“I like rice. Rice is great if you’re hungry and want 2000 of something. ”
Mich Ehrenborg
Tropical Coconut Milk Rice Pudding … with dragon fruit & rambutans, a welcome and wonderful change from the rice pudding I usually serve. As much as we love the Indian version, with saffron and pistachios, this version topped with Thai fruit was a riot of colours. Pretty … and pretty yummy too! The idea of serving it came from a Phirni Custard I had done while reviewing Everyone Can Cook by Vikas Khanna, the inspiration for the skewered fruit from a BBC recipe I had seen somwehere.
Mr PAB was on an official trip to Bangkok and enjoyed a whole slew of Thai fruit at the hotel there. I love Thai fruit, so bright and colourful, and full of flavour. It costs an arm and a leg to buy them here, so I was pleasantly surprised when he arrived laden with bags of fruit.
Enjoy them as is was pretty much how the plan was going. Some shots later, the daughter looked aghast that I ‘wasn’t doing anything’ with them! “Aren’t you going to make ‘something’ with them? How can we just eat them all?” I had no plans at the time, but soon after the head was buzzing!Baking wasn’t in my line of thought but something more fun certainly was. One of my most pinned images from the Vanilla & Strawberry Macaron Trifle was a contender. Yet we needed dessert the same night! The jelly would have to wait since it needed an overnight set. Rice pudding seemed plenty more tangible.
SUCH FUN! In line with Thai fruit, I added some coconut milk to the rice pudding, and lemongrass and ginger juice for flavours. Beautiful undertones of a tropical rice pudding teased the palette in every spoonful … mild, gentle, addictive!
If you love the gentle flavours of coconut milk, this creamy make ahead rice pudding is for you. If you have time, then maybe infuse the milk with lemon grass and ginger the night before. Strain and use. Or if you haven’t had time to think and plan like me, make a tight little bundle of lemon grass, grate and squeeze out the ginger juice…The Indian rice pudding is traditionally a vegetarian, eggless dessert option. It’s creamy with beautiful texture. Gluten free too. This version, the Tropical Coconut Milk Rice Pudding is a wonderful make ahead dessert option. Can be set in pudding bowls or serving glasses a day or two in advance. Top it with fruit the same day else the fruit tends to lose its shine and appeal!
The basic recipe is pretty generic. For Indian flavours, you could skip the lemongrass and ginger. Use cardamom powder and saffron instead. The latter reminds me of a stunning Saffron Caramel Panna Cotta I made a while ago. That’s another great make ahead dessert option.
Rambutans are similar to the Indian litchi, just a little firmer. The outer covering of course grabs your eyeballs. Amazing colours! The dragon fruit is another story altogether. I could stare at it all day long. The fruit of a cactus plant, in many ways it seems unreal!
If the outer appearance is mesmerising, just cut through the fruit and be ready for magic! For me, it was a trip back to 101 Dalmatians! I fell in love with the black and white interiors, and the pretty pink contrasting inner membrane. An explosion of colours, nature that mesmerises, black and white that pleases! Wow!!
Summary: The Indian rice pudding is traditionally a vegetarian, eggless dessert option. It’s creamy with beautiful texture. Gluten free too. This version, the Tropical Coconut Milk Rice Pudding is a wonderful make ahead dessert option. Can be set in pudding bowls or serving glasses a day or two in advance.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients:
Rice pudding
1 bunch lemongrass, bruised
2-3 kaffir lime leaves
200ml low fat cream
100g basmati rice, washed, drained
150ml 2% milk
1tin sweetened condensed milk {approx 400g}
1 tin coconut milk {400g}
Fruit topping
1 dragon fruit, diced with pink membrane
200g rambutans
Simple sugar & lime syrup
Method:
Gently heat the low fat cream, add the lemongrass and lime leaves and leave to infuse covered in the fridge overnight.
Place the rice on a microwave safe platter, and microwave for a minute, stir, and repeat. The rice should be dry by now. Grind , stir into 150ml cold milk and reserve.
Bring the coconut milk to a simmering boil & add the condensed milk, stirring constantly while adding it.
Add the cream & mix in well.
Now mix the ground rice with the reserved cold milk. Take the pan off the heat source, mix in the rice mixture thoroughly, & put back on simmer.
Cook uncovered, on low heat, for 30-45 minutes until it becomes thick the rice grains are cooked. Stir often to avoid getting the rice into lumps.
