Soni's Food

Indian Inspiration!

Peanut Butter Blossoms for the #Holidays

22 | 12 | 2016
By Soni Sinha

Its time to make to some Peanut Blossom Cookies! Peanut Butter and chocolate is a great combination and I can never get enough of these beauties. In our house, the hubs and my thirteen year old equally love these cookies but my eight year old is not a big fan of peanut butter, hence he doesn’t enjoy them as much.

peanut-butter-blossoms

While I’ve enjoyed many Peanut Butter Blossoms over the years, there’s an interesting story behind it as I found out. Legend has it that Freda Smith intended to make a batch of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and after mixing part of the dough, realized that her pantry was without chocolate chips. So, she grabbed a bag of Hershey’s Kisses instead and used them atop the cookies.

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Ms. Smith entered her creation into the Annual Pillsbury Bake Off Competition and came in third place winning a General Electric range, a mixer and $100 cash while the winning cookies fetched a reward of $45,000.In 1999 Pillsbury named her Peanut Butter Blossoms one of the ten most treasured recipes in the company’s history.

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I follow Betty Crocker recipe and they come out perfect every-time.The soft chewy texture and the Hershey’s Kiss standing proudly at the top is the highlight of this cookie. If you’re a chocolate and peanut butter lover like me then you should try to make these at home.You can get creative and dip the cookies in colored sugar for a more festive look.Place them in the freezer for a few minutes so the Kisses don’t melt (since you’re going to place them right after they’re out of the oven).
Enjoy and Happy Holidays!!

Peanut Butter Blossoms-makes around 36 cookies

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • ½ cup butter or margarine softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • more granulated sugar
  • About 36 Hershey's Kisses milk chocolates

Instructions
 

  • Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and egg in your stand mixer or electric mixer until well blended.
  • Stir in flour, baking soda and baking powder until dough forms.
  • Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in additional granulated sugar.
  • On ungreased cookie sheets, place about 2 inches apart.
  • Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
  • Immediately press 1 milk chocolate candy in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.
  • Place in the freezer for a few minutes and take them out.

Chai Spiced Apple Clafoutis #RawSpiceBar #PondicherryFlavorKit

07 | 12 | 2016
By Soni Sinha


Nothing excites me more these days than seeing the monthly flavor kit of different spice mixes from Raw Spice Bar. Such a unique concept and having tried two of their kits so far, I highly recommend them. They only cost $7/kit for a year’s subscription and you get to try freshly ground spice mixes/spices and flavors from around the world with recipes included in the kit.

Last month’s Pondicherry Kit had the flavors screaming my name!
Vaarangal (“Welcome” in Tamil)! You’ve landed in Pondicherry! The weather is warm and the coastal breeze is refreshing but a Chai tea won’t hurt. The Romans, the Chinese, the Dutch, the English, and the French have all been here and their influences remain present. Warm Vadouvan odors collide with buttery smells wafting from kitchens in the French Quarter. With colonization cuisine changed; however, the complex layers of Indian spices shine through each French inspired dish.

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Pondicherry Kit comprises of the following spice blends:

INDO-FRENCH VADOUVAN- Toasted cumin, toasted coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, yellow mustard seeds, brown mustard seeds, green cardamom, aleppo pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, cloves, spices-Looking forward to making a lamb curry using this one!

UNPUMPKIN PIE SPICE- Ginger, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, black peppercorns, star anise, spices-Pumpkin Pie Truffles are always a hit with my friends and I’m going to be making lots more using this.

PEPPERCORN CHAI- Toasted black peppercorns, ginger, cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, star anise, spices-Apart from my masala chai, Apple Clafoutis is what I’ve made using this one!Delicious!

