Raspberry Coulis(Sauce) with Creme - Layered Dessert

When you think about making desserts, fruits are one of the main ingredients most of the times. One of the easiest and most satisfying way of eating seasonal fruits is by making coulis, compote or preserves out of them, without giving up their nutritional value. Raspberry Coulis is one of the preferred toppings for many desserts. Coulis, traditionally a french recipe, is a form of thick sauce made from puréed and strained vegetables or fruits, and used as a base for other sauces or as toppings for other dishes. I have used it as a primary ingredient in my recipe for an easy Layered Dessert with Raspberry Coulis and Creme Fraiche; I also used some crushed orange biscuits to give it that cheesecake-like appeal.

The recipe below can be easily modified to suit availability of seasonal fruits like strawberries, pears, apricot or apple. The fruit coulis can also be made ahead and preserved in a jar in the refrigerator and used as topping for other cakes, ice creams and desserts.

Ingredients
3 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries (or strawberries)
1 cup sugar(or more if needed sweet)
1/2 cup water
8 orange-flavored biscuits(cookies)
1 cup ready-whip (cool whip)

Method

Raspberry Coulis (Sauce)
Take the fresh raspberries, deseed them and add to a blender. If using frozen ones, thaw then first then blend. Add the sugar and blend to form a smooth puree. Strain the puree theough a colander or sieve mesh to remove seeds and keep aside.

Now heat a pot on medium flame, add the raspberry puree to it and 1/4th cup water. Stir to mix and thicken the syrup. Add a little more water if required, but not too much. Cook the puree to form a thick jam-like fruit preserve, more like a compote recipe. When the water has evaporated and the mixture is thick enough, remove from flame and allow to cool.

Take the cool whip (add sugar if its not sweetened) and blend in a mixer on the "whip" setting for 3 short pulses. Add the orange zest and pulse again, then set in the refrigerator until time to serve.

Take the orange biscuits and grind them in the blender to form a smooth-to-coarse powder.

To assemble the dessert, take a tall clear serving glass. Start with a layer of ground biscuits, then add the warm raspberry coulis, then layer with the creme fraiche. Repeat the process with all 3 layers again. Top with a sprinkling of fresh orange zest, or use the ground powder and mint leaves for garnish. This delicious dessert is on its way to Susan who's hosting this week's edition of WHB started by Kalyn's Kitchen!

This layered dessert tastes best with warm fruit topping and cool creme fraiche; the temperature difference nicely balances the taste. This is a great and simple recipe for a quick dessert when you are entertaining! Plus the basic Raspberry Sauce can be used as a topping for any other desserts.

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Plum Compote with Cardamom
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Methi Pakodas-Fenugreek Fritters

Its mystifying how much flavor herbs can add to cooking and recipes, without even being one of the main ingredients! But some herbs like Fenugreek(Methi), Cilantro, Mint, and Basil are known for their distinct flavor, and can carry a dish entirely by themselves. Methi Pakodas(Fenugreek Fritters), aslo known as "Methi na Gota" in Gujarat, are one such fried food that is sure to please your palate. These fritters are made by combining Methi with coriander, besan, curd and spices, and are really easy to make. They require no special preparation, so it can be an ideal meal for the days when elaborate dinners are off the table. Fenugreek is used both as a herb (the leaves) and as a spice (the seeds, and has lots of medicinal properties.

The yellowish-colored methi seeds are frequently used in the preparation of pickles, curry powders and pastes; the young leaves and sprouts of fenugreek are eaten as greens, and the fresh or dried leaves are used to flavor other dishes. The dried leaves(called kasuri methi) have a bitter taste and a strong characteristic smell. All these varieties can be found in any indian grocery store or whole foods market. I am going to send these to Jugalbandi who's hosting this week's edition of Weekend Herb Blogging, originally started by Kalyn.

Ingredients
2 cups packed Methi leaves (Fresh Fenugreek)
1/2 cup coriander leaves - chopped
2 green chillies - chopped finely
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric(haldi) powder
3 cups besan(chickpea flour)
4 tbsp rawa(fine semolina)
1 tsp fruit salt (soda)
2 tbsp fresh curd
1/2 tsp sugar (optional)
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
Oil for frying + 1 and 1/2 tbsp extra
Salt to taste
Water (roughly about 2 cups or less) - to make batter

Method
Mix all the ingredients except soda and oil.