Cool to room temperature, then ladle into serving dishes to set. It will become thicker as it sets. Chill covered for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Toss the fruit in a simple sugar and lime syrup {1/8 cup water + 1/4 cup sugar simmered until the sugar is dissolved}. Serve over the pudding if desired.
“Each individual has a unique food personality. The key is finding the balance point at which you feel great and are healthy.”
Rachel Frank
Red Berry Crumbles from a chick lit cookbook. A youthful, racy, around the world in 80 recipes cookbook with a catch to every name. The Tadka girls who blog at Tadka Pasta present fresh and imaginative recipes from their repertoire of travelling the globe. From the bylanes of Shanghai to the farmers market of Santa Monica, they leave no stone unturned. Their experiments in different cuisines have a personal touch … the inimitable Indian Tadka style of their own kitchen.
Ranjini Rao and Ruchira Ramanujan offer you flavours galore, sometimes quirky enough to make you sit up. Real life stories accompany each recipe, setting the scene and connect that make the book more interesting. At times however, the written word tends to get cumbersome. You want to get to the recipe quick.
With the book nicely divided into interesting sections – like bites n brews, sweet treats, signature tadka, funnibles etc, there’s plenty in it for everyone. The Red Berry Crumbles was a recipe I enjoyed. Good for an everyday dessert. Go a step further, perk it up a little and make it special for the holiday season!
The layout and design of the book is something I like; the simple scrapbook layout which adds to the appeal. Not overpowering, yet aesthetic. Notes with almost every recipe are quite welcome. It is thoughts like this that make a difference!
What should I try first from the book? I thought I’d hand it out to junior. NOT something sweet I ‘gentlysuggested’ {read instructed}! He came back within minutes mumbling Red Berry Crumble. When I said there aren’t the sort of local berries here that we you see in the book, he was quick to retort … they say you can use strawberries! Kids grow up faster than you can imagine. Smarter too. “I checked the ingredients,” he said.
At times the recipe title font {and dual headings} confuse. Different fonts and different header designs salt and pepper the book. I think fun stuff like this is possibly targeted at the younger reader, new adventurous cooks in the kitchen. The recipes infuse new life into old classics, a pinch of chaat masala here, a tadka there!
Multigrain tortillas, DIY Oatnut bread, green chutney pesto, cawliflower soup, Tadka’s own chicken curry, chocolate bark, sundried tomato and herb crackers, Tadka style baklava dessert … yumminess aplenty. An African touch here, a Persian footprint there. Interesting indeed!
The Red Berry Crumbles offer a burst of colour, texture and fun! They bring alive the holiday season. A crumble is right up our street. This looked and smelt fab as it stepped out of the oven! I added some extra fruit to accommodate an extra serving. I also substituted the plain flour in the crumble topping with whole wheat flour.
That’s just how crumbles are … very accomodating and simmering in rustic goodness. In a few recipes, I find some basic standardisation missing. It’s best to either go with cup measurements or weight. A combination of the two in the same recipe makes me want to retype and correct!
A serving of light cream on the side, or some ice cream as suggested by the girls, will dress up this simple weekday dessert for guests. I think you can assemble it in advance and pop it into the oven about an hour before dinner! The red juices that spill out of the ramekins will win you over!!
The crumble was delicious. The flavours paired beautifully. We loved it!! You could use frozen berries if you like! I threw in some frozen mulberries too. I leave you to dive into the recipe, while I go to explore the book some more!
Summary: A bubbly dessert which is sweet, tart and even mildly spiced. This rustic red berry crumble is a melange of flavours and textures from Around the World with the Tadka Girls
Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Ingredients:
The Berry filling
Juice of 1/2 orange
1 tbsp finely chopped orange zest
1 tbsp all -purpose flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 pinch of salt
A dash of chaat masala powder
12 strawberries {fresh or frozen, {do not thaw}
100g raspberries or blueberries
The crumble topping
1/3 cup maida {I used whole wheat flour & it worked just fine}
60g cold, unsalted butter, diced
1/4 cup light brown sugar
A pinch of salt
2 tbsp oats
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
Method:
The berry filling
Stir together the orange juice, zest, flour sugar, salt and chat masala in a medium sized bowl.
Slice the strawberries and mix gently with the other ingredients in the bowl.
Set aside while you prepare the crumble
The crumble topping
Place all the ingredients except the walnuts, in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Refrigerate till it’s ready to go into the oven
To assemble the crumble
Preheat the oven to 190C
Divide the berry filling into four buttered ramekins, or use a larger baking dish
Sprinkle the topping evenly on top of the filling.
