Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

Swedish Apple Pie for the #Holidays

20 | 12 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

Apple desserts are an all-time favorite over here. My kids love anything with apples in it and I’m always looking out for apple dessert recipes to try. Given the copious amounts of pie we consumed over Thanksgiving at various dinner parties I was looking for a crust less pie dessert for the holidays and stumbled upon Swedish Apple Pie that sounded just about right. I had some tart apples lying around (always have them on hand!) and decided to put them to use. Given the stress of planning out holiday parties, this easy dessert is a sure shot winner in my books and great for a crowd.

Of all the recipes I saw online I shortlisted this and this and adapted them to make my own version of a Swedish apple pie. Not sure if the Swedes would call this their original apple pie but I do know that it tastes phenomenal and was a huge hit with my kids. Classic apple-cinnamon combo is what works its magic here as the flavors are spot-on.Warm baked apple desserts topped with ice cream are my weakness in these colder months!I know for sure that I’ll be making this over and over again.

Swedish apple pie

Swedish Apple pie is somewhere in-between a pie and apple crisp. Instead of layering the apples and flour mixture I just mixed the apples into the batter and that resulted in a flaky crumbly texture resembling a crisp.If you want it to look more like a pie crust I suggest you layer the apples first and top it with the batter. I used my cast iron pan to bake it and it baked perfectly.I topped mine with some vanilla ice cream and its disappearing fast!An unique twist to a traditional apple pie this crowd pleasing dessert is ideal for the holidays!Enjoy and wishing you a joyous holiday season!

Here are some other dessert ideas for the Holidays!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Nutella Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies
swedish apple pie

Swedish Apple Pie

Soni Sinha
A crustless pie with the texture of an apple crisp, this Swedish Apple Pie is just perfect for the holidays!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Dessert
Cuisine swedish
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 4 medium granny smith apples peeled and diced
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tsp brown sugar
  • ¼ cup whole wheat flour
  • ¾ cup plain flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¾ cup melted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl toss the apples with cinnamon and brown sugar.
    In another bowl mix egg,butter and vanilla.
    Mix the flours,sugar,salt and add into the wet ingredients.Add the apples.Mix well.Grease a cast iron pan with some cooking spray.Spread the mixture evenly.Bake on 350 degrees for 40 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Bourbon Pudding

21 | 11 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

I’m sure you’re busy prepping for tomorrow, but in case you’re still looking for some last-minute dessert ideas for Thanksgiving, then you’ve come to the right place.As much as I love making my Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving, this time I’m going with these Pumpkin Pie Truffles and something else that’s equally wonderful at this time of the year. Pumpkin Bourbon Pudding is an easy baked dessert that I discovered here and have been making it for some time now. My guests love it and it tastes amazing (bourbon might have something to do with that!).
With temperatures as low as they are tomorrow an easy boozy Thanksgiving dessert sounds just about perfect to warm us all up don’t you think?

Pumpkin Bourbon Pudding

I have never shared boozy desserts with you in the past and this is just the beginning, so stay tuned for more coming your way as we celebrate this holiday season. This luscious pudding has all the lovely flavors of a pumpkin pie but without any of the effort involved and it’s also great for a crowd. The flavors are spot on with aromatics such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and all spice and the aroma is to die for. That’s what I love about baking in the fall!

Pumpkin Bourbon Pudding

The batter bakes into this smooth velvety pudding that you just have to dig your spoon in and savor! The ingredients are all mixed in one bowl and baked until all warm and a pudding-y consistency.You can make the toppings as festive as you like with wafers, crushed pecans/nuts, ice cream, whipped cream or anything that screams thanksgiving to you. I love mine simple with some with rolled oats as in this recipe! An easy crowd pleasing dessert that I’m sure you’ll be making over and over again like I do!

Happy Thanksgiving and may it bring health, wealth and joyous moments to each and every one of you!Enjoy!