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Apple desserts are a big family favorite especially during this time of the year when you crave for a comforting dessert with warm spices. I went straight for the Peppercorn Chai and followed the recipe for the Chai Spiced Apple Clafoutis. Clafoutis or Clafouti is a French Dessert using fruits suspended in a pancake like batter.The result is a soft fluffy custardy pudding which in this case is the perfect bed for the spice glazed apples.The flavors were spot on for a spice and chai lover like me.The peppercorns, fennel, cardamom and other chai spices work really well with apples.All it needed was a dusting of sugar.A satisfying dessert for these cold days that I’m certainly going to be making over and over again.Enjoy!

chai-spiced-apple-clafoutis

Chai Spiced Apple Clafoutis

INGREDIENTS

RawSpiceBar’s Peppercorn Chai
3 eggs
1 cup milk or heavy cream
12 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
1⁄2 tsp. salt
4 tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tsp. sugar
3 tbsp. brandy

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Combine milk, eggs, 6 tbsp butter, vanilla, flour, 2 tsp sugar, and salt in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
  2. Melt 4 tbsp butter in a large skillet. Add apples, 1⁄2 cup sugar, RawSpiceBar’s Peppercorn Chai and brandy. Cook until apples are glazed, about 5 minutes.
  3.  Add half batter to greased pie plate. Arrange apple slices on top, reserving juices, then pour remaining batter over apples. Sprinkle remaining sugar on top and bake until golden, 25-30 minutes. Drizzle with warmed reserved apple juices.

Disclaimer:I was provided with a free sample of RawSpiceBar’s Pondicherry Flavor Kit and all opinions are my own.

Pumpkin Pie Truffles

22 | 11 | 2016
By Soni Sinha

Truffles are one of my all time favorite desserts.Bite-sized perfect little decadent bites in a myriad of luscious flavors.They’re also great as home-made gifts for the holiday season.I love bite-sized desserts because they’re just enough-to tantalize your taste buds,to be passed around with ease, to make a mark.pumpkin-pie-truffles-5And, you can never get enough of them, so make a big batch!ALWAYS!
This Thanksgiving make these dainty little Pumpkin Pie Truffles that capture the flavors of the season and are a breeze to put together. I absolutely love them and they’ve been a big hit with the crowd, young and old.If you’re a pumpkin dessert lover then this dessert will blow you away.The flavor, the aroma, the rich filling, the decadent chocolate coating, its truly a dessert for special occasions.

pumpkin-pie-truffles

All it requires,is mixing all the ingredients and some chill time in the fridge for it to set.The filling is super easy and it’s a great make ahead dessert that actually tastes better a couple of days later since the flavors get a chance to amalgamate.You can garnish these beauties with some cinnamon sugar or a drizzle of melted semi-sweet or dark chocolate.I’ve kept it simple here (tried to get the swirl effect with my fingers). A sinfully delicious Fall Dessert.Enjoy!

pumpkin-pie-truffles

Pumpkin Pie Truffles-makes around 35 truffles

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 2 ounces full-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature.
  • 2 Tablespoons confectioners' sugar.
  • ⅓ cup pumpkin puree.
  • 1 and 3/4 cups digestive biscuits Goya or McVites or graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 ounces white chocolate coarsely chopped and melted

Coating

  • 12 ounces White Chocolate coarsely chopped

Instructions
 

  • In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese and confectioners sugar using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer or hand mixer until smooth.
  • Add the pumpkin and mix well.Follow with the biscuits,pumpkin pie spice,cinnamon,and vanilla.
  • Melt 4 ounces of white chocolate in a double boiler on the stove top and add into the mixture and mix until all combined.
  • Place the mixture in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
  • After 2 hours grease your hands with a little melted butter and start rolling the mixture into even sized balls.Once done place it back in the fridge for an hour.
  • Melt 12 ounces of white chocolate in a double boiler until smooth.Let it cool for about 5 minutes.
  • Place a large parchment paper on a baking tray.Roll the balls into the melted chocolate and arrange on the parchment paper.
  • Carefully lift the tray and place in the fridge to set for a few hours for the truffles to completely set.

