This Diwali, the challenge was to create a totally vegan meal, from main course to dessert. Main course was easy enough to tackle. Most desserts, though, relied on cream or milk, at least the ones I loved ... like kheer and kulfi.



Now I already have a fab kulfi recipe ... rich, creamy and dreamy, laced with saffron and a hint of cardamom and you can see it here. But of course, it wasn't vegan. Sure I could replace milk with a non dairy or nut milk easily. But it would be quite shallow (for want of a suitable word) and not 'rich' enough. Coconut cream? naaahh ... too overpowering. After scouring online for ideas, I came across a superb ingredient to lend this kulfi a velvety texture it needed ... cashew!



Yep, raw cashews are a vegan godsend. It makes a great cream substitute for cooking, you can do a cheese sauce with it (with the right combination of spices) ... heck, it even makes ice cream! So yes, cashews will do. And it performed marvelously. Soaked cashews, when blended, lent this kulfi the structure, the creaminess and richness it needed. And because it was laden with mango purée, you couldn't really tell. It was so freaking awesome! Score for a dessert veganized!

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
1-1/2 cups boiling water
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup almond milk
1-1/2 cups almond milk
5-6 saffron strands
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 cups mango purée
Sugar, to taste
Pinch of salt

Directions:
1. In a small bowl or a mug, soak cashews in boiling water. Set aside.
2. In another small bowl or mug, dissolve the cornstarch in cool or cold 1/2 cup almond milk. If it starts to settle on the bottom, just stir again.

3. In a large saucepan, place the 1-1/2 cup almond milk, saffron, and cardamom, and bring to a simmer to release the flavours.
4. Add the mango purée, the stirred cornstarch mixture, and the soaked cashews along with the soaking water, to the saucepan and bring to an almost boil.
5. Turn off the heat and either use an immersion blender on the saucepan or place the liquid into a blender. Very carefully!
6. Taste for sweetness, adjust if necessary, then add a pinch of salt.
Because the can of mango purée was already sweetened I didn't add any sugar at all.
You may want to blend again after adding sugar.
7. Pour into kulfi or popsicle molds, then freeze.

To serve, sprinkle chopped pistachios or slivered almonds on top.

Summer began a week ago, which, of course, means that the heat has only gotten more unbearable. And what better way to deal with it than kulfi?



Kulfi, for those who don't know it, is an Indian dessert that is somewhat similar to ice-cream. However, since it is not churned, it's denser and creamier, which means that it takes a longer time to melt. Although most recipes call for milk only, we added some cream to make the kulfi richer. There's a nice crunch from the pistachio with a lovely fragrance from the aromas from the saffron and rose water. The recipe below makes kulfi fit for Goldilocks—not too spiced and not too sweet; it's just right!—enough for 10 people to enjoy!

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
4-1/2 cups whole milk
3 cardamom pods, crushed
10 strands of saffron
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 slices of bread, finely crumbled (use a food processor)
2 tbsp rose water
1/4 cup pistachios, shelled and chopped
a few pistachios for garnishing

Directions:
1. Boil the heavy cream and milk in a saucepan, frequently stirring to prevent scorching.
2. Let it simmer until the cream and milk reduces to nearly half the original volume (approximately 20 minutes).

3. Mix in the cardamom, saffron, and sugar.
4. Put in the bread to thicken the mixture and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow the mixture to soak up the bread until it has just about dissolved.
5. Stir in the rose water.

6. Set aside the mixture to cool. Once cooled, blend it in a food processor to get rid of lumps from the bread and spices.
7. Pour the mixture into kulfi molds, small paper cups or popsicle molds. If exposed, cover them with a plastic wrap before freezing for at least 6 hours.