Here are a few other Thanksgiving recipes that you might enjoy-
Indian Roasted Cornish Hens
Stir Fried Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries
Sweet Potato Cranberry Casserole with Almond Streusel

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Pumpkin Bourbon Pudding

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 slightly beaten egg white
  • 1 slightly beaten egg
  • 1 15 oz can pumpkin
  • 1 5 oz can (2/3 cup) evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons melted butter

Instructions

  1. Lightly coat 4-5 small jars or 6-ounce souffle dishes or custard cups or one 1-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray. Place jars or souffle dishes or custard cups in a shallow baking pan for ease of handling; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl combine egg white, egg, pumpkin, evaporated milk, the 1/2 cup brown sugar, the pumpkin pie spice, and bourbon. Pour pumpkin mixture into prepared dish(es). In a small bowl stir together rolled oats and the 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Stir in melted butter. Sprinkle over pumpkin mixture.
  3. Bake in a 375 degree F. oven about 30 minutes for souffle dishes or custard cups, 40 to 45 minutes for large dish.
  4. Transfer to wire rack.Serve warm.

https://www.sonisfood.com/2018/11/pumpkin-bourbon-pudding.html

 

Chai Spiced Peach Clafoutis

11 | 10 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

Hello! I’m back to blogging after a hiatus and boy have I missed it! We moved house in the summer and we’ve been swamped with tons of work that comes along with it. Apart from packing and unpacking a million boxes, we also made few renovations in the house to our liking and it’s not easy when you have a thousand different things to take care of before, during and after each project.Its been an exhausting but also a very exciting summer for us and the good news is that most of the work is now done and I can get back to sharing my recipes with you from my new kitchen!

chai spiced peach clafoutis

It’s been so long since I last shared a recipe that summer has given way to fall.The lush green foliage is now metamorphosing into warm gold, russet and sepia tones.Our streets adorned with these warm colors and more, autumn never fails to fascinate me.I’m looking forward to ‘Sweater Weather’ when my scarves, boots and hats are out and the cool crisp autumn air brushes against me.My most favorite time of the year.Freshly baked custard and caramelized peaches with warm chai spices (my favorite) seems like the perfect way to enjoy autumn after all the hard work over the summer.

I thinly slice the peaches and gently coat them with the warm chai spices and brown sugar.The peaches go into the warm pan and I I hear the sizzle telling me that the peaches are caramelizing. The spices let out their aroma and it fills my kitchen.I’m in a happy place breathing-in the warm spices and whip up the rich custardy batter that makes this dessert irresistible.Once I arrange the peaches this baby is ready to go in the oven and all I have to do is just wait!That is the hardest part.

Chai spiced peach clafoutis

Clafoutis or Clafouti is a classic French dessert traditionally made using cherries but I’ve also made it with apples here that tasted heavenly. I just found out that when you use other fruits instead of cherries it’s actually called Flugnarde! Cherry or no cherry I’ll stick with Clafoutis since it just sounds better -don’t you think? The batter for a clafoutis is very much like a crepe batter and it’s an easy dessert that’s best enjoyed lukewarm. I baked this in my cast iron pan and it turned out to be every bit as delicious as I imagined it to be. Perfectly comforting, perfectly spiced, and perfectly rich and tasty, Clafoutis is an all-time favorite.Enjoy!

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Chai Spiced Peach Clafoutis

Ingredients

  • 3 medium peaches sliced
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • butter for the pan
  • powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a bowl mix the peaches with all the chai spices and brown sugar.Heat a tbsp of butter in a pan and add the peaches.Cook for about 2-3 minutes until peaches are glazed.
  3. In a mixing bowl mix together the milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, and salt.
  4. Grease a cast iron pan with butter and arrange some peaches at the bottom.Pour half of the batter just to cover the peaches..Arrange the rest of the peaches followed by the remaining batter.
  5. Bake for about 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Once done take the pan out using oven mitts and let it cool a bit.
  7. Sprinkle powdered sugar and enjoy!

https://www.sonisfood.com/2018/10/chai-spiced-peach-clafoutis.html

 

 

 

Green Tea (Matcha) Mochi Cake

15 | 05 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

I don’t know if I ever told you this, but I’m obsessed with Matcha (Green Tea) and Matcha flavored products.Our Whole foods has self-serve Mochi bars (bite sized ice cream) with different flavors to choose from-my favorite section in the whole store! My favorite drink these days is the Matcha Green Tea Latte from Starbucks. So good! Much to my excitement an Asian store recently opened in my area and if you don’t find me at my house then you know where to look! One of my all-time favorite things to buy at the store are the Japanese rice cakes (Mochi) with various fillings. I particularly love the Matcha Mochi given my love for all things Matcha.