Recipe Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Easy Coconut Cardamom Balls (Coconut Laddoo) for #Diwali

27 | 10 | 2016
By Soni Sinha

This Diwali is going to be special since I’ll be spending it with my Mom in India and I’m so looking forward to my trip! This will be my first Diwali in India in sixteen years and I cannot wait to see my family back home. Festivals are indeed the best times to visit India when you can witness the celebrations first hand and taste all the wonderful foods (sweet and savory) that you can only dream of when you’re abroad 🙂 .

coconut balls (laddoo)

Diwali is one of the biggest festivals of the year and we celebrate by lighting up our entire home inside and out with beautiful lights, diyas (earthen lamps) and decorate the entrance to our homes with Rangoli ( colorful artwork on the floor using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals) to welcome Goddess Lakshmi (god of wealth and fortune). Elaborate menu consisting of mouth-watering appetizers, entrée and desserts are planned weeks in advance for Diwali and there’s no end to shopping (clothes,jewelry,gfts etc!). People exchange gifts and sweets. It’s a time for joyous celebrations throughout the community.

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If you’re lost for ideas for a good Diwali dessert, then I might have just the recipe for you that takes 15 mins to prepare! Its an easy 4 ingredient coconut laddoo (balls) recipe that I’m sure you must have had countless times growing-up. My recipe uses condensed milk that saves time and effort and is absolutely delicious. I’ve used frozen shredded coconut (available at Indian grocers) but unsweetened desiccated coconut will also work just fine. All you have to do is cook the coconut along with the condensed milk until all the moisture dries up and the mixture starts collecting together into a mass. Just add some crushed cardamom and shape them into round balls (laddoos). Roll them in desiccated coconut and serve them. They last for a couple of days in the fridge.Each bite of these balls is a sublime amalgamation of sweet and nutty flavors, perfect for Diwali.Enjoy!

happy diwali

 

coconut balls (laddoo)

Easy Coconut Cardamom Balls (Coconut Laddoo) for #Diwali

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • Makes about 25-30 laddoos
  • Frozen shredded coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut -4 cups
  • Condensed Milk-14 oz
  • Crushed Cardamom-2 tsp
  • Ghee or unsalted butter -1 tbsp
  • Desiccated coconut for rolling

Instructions
 

  • In a skillet pour the condensed milk and coconut and cook on medium heat for about 8-10 minutes stirring constantly.Non stick pan works best since you don't want the mixture to stick to the pan and change color.
  • Cook until the moisture dries up and the mixture starts collecting together.
  • Add the cardamom and mix well.
  • Turn off the heat.
  • Grease your palm with a little ghee/unsalted butter.
  • Take small portions of the mixture and roll them into balls.
  • Roll the ready balls over unsweetend desiccated coconut in a tray.
  • Serve chilled or at room temperature

Avocado Banana Smoothie

22 | 09 | 2016
By Soni Sinha

Beginning your day with wholesome and nutritious breakfast cannot be stressed enough. But if you’re looking for easy time saving breakfast recipes, then smoothies are the way to go. They give you an instant vitamin boost and can be whipped up in no time. I’ve been making smoothies for my 13yr old (aren’t they always in a rush?) since last year and only recently discovered that avocado does wonders to any smoothie.

The Aha moment arrived last week when I remembered that I had an avocado lying around desperate to be used and decided to throw it into my smoothie.

And boy was it delicious!

Where have I been all this time?

Avocado Banana Smoothie

Avocados are great in smoothies because they add a rich creamy texture not to mention their anti-inflammatory properties, nutrients and minerals. They also fill you up and provide you with the fuel to last through the day. I love adding bananas into my smoothies and this combo (avocado and banana) works perfectly. I use almond milk when making it for myself and semi skimmed milk for my 13yr old, so go with your preference.You can use honey or maple syrup to sweeten it.An easy fun way to ingest something healthy never sounded so good.Enjoy.

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Avocado Banana Smoothie

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 small Avocado-soft and peeled
  • 1 banana
  • ½ cup yoghurt Greek or any other natural yoghurt
  • 1 cup almond/semi skimmed milk
  • 1-2 tbsp honey or maple syrup

Instructions
 

  • In a blender place all the ingredients and puree until smooth.
  • Pour into glasses and serve.