Scatter the chopped walnuts over the filling.
Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. The tops will be browned crisp and the berry juies might bubble over slightly.
Bring the crumble over to the table, and serve while it is still hot from the oven.
“Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple…”
J.K. Rowling
GF Apple Pistachio Craisin Crumble … you might have noticed a shift towards whole grains here on PAB. We all learn over time, and we all notice health trends. It’s been a while since I’ve used all purpose flour in my food. That was of course until I succumbed to two things … the Daring Bakers savoury pot pies challenge above {the post yet to see light of day}, followed by baklava {below} since I made double the amount of phyllo pastry! With autumn finally setting in, our days of apple crumbles, pumpkin pies, soups and the like have set in too. There’s a definite nip in the air and the wind is becoming colder by the day! Winter already seems just a heartbeat away!
I gave up wheat almost 7 months ago as I thought I was allergic to it. 6 months later, even though the pounds haven’t fallen off as many peeps claim, I am feeling better. Yet, me giving up wheat was different. You see, I don’t have a sweet tooth, so desserts, or the lack of them, don’t bother me.
Inspired by me and troubled by a few minimal health issues, Mr PAB decided to follow suit. That spelt trouble for me. Me I can take care of.He is another ball game altogether. The mains I can handle. It’s the desserts that bother me at times. This was a crumble I made for him, having scouted the local shops for finger millet flour.
Interestingly it came out quite delicious and went down rather well with the rest of the sweet-toothed bunch too. They love everything apple in dessert, and this got a thumbs up. I did throw in some pistachios and cranberries for colour as otherwise finger millet {ragi} lends a rather dull tone to the crumble.
I did Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Almond Brownies and an Amaranth Chocolate Cake recently, the latter not my own recipe though. Both wonderful. I am clearly enjoying the challenge! Suddenly everything seems gluten free! {You can find more gluten free recipes here}. Any GF dessert {and breakfast of course} suggestions are welcome with open arms.
Next on my list is was amaranth brownies since I recently bought some amaranth flour. My previous experiment with amaranth brownies with amaranth that I tried to grind at home resulted in a slightly granular texture. This time around they came out great!
This post has been sitting for quite a while in drafts. I made the crumble after a recent trip to Khari Baoli in Old Delhi. Khari Baoli, Asia’s biggest spice market is fascinating, chaotic, colourful, loud, noisy and a shoppers paradise for folk like me. I stocked up on my supply of dry fruits and garam masalas.
[print_this]Recipe: GF Apple Pistachio Craisin Crumble
Summary: A comforting fall/winter dessert with the goodness of fruit. This GF Apple Pistachio Craisin Crumble is a good make ahead dessert option. Rewarm it in the oven for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serves 6-8
Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients:
Apple mix
300g green apples, cored, peeled, chopped
juice of 1 lime
25g brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
25g finger millet flour
50g chopped pistachio and craisins {or raisins}, mixed
Crumble Topping
50g finger millet flour
50 g oats
50g brown sugar
50g granulated sugar
100g unsalted butter
25g chopped pistachio and craisin mix
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Toss all the ingredients in the apple mix together well. Place in pie plate or baking tin.
Topping
Run the finger millet, oats and sugar in the processor briefly to mix. Cut in the butter {or pulse briefly} to distribute evenly through topping.
Sprinkle over the apple mix, pressing firmly into place. Sprinkle over the reserved pistachio craisin mix.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the top is lightly coloured. Tent with foil if the top looks like it’s colouring too quick.
Serve warm or at room temperature with a drizzle of chilled unsweetened low fat cream. {The kids love it cold too}
“You have to find what sparks a light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world.”
Oprah Winfrey
Moong Dal Halwa, Dark Chocolate Nut Clusters, Baklava from scratch … how can we not go sweet on Diwali, the festival of lights? The halwa is special. The recipe is from the very sweet, talented and humble Chef Kunal Kapur, of Indian Master Chef fame. Masterchef Kunal Kapur judged a charity cook-off between a few chosen ones from the canola India Facebook contest and a couple of food bloggers. The chosen contestants came together to cook some healthy Diwali treats, in canola oil, for the underprivileged children from the NGO – Katha.
With an attempt to “Lighten up Diwali” for underprivileged children, Canolainfo joined hands with Masterchef India Judge Kunal Kapur to put together an inspiring afternoon and some delectable Diwali treats.
