips (substitute with White Chocolate Chips)
130g 60% Dark Chocolate Chips or Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

Directions
🍪 Whisk all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, using electric whisk cream butter and both sugars until pale and a bit fluffy. Add coffee, vanilla and continue whisking until combined and fluffier - about 2 more minutes

🍪 Add half quantity of flax meal mixture and continue whisking until it’s combined and starts to look glossy and a bit voluminous. Add remaining mixture and whisk until everything is well combined. Now gradually sift and fold in half quantity of dry ingredients into the large bowl until no floury spots remain. Fold in remaining dry ingredients gently until a homogeneous dough is formed

🍪 Transfer all filling ingredients straight into the large bowl, gently fold and mix everything to form the cookie dough. Refrigerate for 30-40 mins and begin pre-heating oven to 195C/375F during that time. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment / oven safe silicone mat

🍪 Once chilled, using a medium or large size ice cream scoop portion out cookie dough on the lined sheet. Make sure to keep them at least 1/2” apart (optional - using wet hands feel free to smooth out the tops). Bake for 15-16 mins, transfer onto a cooling rack and devour in 3-4 mins while it’s still a bit warm. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for upto a week. Or else refrigerate upto a month - just bake at 375F (straight from the fridge) for 5-7 mins before consuming.

Labneh Frosted Coconut Poppyseed Mini Cakes

Miniature pound cakes made with coconut flour, poppyseeds and copius amounts of citrus zest then topped with a Labneh (strained Greek Yoghurt) frosting swirled with an Orange Blossom & Star Anise syrup and finished with candied Orange slices. Rave reviews from friends, neighbors and my trusted recipe tester friend Minna (talented home chef from Espoo, Finland). Hope you give these a go!

*make sure to check out the notes below

Ingredients (makes 6)

Dry Ingredients

67g Plain Flour or All purpose Flour (use Gold Medal brand or any low protein% type)

50g Coconut Flour (substitute with Almond Flour or Plain Flour)

Heaping 1/4tsp Baking Powder

1/4 tsp fFine Sea Salt

15g Poppy Seeds

Wet Ingredients

117g Salted Butter, softened at room temperature

80g Granulated Sugar

37g Demerara Sugar (substitute with Coconut Sugar or Light Brown Sugar)

Zest of One Lemon - about 2 tbsp

Zest of One Orange - about 3 tbsp

1 tsp Orange Blossom Water (sub Vanilla)

2 large Eggs, beaten (100g)

Syrup

Juice of 1 Large Lemon (~ 10g)

Juice of 1 Orange (~ 90g)

75g Maple Syrup

2 tsp Orange Blossom Water (reduce to taste)

2 tbsp water

2 whole star anise, ground (optional, but recommended)

Frosting (makes extra)

200g Labneh, chilled

20g Double Cream or Heavy Whipping Cream, chilled

1 tsp Citrus Zest

4 tbsp Syrup, reserved

1/2 tsp Orange Blossom Water (optional)

3 candied Orange Discs, quartered

Directions

🍰 Pre-heat oven to 365F or 180C. Grease a set of 6 cupcake/muffin mold (I prefer silicone but regular metal is just fine). Now in a saucepan combine all syrup ingredients and bring to boil. Add candied orange pieces and simmer until it’s runny syrup like consistency (Should be reduced to half by weight). Transfer candied orange pieces on to a cooling rack and reserve 4 tbsp of syrup for frosting & keep the rest for serving

🍰 Whisk all frosting ingredients until well combined, smooth & glossy (I aim for soft-medium peaks). Refrigerate until ready to frost

🍰 Sift and combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl; keep it aside. Cream butter, sugar and zest until pale and fluffy. Add eggs and orange blossom then whisk for 3 mins or until combined (even if it looks a bit split that’s okay)

🍰 Fold in dry ingredients & mix until no dry floury spots. Divide and transfer the batter into greased molds, bake for 25 mins or until test skewer comes out clean. Once cooled, turn them out upside down. Slice off the domed bit of wider side so that it’s flat

🍰 Spoon generous blobs of frosting on the narrow side of each cake. Or for a fancier look, pipe the frosting on the wider side - like this. Then finish with a couple candied orange slices on top & drizzle the remaining syrup all over

*Notes:

• You can use Gluten Free flour instead of Plain Flour to keep it Gluten free. I use Bob’s Red Mill Brand

• If you’re skeptical about orange blossom, then just use vanilla extract or almond/orange extract. With Almond extract and Almond Flour, I bet these would turn into somthing quite special

