Category: Dessert

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Pumpkin Bread

One of the best things about the Fall season is pumpkin bread.  The spices and the aroma when you are baking it compares to no other.  It makes me feel so warm and cozy and ready for the winter.

I love this pumpkin bread recipe because:

  • It’s moist
  • Easy to make
  • Isn’t too dense
  • Has all the Fall spices:  Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves, & Nutmeg
  • Fun to make with the kids


Here’s a little trick….. to keep it moist, I added applesauce to the batter.  You can’t taste it but it makes the pumpkin bread so much better!

The girls have been eating it in the mornings with breakfast and I love having a slice in the afternoon with my cuppa chai.  It’s perfect to snack on any time of the day!  And with the holidays right around the corner, make an extra batch for a relative or neighbor.  What a great gift to give too!

If you like this Pumpkin Bread recipe, try out….

My Spiced Pear Loaf and Zucchini Bread.

From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy this Pumpkin Bread!

The tools that I used for this recipe are:

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Rangoli Ladoos

Diwali has always been a special festival growing up in my family… in fact for most Indian families.  It’s the Festival of Lights, where we celebrate faith and hope and wish that everyone has a bright future, happiness and prosperity in their lives.

Everywhere you look, Diwali takes over with lights and colors.  Rangoli designs are a prominent component of Diwali, with the idea that it brings strength, good luck and genorosity.  Keeping in mind that very foundation of colors and brightness, I decided to bring the spirit of rangoli to my mithai (sweets) for Diwali this year.


Coconut ladoos are very popular in Indian and the best part is, they are very easy to make.  The basis of each ladoo was kept the same with the main ingredients being coconut, almond flour/ground almonds, and condensed milk.  The ratios vary based on the flavor and additions of the ladoo.

Here are the flavors I decided to go with:

  • Mango (seriously, how could I not include this flavor?!)
  • Lavender (because it’s a new obsession and the flavor and colors are so amazing!)
  • Rose (the colors, the fragrance, and the taste are so pretty, it makes me feel like a princess when I’m eating this!)
  • Mojito (…..yep.  No alcohol, but that hint of lime and mint….YUM!)
  • Coconut Almond (the original cannot be overlooked!)


Some tips to make it easier for you when you make this:

  • Use a non-stick skillet to make these.  It prevents the mixture from sticking and makes the process that much easier.
  • Make them vegan!  Use vegan condensed milk and coconut oil instead of ghee to roll the balls.
  • You can use frozen grated coconut.  Just leave it out for a little bit to thaw and bring to room temperature.
  • If you don’t want to use or don’t have almond flour available, substitute with the same amount of almonds and grind them up into a flour.  It’s an extra step but easy and a perfect swap.
  • When buying almond flour, make sure you buy the almond flour and NOT the blend.  I almost did that.  The blend has a mixture of rice and other ingredients that would change the taste of this dessert.


If you end up making any of these delicious ladoos, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram at @bitofspice146.  I would love to see your creations!

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Spiced Pear Loaf

I love a traditional banana bread but I also love changing out the fruits and making different types of loaves.  This Spiced Pear Loaf gives me a peek into the fall with its hints of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger; the sweet pear chunks added in… oh so delicious!
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This bread uses milk and oil in addition to the pear chunks to give it just the right amount of moisture.  Use a 1:1 ratio of whole wheat flour and oats for a healthy balance of carbs, and just enough brown sugar to combine with the warm spices to bring fall home any time of the year!
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Use this loaf for a snack during recess, packed in your lunchboxes, or even as a sweet treat post meals.  So delicious and scrumptious, you have to try it out!
IMG_7862From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy this delicious treat!

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Oreo Cheesecake

From as far back as I can remember, my brother and I have always loved oreos.  Dunking them in milk, twisting them and eating the cream first, in shakes (mostly from fast food places), or hiding in the pantry and eating them (so my kids don’t catch me).
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Don’t Judge.  A mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do!

So many years later, cookies and cream remains our favorite flavor; definitely a go to for me.

Monday is Raksha Bandhan which is a big festival for Hindus.  In a nutshell, this is a celebration between brothers and sisters where we promise to protect and honor each other.  The sisters usually feed the brothers their favorite dessert after tying a Rakhi (kind of like a friendship bracelet) and receive a gift from their brothers as token of love (my favorite part).
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Traditionally, I’ve done Indian sweets but my brother has never been a big fan of them.  Don’t get me wrong, they’re delicious, but just not what he prefers.  As I was sitting at the table planning Rakhi, I knew without a doubt in my mind I was going to make something with Oreos in it for him.

This Oreo Cheesecake is one of my favorites because it is not too sweet, is very easy to make and I don’t have to deal with a water bath.  I know the cheesecake masters are probably gasping and worried that I haven’t used a water bath, but to be honest, I don’t think this one needed it!
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It is very creamy on the inside with chunks of cookie in each bite and the cookie crust just finishes off this amazing cake.

I know Cheesecake is not a very traditional Mithai (dessert) for Rakhi, but it’s all about what my brother likes and I think I hit this one out of the park.
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What event will you make this delicious Oreo Cheesecake for?

From my kitchen to yours, enjoy every bite of this cheesecake!

Notes:
I used a 7″ springform pan for this recipe

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Spiced Plum Crumble Bars

One of my very good friends, Diana, has a plum tree that produces an abundance of plums every year.  One of my favorite memories is when Sanaya was just over a year old, we had gone to her house and she let us pick plums in her backyard.  We had so many plums in our hands, I had walked away to put them in a basket.  When I came back, Sanaya had eaten half a plum (most of the juice was around her mouth and on her clothes) and was holding another she was getting ready to dive into.  It was one the best afternoons ever!
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We are a fruit loving family and we don’t discriminate (well, unless it’s mangoes – then everyone has to fend for themselves while I devour them).  At any given time, there’s always fresh fruit in the house and I love that my girls share mine and hubby’s love for them.  In honor of Diana’s plum tree (which I heard may not be around much longer and I almost cried), I got creative and added a little spice spin to these crumble bars.
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I love this recipe because it is so easy to come together.  For the filling, I stayed true to Salted Mint‘s filling.  I tried out a few different variations but I love this one the best because it is simple, adds the warmth of star anise and cinnamon and tastes amazing!
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For the crumble, I added hints of ginger and cardamom (I seriously felt like I could call this a Chai Spiced Plum Crumble because of the similar spices used). And the best is I can use the same mixture for the crust and crumble!
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For the oats, I used old fashioned oats and mixed it by hand.  You can absolutely pulse it in a food processor until you get a crumbly mixture.

I don’t think anyone can stop eating just one bar!  These are so crumbly, flaky, sweet, tart, and have just a little hint of spice which just warms your insides up!

This recipe makes about 16 squares in a 8×8 baking pan.

Notes:
To store, place in a sealed container and keep in fridge for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 2 months.

Keep the skin on the plums!  I wasn’t sure about this when I first started experimenting but it just becomes a part of the jam and you can’t even notice it!
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From my kitchen to yours, I hope you enjoy these delicious plum crumble bars!

Here are the tools I used for this recipe: