Spiked Apricot Lassi

This was part of Barb and Kevin’s Indian night dinner party. I paired this dessert with the Lime Squares and Gulab Jamun on a beautiful rectangular plate.

• 6 dried apricots
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/2-1 cup milk
• 2 drops rose water
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1 oz Grand Marnier

1. Place all of the ingredients into a tall measuring cup that your immersion blender fits into. Blend until very very smooth, adding milk until desired thickness has been achieved.
2. Serve in a shot glass.

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Lime Squares

As another of the trio of desserts I am making tonight for Barb and Kevin’s dinner party, I decided to make Lime Squares. Not quite Indian, but it does fit the flavour profile I was looking for.

Lime Squares

I altered this recipe from my very old “Company’s Coming, 150 Delicious Squares” by Jean Paré. I also cut the recipe in half.

• 3/4 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1/4 packed brown sugar (I used Splenda Brown Sugar to help cut the calories)
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 2 egg yolks
• zest of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 egg whites
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 packed brown sugar (again, I used Splenda Brown Sugar)
• 1/4 cup Sliced almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

Bottom layer:

1. Mix flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, butter, egg yolks, lime zest, baking powder, and salt until crumbly and mealy.
2. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 4″ x 8″ loaf pan. Set aside.

Top layer:

1. Beat egg whites until frothy.
2. Add the brown sugar and lime juice a bit at a time until stiff (should look like a meringue).
3. Spread evenly on top of the bottom layer. Sprinkle the sliced almonds on top evenly.
4. Bake in a hot oven for about 30 minutes or until the meringue is set and lightly browned.
5. Allow to cool completely. Take a sharp wet knife and run along the pan edge to loosen the meringue, cut into squares.
6. Serve at room temperature.

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Gulab Jamun

For one of my trio of desserts for Barb and Kevin’s dinner party this evening I decided to make Gulab Jamun which are deep fried milk powder fritters flavoured with Indian spices and drenched in Rose Water Simple Syrup.

Gulab Jamun

I found the recipe on line, but I altered it, as indicated below. For the real recipe, click here.

• 1 cup sugar
• 1.5 cups water
• 4 drops rose water
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 7 tbsp powdered milk
• 3 tsp self-raising flour
• 1 tsp semolina (Sooji)
• 3 tsp melted butter
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 tsp orange rind
• pinch of saffron
• milk to mix
• 1 L oil for deep frying

1. Put the sugar and water in a heavy base or nonstick pan and heat to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat and boil for 10 minutes to make a simple syrup. Mix in the rose water and orange zest and set aside.
2. Combine powdered milk, flour, semolina, melted butter, ground cardamom, and saffron in a bowl. Mix well with a little milk to make a soft dough.
3. Using a teaspoon, make and roll balls until all of the dough is used.
4. Heat the oil to 375° F and gently deep-fry the balls until golden brown.
5. Remove with slotted spoon and put into the syrup.
6. Bring the syrup to a boil, then remove from the heat.
7. Transfer two to three balls to a small shallow dish, serve warm.

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No Kneed Pizza and Asian Slaw

Last Friday JT made a batch of no kneed pizza dough which we didn’t use (changed our minds for dinner), so to slow the yeast process, I suggested we cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until we are good and ready to use. Well, that was last night, and JT made an incredible pizza. The base was his onion confit (sigh, that used to be my onion confit!), then there was a generous amount of crumbled goats cheese, slivered Hungarian Salami (PC already sliced has fantastic flavour), some fresh mushrooms and topped off after it was finished baking, some tasty arugula and spinach. Wow, it was incredible. The crust was crunchy, the flavours exploded in your mouth – the onion confit, the Hungarian Salami, the earthy mushrooms, the tangy goats cheese…YUM, YUM and YUM!
We had some red cabbage and some other fresh veg, so I made an ad hoc Lee Slaw to use stuff up. Very tasty!

Photos taken with the iPhone!

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