Phase I was online: inviting all food enthusiasts to upload a recipe of an interesting Diwali treat in order to participate in the “Light Up This Diwali With Canola Oil” contest sponsored by Canolainfo. Top 3 contestants were selected/invited to attend a charity cook-off, along with a few bloggers, at Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology wherein Masterchef Kunal Kapur judged the cook-off and interacted with the contestants. All the contestants were given recipes to make, in canola oil. The best out of all – Ms. Deeba Rajpal, chosen by Chef Kapur was given a hamper from Canolainfo. This was phase II of the event.
For the last and final phase, the Diwali treats made by contestants of the cook-off, was served to children of Katha, a non-profit that promotes children’s literacy. The event concluded with the children enjoying a healthy meal cooked in canola oil, put together for them along with an interactive session with Chef Kapur.
The spirit of the season took over. My first competitive cooking competition, which initially had me on the edge. Once we got talking, time really flew by. The entire experience was amazing. From weighing ingredients, working in a very very basic kitchen with just a bunch of utensils, shared space and basic ingredients, one simple dessert recipe bought us all together. It was a sense of community. That we had the timer on for 40 minutes was challenging is a small way. None of us had ever made a moong dal halwa before, let alone in oil. This was Chef Kunals recipe. It was cooked in oil versus clarified butter, then the oil was drained off. The texture was very interesting as there was a small portion of semolina in it that added texture to the halwa.
Otherwise a pretty straightforward recipe, the only important thing while cooking a halwa is to give it some TLC. Patience while roasting halwa is a virtue you need to develop. Hurry it up and you might not get the prefect end result! Kunal was a gem. Interacting with everyone, dropping pearls of wisdom when needed, the key was to keep your ears and eyes open! Suddenly, there was a twist. We had to incorporate any one of each the available fruits and spices in the halwa.
On offer were cheekus, bananas, oranges and limes. The spice box offered nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, mace, cardamom etc. I opted for orange and nutmeg, and infused the sugar syrup with a whole orange, chopped up, peels bruised and grated nutmeg. It was a beautiful halwa in the end. I loved doing it. I won first place for mine too. Happiness!!
Time really flew by. Before we knew it , we headed for Katha, an amazing and beautifully done up school. Seeing Chef Kunal interact with the bright eyed, eager enthusiastic kids was an emotional and satisfying experience. He has a gift, a special gift. Within 10 minutes he had broken ice and had all the kids literally eating out of his hands.It was time well spent!
It was a nice launch of the festive season. With sweet cravings arising with Diwali, it wasn’t long before I hit the sugar on fast track. It’s just once in a while that I go on a sugar overdrive. Mr PAB and the lad had been on my case for moong dal halwa.
So that had to be made on priority. Dark chocolate nut clusters was what I made as gifts to a few folk that I like gifting over Diwali. I enjoyed doing them a lot, packing them onto pretty white platters, finished with a hand made card from the daughter. Coco was right in the middle of everything as usual!
Then of course, I got bitten by a terrible bug. I had some home made phyllo left over form the Daring Baker challenge {for savoury pot pies which I still have to post}. I made the pies using homemade phyllo as the base pastry. I doubled the pastry because I have wanted to make that baklava once again.
The first time I had made it was for the Daring Bakers two years ago. That was a beautiful challenge, and still evokes great memories. ’twas was only when I began rolling the phyllo, that I realised I was a glutton for punishment. WHY??? It was a rather long drawn exercise, with me cursing myself all along. Yet, I DID IT!Once you pop the layered and cut baklava into the oven, you feel like you’ve conquered the world. Once you take it out an hour later, pour the infused honey syrup all over it, you begin to smell sweet success! Just looking at the tin the next morning, and you realise it’s been so worth every bit of heartache and hard work! You can find the baklava recipe here, though I used a slightly different phyllo pastry recipe.
The dark chocolate nut clusters are easy. They are just tempered dark couverture chocolate with nuts mixed in, then dropped in spoonfuls on butter paper and allowed to set in the fridge.
Hope you have a safe and bright diwali. Eat a lot of sweets, light up some lamps, share loads, laugh lots!
