Diwali is a time for indulging in all those sweet treats. From the classic barfi to the indulgent ras malai macarons. Here are sweet Diwali recipes you need to try out.

Super Easy Tutti Frutti Ice-cream

The ice-cream is so tasty and brings back a lot of childhood memories. Two base ingredients are needed – whipping cream and condensed milk.

Ingredients

• 330 ml whipping cream
• 200 ml condensed milk 
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp almond essence 
• 20g tin cherries * (I used Kirsch soaked) 
• 60g coloured Tutti Frutti mix** 
• 20g crystallised ginger
• 20g chopped toasted almonds (without skin)

*** You can combine a variation of chopped dry fruit and nuts***

*Can swap for glacé cherries or cocktail cherries

**Can be found in Indian grocery stores and is normally different coloured dry papaya

Method

• Whip the cream until thick
• Fold in condensed milk
• Add in the essences, dry fruit and nuts
• Mix it all and put in an airtight container (or old icecream tub) 
• Top with more dry fruit, cover and freeze for at least 6 hours

Before eating leave it out for about 10 minutes. It’s creamy and just delicious for Diwali.

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Barfi Pops 

Chocolate Barfi is one of my favourites Indian Mithai’s however do you find there is never enough of it? Or you eat the top then just have a plain one?

Here is an easy barfi recipe which you can either have plain or turn into balls and make barfi pops. Another easy recipe. You can view the video on my Instagram page too.

Ingredients

• 250g milk powder 
• 120g sugar 
• 250 ml milk
• 1/4 cup ghee
• 1/4 tsp cardamom 

Garnishing and flavours (this is entirely up to you and how you like your barfi flavours)

• Sliced almonds
• Sliced pistachios 
• Rose syrup
• Rose petals 
• Silver and Gold edible balls 

1. In a heavy based pan mix together the milk powder, sugar and milk until well combined.
2. Now add in ghee and place on the stove on low heat to start cooking. Keep stirring all the time to avoid it from burning. 
3. The mixture should thicken after about 15 minutes.
4. Add in cardamom powder and mix again.

I made a rose & pistachio batch and an almond one.

If you just want plain barfi, place the mixture in a lightly greased tray or dish. Grease lightly with ghee. Pour the mixture in and try to flatten it out before adding on chopped nuts and any garnishes you want. Be careful it is hot.

Method for the pops

1. Separate the mixture into two bowls. In one bowl add a teaspoon of rose syrup and chopped pistachios. In the other add in chopped almonds. 
2. Mix both mixtures and put in the fridge for about 30 minutes to cool down. 
3. The mixture is ready to shape now. I made a variation of round balls and shaped ones (using a metal biscuit stencil).
4. Decorate the ones you are not going to coat in chocolate.  
5. Put them all back in the fridge to set.
6. Prepare chocolate ganache using 50g chocolate (mixed dark and milk) and 75ml double cream. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over simmering water and melt it. Warm the cream in a pan to just below boiling point. Leave both to cool for a minute then combine.
7. Take the barfi balls out the fridge, dip them in the chocolate then place on a grease proof paper.
8. Garnish with chopped nuts, 100’s and 1000’s , rose petals or anything you wish.
9. Transfer them back in the fridge and let them set. 

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Ras Malai Macarons

Give me anything Ras Malai and I will enjoy it. I made some Ras Malai ones for Diwali and they went down a treat.

For the shells I use this French Macaron recipe. Its my go to recipe and I initially worked on the balance to get the sugar levels right.

Some Tips: To get smooth macarons try and blitz the almond and icing sugar together as well as sieve it. Once you pipe the shells, after you have tap the air bubbles out and before you bake, you can either leave them plain or put strands of saffron or chopped pistachios on them. Let the Macarons form a light skin for about 45 minutes before baking. 

Add the colour of your choice – I went with a yellow. The macarons need quite a bit of colour to stand out.

I don’t use buttercream anymore to fill my macarons. I find it too sweet. Ganache filling is the best. 

For the cardamom & pistachio white chocolate ganache:  

• • Melt 125g white chocolate in a bowl that can be placed over a pan of some simmering water
• • Warm up 100ml double cream. Ensure the cream doesn’t boil or it may split
• • Take the cream off heat when hot and steamy but not boiling. Add in a large pinch of saffron and teaspoon of crushed cardamom seeds
• • Mix then slowly combine with the melted chocolate. Add in chopped pistachios at this stage
• • Let this cool then set in the fridge until it’s piping consistency (about 30 minutes).

Assembly

1. Pair the shells and get ready to pipe them. I find it much easier to do it this way. Pipe the ganache on one half. Do this for all of them. Then put the other half on top and slightly twist them.
2. Finally to decorate, for the plain ones, put a drop of ganache on the top to stick on some chopped pistachios, rose petals and gold leaf on top.  
3. Cover and place in the fridge for 12 hours to set. 

Enjoy at room temperature. You can watch the full video here.

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Shrikhand Bites

These are my latest creations ….an Indian twist on eclairs. They are so decadent and the elements can be prepared beforehand.

You need to make small choux buns, Shrikhand and Tal Sakri (Sesame Snaps). 

For the Choux Buns this is my go to recipe. Passed down from my mum, it works every time. Make these Choux Buns before hand. After the cool down, cut in half and take off any of the excess fluffy bits inside.

These Shrikhand bites are perfect for any occasion especially Diwali when you have those gatherings.

Easy to make the elements before hand and just assemble before serving. 

I made small choux buns for the base, homemade traditional Shrikhand for the filling and homemade sesame snaps for the garnish. I also used silver balls, rose petals and chopped pistachio to make these bites look pretty.

Shrikhand

This is made by straining water out of thick greek yoghurt. I put the yoghurt on a muslin cloth, tied a knot and put it on a strainer over a bowl in the fridge overnight. This took out all the water.

I sieved in icing sugar and whipped the yoghurt before folding in some cardamom powder, slithered almonds and pistachios and saffron milk (see below). I went with guesstimates for the icing sugar and the other ingredients – sometime the taste as you make method is the best.

To get the saffron infused in the yoghurt, I put a few strands in a couple of tablespoons of hot milk and left it for about half an hour. 

The sesame snaps (Tal Sakri):

• • Get two baking sheets or two large pieces of baking baked and a rolling pin ready
• • Lightly toast 1 cup sesame seeds in a pan then put aside in a bowl
• • In the same pan add in 1 cup white sugar and 1 tsp ghee and let this melt on low heat. Stir regularly until the sugar has become liquid (around 6-8 mins)and is totally melted.
• • Add in sesame, mix and quickly but carefully pour this onto one of the baking sheets.
• • Cover the mixture with the other baking sheet then use the rolling pin to make a thin layer (You need to be quick so it does not solidify)
• • Take the top sheet off and with a sharp knife cut to shape (be careful cause it may be hot)

To assemble

• • Cut the choux bun in half
• • Pipe some Shrikhand 
• • Top with sesame snap shard, more chopped pistachios, rose petals and silver ball
• • Serve immediately  to ensure the sesame snaps stay crisp

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Hope you get to make some of these recipes. If you have any questions please let me know by dropping me an email via my contact page or sending me a message on my Social Media channels.

Neha
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