• In the batter you can use just orange or lemon zest instead of both

• To convert these into cupcakes - poke holes into warm cakes & pour the cooled syrup right away. Pipe frosting with a slice of candied orange on top. Just make sure the cakes are hot & the syrup is cold while pouring

• If left with extra frosting , then I highly recommend smearing on toast and top with fresh fruit

Strawberry Labneh Yin-Yang

Its the contrasting texture and temperature that got me naming this Yin and Yang - slightly warm and jammy tart berries with chilled thick labneh. Strawberries are tossed with Anardana (ground dried pomegranate seeds, typically found in South Asian specialty store), sugar and fresh Orange Juice (fruit juice helps in cutting down the added sugar) then roasted for a short while. Once cooled it’s mixed with Grand Marnier (use vanilla extract or orange juice to keep it alcohol free), then served alongside chilled sweetened labneh that’s scented with vanilla & citrus zest. Finished with a good dose of fresh mint. It’s a play of tart on tart flavors - I strongly feel that it works just like eating tea Madeleines with tea.

Ingredients (serves 4)

Roasted Berries

1 lb Strawberries, tops removed, hulled & halved

2 tbsp Coconut Sugar or Dark/Light Brown Sugar

1 tbsp Granulated Sugar

1-1.5 tbsp Anardana - substitute with Sumac or 1/2 tbsp pomegranate molasses

50 ml Orange Juice , reserve the zest

2 tsp Grand Marnier (substitute with Triple Sec)

Scented Labneh

275g Labneh (strained Greek Yoghurt) or you can use Icelandic Skyr (to keep it vegan feel free to use your go to Vegan Greek yogurt)

2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or extract (make sure to use a good quality pure extract)

2 tsp Orange Zest (Reserved from the juiced orange used in the roasted strawberries)

1 tbsp Granulated Sugar

Garnish

3-4 sprigs of Mint, torn or roughly chopped

Directions

🍓Pre-heat oven to 400F, combine all ingredients for roasted berries except Grand Marnier in a high-sided baking dish. Give it a good mix and bake for 16-17 mins. Keep it aside to cool completely

🍓 Meanwhile, whisk scented labneh ingredients until well combined. Divide and smear generous portions in one side of each serving bowls. Refrigerate until ready to serve

🍓 Once the roasted strawberries are completely cooled, add liquer and mix until well combined. Bring out the labneh bowls from fridge, spoon strawberries on opposite side of the bowl. Drizzle the berry syrup, garnish with chopped fresh mint and enjoy!

Blood Orange Cardamom Semolina Cake

Middle eastern style syrup cakes are quite special in texture, flavors and fragrance - If you haven’t tried them yet, then you are missing out big time! I highly recommend seeking these out in traditional middle eastern bakeries or supermarkets - look for “Basbousa” or “Namoura”. My take here is an iteration of using the seasonal blood orange, crème fraîche and my favorite cardamom. It’s ultra tender, aromatic and a lovely make ahead dessert for a dinner party.

*Note: It’s nut-free and egg-free. By using Coconut Yoghurt instead of Crème Fraîche and Vegetable Oil instead of Ghee & Butter you can absolutely turn this into a stunning Vegan Dessert centerpiece.

Make sure to read the full recipe before starting as it involves resting time therefore plan your schedule accordingly

Ingredients (16 pieces)

Dry Ingredients

130g Coarse Semolina (mostly found in Indian or Middle Eastern Specialty Stores); Fine would work too but the resulting crumb will be tighter and dense

115g Coconut Flour or Ground Desiccated Coconut (Tap on the link for my preferred brand)

1/2 tbsp Ground Cardamom

50g Granulated Sugar rubbed with 1 tbsp Blood Orange Zest + 1 tbsp Lemon Zest

Wet Ingredients

30g Ghee, melted

56g Salted Butter, melted

1-2 tsp Orange Blossom Water (based on tolerance for the essence) - feel free to substitute with Vanilla Extract if opposed to floral notes

2 tbsp Blood Orange Juice

125g Crème Fraîche or Whole Milk Greek Yoghurt

1 1/4 tsp Baking Soda

Syrup

180g Granulated Sugar

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

2 tbsp Blood Orange Juice

110g Water

1 tsp Orange Blossom Water

4-5 Crushed Cardamom Pods

4-5 Lemon Peel Strips (optional)

2 tbsp Tahini for greasing

1 Blood Orange, thinly sliced and each slice quartered - for decoration

Directions

💥 Make the syrup - in a saucepan combine sugar, water, Cardamom pods and lemon peels (if using). Bring it to simmer and cook for 7-8 mins or until a thin/runny syrup consistency is achieved. Add lemon juice, orange juice and blossom water, mix thoroughly and turn off the heat. Let it cool completely.