[print_this]Recipe: Chef Kunal Kapoors Moong Dal Halwa
Summary: This simple and very rustic dessert is a die hard Indian Classic. We may not ask for it specially but if it is served especially in winters then it is difficult to resist. Often this halwa is laden with desi ghee making it a difficult for many to savour. But this recipe uses canola oil that is very light and healthy. Initially the recipe uses good quantity of canola oil but later in the recipe you will find that most of the oil is strained and what remains is perfectly cooked Halwa, which is with the goodness of canola oil. Serves 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients:
Moong dal— 150 gms
Sooji – 25gms
Canola oil – 200 ml
Sugar – 150 gms
Water – 150ml
Green cardamom powder – ½ tsp
Pista sliced – 2 tbsp
Method:
Soak the moong dal in sufficient water overnight. Drain all the water completely and grind it to a fine paste.
In a karahi heat canola oil and sooji. On slow flame cook soji till it browns. Now add the moong dal paste. On medium heat cook the paste till it is thick and finally oozes out the oil {should get to a light brown, the colour of wood}
Remove from fire and transfer to a metallic fine strainer/sieve. Let the oil drain out. Wait for a couple of minutes. During this time mix water, sugar and cardamom powder and bring it to a boil and remove. { I infused the syrup with the rind and pieces of 2 oranges, saving a few cross slices for garnish}
Place the paste back in a karahi and start the fire. Heat it and add the sugar syrup carefully. Now cook till all the water is absorbed and there are no lumps. If you see any lumps just add little water and reduce it again.
“If it be not ripe, it will draw a man’s mouth awry, with much torment, but when it is ripe, it is as delicious as an apricot.”
Captain John Smith
Dark Chocolate & Persimmon Mousse … light, smooth, deep and delicious. The persimmon puree adds a pop of colour that welcomes fall with it’s bright orange like nothing else. OK maybe a papaya, but then the papaya lacks the translucent jelly like beauty of this special fruit.
A couple of years ago, we landed in Sydney on a cold night. I headed straight for the kitchen since I knew my sweet Ukrainian friend would always have something special waiting for me. I was duly rewarded… a line of persimmons sat neatly on her windowsill. It was instant fruit therapy, but they weren’t ripe, she pointed out.
Cut to now. After waiting almost forever I gently inquired at my local fruit & vegetable vendor why persimmons, or Ramphal/Amarphal as they are locally referred to, weren’t showing up yet. You see Ruchira in Islamabad had already excitedly announced their foray, made a mousse and waxed eloquent about this delicious fruit.
I immediately developed persimmon withdrawal symptoms! Must have been my lucky day, because the guy at the shop came back two minutes later saying I should have asked for something else. He cranked open a fruit crate to uncover lines of persimmons, that too hachiyas, the variety I so love! They were all tickled pink that I asked for something and it popped out of the crate! I was chuffed!
Of course they were unripe. Very firm, very hard and barely a deep orange. Bite into a persimmon at this disastrous stage and you will be sorely {or surely} punished! It’s a strange fruit. When unripe it’s very edgy and astringent. Make the mistake, and you might never come back to it.
But allow them to sit out on the kitchen counter {or windowsill}; be patient, VERY PATIENT. Mine took almost 3 weeks to ripen. They will turn a bright, translucent orange, evenly coloured, with a few blackish spots; very soft to touch. The time is ripe to chill them and dig in, or just dig in if you can’t wait any longer! Sweet as honey and slippery like jelly, it’s an amazing fruit!
I HAD to make something with the puree. Unfortunately, only one hachiya was completely ripe, the fingertips sinking right into the fruit when I gently pressed it. Some quick thinking later I decided to make a dark chocolate mousse {inspired by this two ingredient winning recipe by Hervé This}. Had to keep the dieting diva in mind as she is off on another hair brained dieting venture.
The chocolate had to be dark {as it’s good for dieting she announced as she readily nibbled away on my precious stash}. 85% dark Lindt it was, and then a tasting later I figured it could use some low fat cream and a dash of sugar. The Dark Chocolate & Persimmon Mousse is so rewarding to make, considering just a combination of chocolate and water can yield something so magical.
I added a dash of Grand Marnier {very optional}. It gave very slight orange undertones, enhancing the taste of the mousse gently. I did add a small dash to the persimmon puree as well to tie the flavours in. Separated by a layer of unsweetened low fat cream, it was a dessert we enjoyed!Any dessert serving followed by ‘Can I have more?‘ is a sign of success! This Dark Chocolate & Persimmon Mousse was one such example!