Matcha Mochi(Green Tea) Cake

I also love the flavor of the sweet rice flour and its glutinous texture that makes eating the mochi an indulgence.I spotted Matcha Green Tea Powder at Trader Joe’s the other day and picked it up. They’re easily available on Amazon too these days. The next thing I knew, I was scouring the web for some easy recipes and found this one on Food and Wine. The closest thing to a store bought rice cake is this beauty that I’m sharing with you today. Be ready to be blown away with the flavor and texture here.

Matcha Mochi Cake

Its insanely delicious and I’m so glad that I don’t have to run to the stores every-time to satisfy my mochi cravings (that are quite frequent!). The green tea flavor is prominent enough (just the way I like it) and it’s perfectly sweet for my tooth. The sweet rice flour easily available at your Asian grocers gives these cakes their sticky sweet consistency and texture.I love the chewy edges! The lack of eggs and dairy in these bars make these the perfect vegan dessert with the added health benefits of the Mactha green tea powder that’s known for its antioxidants and other healing properties. If you’re a matcha green tea lover like me then go ahead and try this recipe today. You’ll be pleased that you did! Enjoy.

 

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Green Tea (Matcha) Mochi Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups sweet rice flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons matcha powder
  • 1 cup water
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 275°.
  2. Grease an 8-inch square cake pan.
  3. In a bowl, whisk together the rice flour, sugar, baking powder and matcha powder.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the water, coconut milk and vanilla extract.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.
  6. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 70-80 minutes, until the top is set.
  7. Remove from oven and let it cool.
  8. Cut into squares and enjoy.

https://www.sonisfood.com/2018/05/green-tea-matcha-mochi-cake.html

Lemon Tart with Shortbread Crust

27 | 04 | 2018
By Soni Sinha

Spring is finally here and a myriad of colors from spring flowers are everywhere. I love our streets lined up with beautiful cherry blossoms and it’s such a pretty sight. There’s something about lemons too that gets me all excited in spring! I start craving for that fresh lemony taste in almost everything that I eat.A good squeeze of lemon is a standard in my salad and my sauces these days and I love that little tang in every bite.That fresh fragrance just brightens up the day for me.

Lemon Tart with Shortbread Crust

So, I decided to bake a Lemon Tart to embrace the flavors of spring. I have to tell you that this is one hell of a dessert that’s so decadent, rich and lemony with the zest and juice, that you’ll keep going for seconds and thirds! The crust has a rich shortbread like texture that makes it irresistible.Just let it chill in the fridge for sometime to set and you’ll get a clean slice to enjoy.

 

This was my first try at making a lemon tart from scratch and I looked up a few recipes on the web. I settled on this one since it didn’t use as many eggs or cream as some of the others and decided to give it a try. I cut down on the sugar and did add an extra egg since I have a 10 inch pie dish and had to increase the amount of the filling just a little bit.
Nonetheless it turned out lip-smacking d e l i c i o u s!!

lemon tart

As I’m writing this post I have a slice of this beautiful tart right in front of me and the fresh lemony aroma is filling up my room. I cannot get enough of this beauty.The flavors scream spring and if you’re a lover of lemon desserts then you’re going to love this one for sure.Enjoy!

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Lemon Tart with a Shortbread Crust

Ingredients

    For the Crust
  • All Purpose Flour-1 3/4 cups
  • Sugar-1/2 cup
  • Butter-3/4 cup room temp
  • Vanilla-1/2 tsp
  • Salt-a pinch
    • For the Lemon Filling
  • Large Eggs-4
  • lemon zest-1 tbsp
  • Freshly squeezed Juice of 3 lemons
  • Sugar-1 cup
  • All Purpose Flour-1/2 cup

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment mix butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until smooth.Add flour and mix until the mixture starts to form a dough.Press the dough into a 10 inch tart pan.Bake for 10 mins.Remove from the oven and cool completely.
  3. In a mixing bowl using a hand blender mix the eggs,lemon zest and juice,sugar and flour until all smooth and pour over the cooled crust.Bake for about 30 mins until its set and the edges are slightly brown.
  4. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.Chill the tart in the fridge and sprinkle powdered sugar before serving.

https://www.sonisfood.com/2018/04/lemon-tart-with-shortbread-crust.html