💥 In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Transfer orange juice, melted ghee and butter into the dry ingredients bowl. Mix really well and keep it aside. Now in a small bowl, combine crème fraîche / yoghurt with baking soda, mix thoroughly and let it sit for 15mins or until it looks frothy and increase in volume. Transfer this frothy mixture into the large bowl with Semolina mixture. Combine everything thoroughly and let it sit for 45-50 mins . Towards the end of resting time, pre-heat oven to 400F

💥 Grease a 8”x8” square pan generously with 2 tbsp Tahini. Transfer the rested batter into the greased pan, press it into an even layer (I use an oiled measuring cup to smooth out evenly). Using a sharp knife cut into 16 even squares then place a quarter slice of orange on each square. Bake for 15 mins , then reduce oven temperature to 375F and continue baking for another 15 mins or until it’s golden and cooked

💥 Take out from oven and pour the cooled syrup (make sure to fish out Cardamom pods before pouring) all over (it’s absolutely critical to keep the cake hot and syrup cool). Let it absorb and cool down completely. Then re-cut the squares, serve with crème fraîche or Greek Yoghurt and fresh blood orange segments.

Dark Chocolate, Chestnut and Whiskey Torte

Amidst the cookie marathons, gingerbread house decorations, organizing holiday parties and setting up the Christmas tree, phew! This holiday season the grown-ups deserve an indulgent dessert break to treat themselves. So, here I have a rich flourless chocolate torte enhanced with a bay leaf infused chestnut paste and spiked with a peaty Irish Whiskey, finished with the real MVP - Chestnut Chantilly Cream topping. If you don’t want to make chestnut paste from scratch, then you can absolutely use the store-bought versions - just make sure to look for sweetened ones. I would highly recommend using good quality whiskey for this recipe but if you want to keep it alcohol free then just use same quantity of Apple Cider+1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste/Extract.

Ingredients (serves 5-6)

Chestnut Paste
250g Roasted & Peeled Chestnuts (I buy packaged ones from H-Mart)
160ml Whole Milk
100ml Double Cream Or Heavy Whipping Cream
40g Light Brown Sugar
20g Granulated Sugar
6-8 Bay Leaves
4 Star Anise Pods
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract or Bean Paste

Torte
125g Dark Chocolate, you can use chips or chopped up bar (I use 72% from Trader Joe’s)
125g Salted Butter
100g Chestnut Paste
70g Caster Sugar (fine Granulated sugar)
32g Whiskey (I used Connemara Peated Irish Whiskey, feel free to use your favorite whiskey. I love the smoky undertones so I think a good scotch will be fantastic)
2 large Eggs, separated
Pinch of Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Star Anise

Chestnut Chantilly
110g Chestnut Paste
22g Whiskey (I used Connemara Peated Irish Whiskey)
25g Powdered Sugar
120g Double or Heavy Whipping Cream, super cold (straight from the refrigerator)

Whiskey Syrup (optional but highly recommended)
3 tbsp Whiskey
2 tbsp Maple or Agave Syrup

Garnish

Rosemary Sprigs
Cocoa Powder

Directions
🎊 Make the Chestnut Paste - combine all ingredients in a saucepan, cook on medium heat and bring it to simmer. Simmer for 18-20 mins or until it’s thickened. Remove from heat and let it cool completely. Now, remove bay leaves and Star Anise pods and blitz everything in a food processor until very thick and smooth. To achieve a smoother texture, pass the paste through a mesh sieve using a wooden spatula (optional Step). We will need about 210g Chestnut Paste so if you end up with extra then feel free to use on toasts

🎊 Make Torte - pre-heat oven to 350F and line a 7” springfoam baking tin with parchment. Fill a saucepan with 2 cups of water, once barely simmering set up a large heatproof bowl on top and add chocolate and butter. Stir until chocolate has melted, take off the heat and add sugar and whiskey. Keep stirring until everything looks homogenous and shiny. While this is cooling - Beat egg yolks, salt, star anise and chestnut paste until smooth. Now gradually combine the chestnut paste-yolk mix into the chocolate whiskey mixture until everything is well combined. Whisk egg whites into fluffy stiff peaks, then in 2-3 batches gently fold them into the chocolates chestnut mix. Pour this into the prepared tin and bake for 26-28 mins or until just set. Let it cool completely then refrigerate until the Chantilly is ready