[print_this]Recipe: Dark Chocolate & Persimmon Mousse
Summary: The dark chocolate mousse is fab on its own. Sensuous, smooth, satisfying, intense … everything that good quality dark chocolate promises to be. Top it with seasonal fruit, persimmon in this case, and some low fat cream. Mousse recipe adapted from here, inspired by Hervé This.
Prep Time: 5 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients:
Pulp of 1 large ripe hachiya persimmon + 1 tsp grand marnier {latter optional}
Method:
Place a large mixing bowl on top of another slightly smaller one, filled with ice and cold water (the bottom of the large bowl should touch the ice). Set aside.
Put chocolate and water (also sugar and/or liquor if you’re using) in a medium-sized pan and melt the chocolate over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl sitting on top of ice and water, and start whisking with a wire whisk (or an electrical hand-held mixer) until thick. Watch the texture as you whip and make sure not to over-whip as it will make the mousse grainy.
Add 100ml low fat cream and whip to mix
Divide between 6 serving glasses/goblets
Chill for an hour to set.
Divide remaining 100g low fat cream between the 6.
Chill for an hour. Divide the persimmon pulp between the 6, garnish with mint leaves if desired.
“It is the present that matters and how well we live it.
And the future, we need not worry. It is what we make of it!” Nos.tal.gia
Plum Ice Cream {eggless}. I knew I’d need more pink this October. Remember when I said I had frozen plums while baking the Wholewheat Plum Frangipane Galette. It’s a feeling of nostalgia to see summer and stone fruit season end, a season I wish I could stretch; hang on to forever maybe. I do love pears and apples too, but my love for stone fruit overrides all that.
The plums sitting in the freezer were not forgotten one single day. It’s strange how you think you can freeze, store away, forget about something, or rather hope to, but that very something remains niggling in one corner of your head. These plums were like that. Frozen for just over a month, yet calling my name every moment.
I had a plum granita in mind, but the boy loves creamy ice cream more. With summer having been left far behind, creamy ice cream screams comfort and happiness. The Plum Ice Cream hit the right notes. It was delicious, fruity, sweet, hints of tart and full of natural plum goodness. It was PINK too, a really pretty shade and a great fit for Pinktober {Pink + October}, which as you might know is breast cancer awareness month.
It has been a tradition for several years to mark October with a tinge of PINKon PAB; it begins with a PINK birthday cake for Mr PAB in the beginning of October. This year we had a special Rainbow Cake for him, baked by the ‘soon to be 18‘ daughter. She had a field day dressing it up too {in pinkof course, with the pinktober ribbon in marzipan!}.
Thought I’d tie up this post with an interesting Easy Doodle Recipe Contest being hosted on Blogadda. Ahem… I thought doodling would come to me easy, but I have to admit I considered throwing the towel in too many times. All those years of doodling in school and college, notebooks full of doodles instead of notes, abandoned me. I was inspired by the daughter’s free hand doodling in her notebooks. Take a look …
… and then maybe understand why I couldn’t even share my shaky hand, embarrassing attempt! Anyhow, I tried in the spirit of competition, and in the knowledge that sharing the PINK would only help spread the message even further! With a simple, yet powerful message from the WHO, it’s never too late to know more!
Here’s my attempt at digital doodling {my freehand attempt was really bad}. The recipe is simple, fun and full of natural goodness. I hope you enjoy making this ice cream. If plums are not in season, or if you haven’t got a nice lot frozen and stashed away like me, you could always reach for other fruit. Frozen berries like raspberries, strawberries, and even blueberries would work well here.
Do taste and adjust for sweetness and balance of flavours. Plums have a tart edginess so there is no need for a dash of lime juice here. If you choose a sweeter berry, you might consider adding a tbsp or two of lime juice. And vodka would work well instead of kirsch. Alcohol doesn’t freeze, so it helps keep home made ice cream softer. Kirsch contributes to elevating fruity flavours in stone fruit ice creams, enhancing the taste beautifully. Vodka on the other hand has a neutral taste and is great for all ice creams.
Doodling is hopefully something I’ll work on in future. You can find below the Thermomix version of the ice cream as that’s how I make mine. The quantities are the same for both, only the fruit is frozen in the TM version. I also like to keep all ingredients chilled when I make ice cream. It helps quicken the freezing process!
Summary: Fruity and bursting with natural flavours, this creamy Plum Ice Cream is a wonderful way to incorporating more fruit in your diet. With simple everyday ingredients, it’s a simple make ahead dessert option. Serve with slivers of pistachios for a pop of colour!