8. Remove the kulfi from the molds by wrapping them in a warm towel. This trick makes it easier and faster to dislodge from the metal kulfi molds.
9. Garnish with some chopped pistachios.

by Monique

Ingredients:
1 cup cream
1 cup milk

1 cup milk
4 lemons (zested and juiced)
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
a pinch of salt

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, simmer 1 cup of milk and the cream.
2. In a bowl, whisk 1 cup of milk, lemon zest, sugar, vanilla and salt.
3. Once the mixture in the saucepan simmers, add the mixture in the bowl to the saucepan until combined.
4. Stir over medium/medium low until the mixture boils and thickens enough to coat the spoon (about 15 minutes).
5. Remove from heat. Strain and cool to room temperature.
6. Add the reserved lemon juice and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.

7. Whisk again before churning using the gelato paddle for about 40 minutes.

This recipe is going straight to the 'to make again' pile. In a house full of coffee-consumers, this long-awaited gelato was finished with alarming speed. Delightfully refreshing, it's just the right balance of not overly bitter nor overly sweet.



Organic beans from San Francisco Bay Rainforest Blend were used to make the espresso. Full bodied with lively citrus notes, it mentioned. Nice!

I pulled each of the three shots twice... only because we still needed to have a good sleep after dinner and dessert :) Yes, coffee in cakes have been keeping me awake after hours. What I would give to go back to those days when I was having an Irish coffee or Mexicano after dinner...

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup cream
1-1/2 cup milk

1 cup milk
1 cup espresso
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
a pinch of sea salt

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, simmer the cream and 1-1/2 cup of milk.
2. In bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup milk, espresso, sugar, cornstarch, and sea salt.

3. Once the mixture in the saucepan is simmering, add the contents of the bowl until combined.
4. Stir over medium to medium-low heat until the mixture boils and thickens and coats the spoon (about 15 minutes).

5. Remove from heat, then strain and cool until room temperature.
6. Cover and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.

7. Whisk again before churning using the gelato paddle for about 40 minutes.

Since Mon has a penchant for the 'spicy' kind of chocolate, our home made chocolate ice-cream will aptly be spiked. We are calling this the Mayan chocolate ice-cream recipe because this is actually how the folks from the ancient civilization were enjoying chocolate in the first place... with the spices added in their drink!


Cinnamon is almost always a good addition to chocolate for warmth and dimension. Chili adds that subtle kick and serves to bring out the rich fudgy taste of the intense dark chocolate. After this depth of flavour and complexity, you may not want to reach for that plain old chocolate ice-cream anymore.

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1-1/2 cups cream
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1-2 pinches cayenne pepper
Pinch of kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup sugar
5 egg yolks

170 grams chopped dark chocolate

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, on low to medium heat, bring the milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, salt and the first 1/4 cup of sugar to a gentle simmer.
2. In another medium bowl, beat the second 1/4 cup of sugar and egg yolks until thick and light in colour.
3. Place the chopped chocolate in another larger bowl and set aside.

4. Whisk 1/3 of the mixture in the saucepan to the sugar and egg bowl, tempering the eggs.
5. Then add another 1/3 of the saucepan mixture into the egg bowl, whisking continuously.
6. Return everything into the saucepan and stir until mixture is thick and coats the back of the spoon, taking care that it does not boil.

7. Pour the saucepan mixture into the large bowl over the chopped chocolate and whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is homogenous.
8. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
9. Whisk again before churning in the ice-cream maker for about 40-50 minutes.

Serve with chocolate shavings.

This scrumptious recipe uses a custard base and it's rich and very satisfying. Really wonderful vanilla flavours from the beans and of course, from our home made vanilla extract. Enjoy as it is or with a drizzle of chocolate ganache.

This quantity will be too much for the ice cream machine to handle for just one batch. Make it in 2 batches and enjoy!

Ingredients:
For the saucepan:
2-1/2 cups milk
2-1/2 cups cream
1/4 cup sugar
5 vanilla beans, slit and scraped
pinch of salt

For the bowl:
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar

For later:
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Ice & cold water (for ice-bath)


Directions:
1. In a saucepan, heat up the milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla beans until it’s just about to boil. While waiting for that to heat up, move on to step 2. Just make sure to stir it now and then.