🎊 Make the Chantilly - combine and beat Chestnut paste, Whiskey and sugar until a smooth homogenous paste is achieved. Now whisk chilled heavy cream to medium to stiff peaks and using a silicone spatula carefully fold in the Chestnut mix. We are looking at a well incorporated dirty ivory colored thick luscious cream

🎊 Assembly and serving - Mix whiskey and maple syrup well. Bring out the chilled torte and put dollops of Chantilly. Using a spatula spread evenly, feel free to make some waves! Decorate with rosemary and a dusting of cocoa powder. Slice and serve with a generous drizzle of whiskey syrup

Miso Pumpkin Mini Cakes with Kahlúa Tahini Sauce

May sound a bit too dramatic, but the whole flavor combo works! These dainty little cakes with an umami spark from the Shiro Miso in the Genoise Sponge and the delicious boozy kick from the Kahlua in the rich Tahini Sauce are very easy to put together. A true delight for all my fellow sesame lovers.

*If you don’t have mini Bundt pans then mini muffin or madeleine pans are perfect. Additionally, these can be refrigerated in an air-tight container upto 3 days - just bring it to room temperature before serving.

Makes 10-12 Mini Cakes

Wet Ingredients
70g Unsalted Butter, melted
36g Pumpkin Purée
16g White Miso Paste
2 large Eggs (100g)
36g Granulated Sugar
25g Maple Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract
1/2 tbsp Orange Zest

Dry ingredients
85g Plain Flour
11g Cornstarch
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
Scant 1/2 tsp Ground Turmeric
1-2g Ground Cardamom (upto taste)

Kahlúa Sauce
40g Tahini (the tahini I used is quite thick so increase the quantity if your’s is runnier)
75g Maple Syrup
8g Dutch Processed or Black Cocoa Powder
2g Instant Espresso Powder or Instant Coffee Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
3 tbsp Kahlúa Or Coffee Liquer (more to adjust the consistency)

*Sesame Brittle (Optional)

In a saucepan, melt 100g granulated sugar with 2 tbsp water until it turns amber colored caramel. Now add 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract, 27g of roasted sesame seeds (both black & white) & 1g sea salt - stir until well combined. Spread this mixture evenly on a silicone mat, let it set for 15-20 mins. Break into different shapes & keep it ready to use in desserts or as candy snacks

Roasted Sesame seeds or Crushed Sesame Brittle for garnish

Directions
🧡 Sift and whisk all dry ingredients in a bowl. Keep it aside. Whisk melted butter, miso and pumpkin purée and keep it aside

🧡 Pre-heat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, zest and sugar vigorously for 5 mins or until it begins to start turning pale & frothy. Add maple syrup and vanilla and continue whisking until it reaches ribbon stage or very frothy

🧡 Now fold 1/3 dry ingredients mixture into the large bowl with beaten eggs mixture. Once fully incorporated, add 1/3 pumpkin Miso butter and continue folding until everything is homogenous. Continue this alternate dry and wet additions twice until a well mixed (with no dry floury spots) batter is achieved

🧡 Grease a 12 hole mini Bundt or cake pan with cooking spray or melted butter. Fill each hole 2/3 level and bake in the middle rack for 10 mins. Let it cool in the pan for 8 mins then invert to release the cakes. Let them cool completely

🧡 Whisk all sauce ingredients until thick, glossy and smooth. We are looking for a thick drip glaze - so based on the quality of Tahini, Maple Syrup and Liquer please adjust the quantities to achieve the desired consistency. While the cakes are on cooling rack, put a baking sheet or parchment underneath. Generously drizzle about 2 tsp sauce on top of each cake, let it drip and set for 5 mins or so. Finish with roasted sesame seeds or blitz the optional sesame brittle to resemble praline and sprinkle on top.

Cardamom and Lime Poached Apricot Clafoutis

Adapting a French classic to make it glutenfree and infusing my favorite flavors! You can substitute any stone fruit of equal weight and the poaching time will vary based on the type, size and ripeness of the fruit. Serving with Crème Fraîche is a MUST, if you can’t find it then try freshly whipped cream instead of ice-cream.