Make a batter with water. Start with just 1/2 cup water, keep stirring or mixing well, then keep adding water a little at a time till you get semi-solid batter. When you hold it in your hand, it should not drop, nor should it be hard enough to be shaped. Its better to use less water than more, and make sure the batter is not thin.

Now add the fruit salt(soda) and 1-1/2 tbsp oil and mix well.

Keep a wok filled with oil on medium flame. Drop one small drop of the batter to the oil. If it comes up(floats) immediately, your oil is at the right temperature. Now lower the flame a little, then drop spoonfulls of batter in the oil and fry till golden brown on both sides. It is advisable to wear oven mittens to avoid oil burns and don't fry more than 4-5 fritters at a time.

Serve the hot Methi Pakodas with Tamarind-Raisin-Date Chutney, ketchup, Roasted Tomato-Peanut Chutney or any other dip of your choice!

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Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate Lava Cakes are so called because the center of the cake is a thick liquid chocolate that oozes out when cut, just like molten lava. These make a great individual dessert and, although pretty simple to make, will definitely impress your guests. Molten Cakes are more chocolate than flour, and that is what makes it rich and gooey. And no, it has nothing to do with Betty Crocker's recipe, just one bite and you’ll know why this intense, gooey chocolate sensation is one of the best crowd-pleasers!! It's really easy to make, so go ahead and try it yourself.



The major difference in molten cakes from regular ones is in the way its cooked, as you want the center to be liquid. So the general rule of thumb for individual cakes is to check with a toothpick after 10 minutes of baking. If you don't like liquid-center chocolate desserts, just cook for a little longer, and you will have an incredibly moist chocolate cake.



Ingredients

6 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate (I use ghiradelli's 70% dark chocolate bar)

6 oz butter (diced, at room temperature)

3 eggs

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

butter for greasing ramekins



Method

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter 6 small ramekins or muffin tins (use butter for best results, and not cooking spray) and set aside.



Melt the chocolate on low flame in a double boiler or microwave for 1 minute. Stir after 30 seconds, then add the butter and melt it again till smooth and creamy. Remember to stir after every 30 seconds so that it does not scorch or burn and remains smooth.



Sift together the flour and cocoa powder. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten. Stir in the melted chocolate and then the flour mixture.



Take the buttered individual ramekins, and pour in the chocolate batter. Do not fill upto the brim, keep some room to allow it to rise a little. Bake for about 8-10 mins at 350 degrees.



You can even microwave each ramekin for upto 2 mins instead of baking them. If using microwave, make sure you do only one ramekin at a time, and do not cook for more than 3 mins else it will turn hard. Check after 1 min, if the cake is still not sone, microwave in 1-second intervals until you get the desired hard crust and molten center. Molten cakes are ideal microwave cakes due to the liquid chocolate inside. It keeps them moist and soft.



Baking a Molten Cake

The outside of a molten cake will form a crust like any other cake, but the center should remain a thick liquid. Watch the tops of the cake to see how done they are. Touch the top of the cake with your finger. When done, you should be able to press down slightly on the cake and have it spring back but when you insert a toothpick into the cake, the toothpick should come out with wet batter on it. The trick is to cook the cakes as little as possible for a liquid center yet long enough that a firm cake-like exterior forms that won't fall apart when you take it out of the pan.



Serving Suggestions: Remove cakes from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cakes with a paring knife and invert onto dessert plates. Serve warm topped with whipped cream! But I chose to serve these in the cups or ramekins itself; just dust with some confectioner's sugar and they are delicious just like that! I'm sending these to Srivalli who's hosting MEC-Cakes event this month.



Chocolate lava cakes can also be made ahead of time. Place them in an air tight container and refrigerate until needed. When ready to serve, microwave the cakes for approximately 30 seconds to melt the center again. This is a classic dessert, one of my favorites, and the microwave-recipe makes them really easy to prepare and a treat to the palette and the soul!



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