*Note: by using plant based milk, butter and cream you can absolutely adapt it into a Dairy Free dessert. Wouldn’t recommend going egg-free as those proteins are essential for the custardy experience

Ingredients (serves 4)
4 cardamom pods, crushed
1 tsp Saffron Threads (optional)
45g Granulated Sugar
80ml dry White Wine (I used Pinot Grigio); substitute with good quality apple cider
170ml Water
2 tbsp Lime Juice
2-3 long strips of Lime Peel
350-355g Ripe Apricots, pitted & halved

Batter
55g Granulated Sugar
1 tbsp Lime Zest
1 tsp Ground Cardamom
50g 1 to 1 Gluten-free Flour (that already includes Xantham Gum)
10g Rice flour (substitute with ground nuts of your choice)
Good Pinch of salt
2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or Extract
2 Large Eggs (about 52g)
200ml Full fat Milk
80ml Heavy Whipping Cream
2 tbsp Unsalted Butter, melted at room temp

Serve with 3-5 tbsps of Crème Fraîche

Directions
1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a saucepan, on a low flame bring it to light simmer. Once simmering add apricots then gently cook for 3 mins. Turn-off heat, let apricots poach for additional 2 mins in the warm liquid then transfer them out. Pat dry and keep them aside

2. Now add 10g of granulated sugar to the poaching liquid and bring it back to heat. Cook until reduced to a runny syrup, discard peels and cardamom pods and keep it aside. Pre-heat oven to 415F and grease a medium baking dish with melted butter

3. Combine sugar, zest and cardamom. Using finger tips massage sugar with aromatics - to release the essential oils & flavor the sugar (About 5 mins)

4. In a blender, combine flavored sugar with rest of the batter ingredients and pulse for 90 secs. Arrange poached apricots (cut side down) in the baking dish and pour batter. Bake for 35-40 mins or until the batter is risen and edges look golden

5. Cut a slice, dust with powdered sugar, top with dollops of crème fraîche and generously drizzle the syrup. Enjoy!

Boozy Chocolate Pear Pudding with Bailey's Fudge Sauce

Pear quarters are baked in a blanket of cocoa sponge batter spiked with ground ginger & spiced rum. Served with a warm luscious chocolate sauce that has a generous dose of Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur! This is an indulgent and fuss-free spinoff of a classic British dessert called “Eve’s Pudding“ where apples are baked underneath Victoria sponge batter.

Ingredients (serves 2)

Pudding
60g AP flour
40g granulated sugar
12g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp fine sea salt
56g (4 tbsp) softened unsalted butter
1 large egg, room temp
4 1/2 tsp dark rum
2 medium Pears, cored & quartered

Fudge Sauce
60g dark chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp salted butter
2 tbsp granulated sugar
30 ml instant coffee
30 ml heavy cream
40 ml Bailey’s Irish Cream

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400F. Combine & pulse all pudding ingredients in a food processor, for 2-3 mins or until its thick & glossy

2. Grease a 1 qt. baking dish & arrange pears (cut side down). Transfer the batter into baking dish, smooth off the top & bake for 30 mins

3. Meanwhile in a small saucepan heat up coffee, add sugar followed by chocolate. Once the chocolate melts, add butter & turn off the heat. While warm, whisk in the heavy cream & Bailey’s. Keep it aside

4. Cut a slice of the pudding and serve with a generous helping of the warm boozy fudge sauce. Enjoy with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or just like that 🙃

No-churn Cold Brew, Soy and Kahlúa Ice cream

To get in my mum’s good graces while welcoming her to our place, I made a special “welcome home” treat commemorating two of her most favorite things in the world - coffee & ice cream but of course gotta show off some UMAMI flair to her! Even after confessing that the secret ingredient was booze, I saw her continuing to sneak out scoops from the freezer in the afternoon when everyone was busy… proper🎤 drop moment in my culinary journey!!!!

Ingredients (2 pint boxes)

200g sweetened condensed milk, room temperature

12g Instant cold brew granules (I use the Trader Joe’s brand but feel free to substitute with any Instant Coffee Granules/Powder)

2.5 tsp Dark Soy Sauce

30g Kahlúa

270g Double Cream or Heavy Whipping Cream, super super cold

Directions

🍨 In a bowl, combine first four ingredients. Give everything a very good whisk so that it’s a luscious homogeneous mixture

🍨 In another bowl, add cream straight from fridge and using electric beater - whisk for 5 mins or until soft-medium peaks are formed

🍨 Now carefully, fold the whipped cream into the Kahlúa condensed milk mix - in 3-4 batches. First batch of whipped cream folding should be deliberate so that the base is well mixed. Think of it as sacrificial!

🍨Try to be gentle and preserve as much volume as possible from next batch of folding. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer into a loaf tin or two pint boxes and freeze for 8-12 hrs

🍨Take it out for 3-4 mins before serving. Dust with more coffee or cocoa powder, drizzle some chocolate fudge or as is …enjoy!