Tag: desserts

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Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake

A simple bundt cake that is moist, light, fluffy, and a little crunchy.  Fresh ground pistachios in the cake with some more drizzled over the top of a beautiful sugar glaze, this Pistachio Pudding Bundt Cake is beautiful to look at and divine to eat.
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Sapna2 Comments

Persian Love Cupcakes

These Persian Love Cupcakes will enchant you with their looks and flavor.  With a hint of halva flavor, salted pistachios on the top, and rose in the flavor, shape, and to garnish on top, these beautiful cupcakes are every bit as tasty in each bite as they are to make.
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Sapna6 Comments

Popeye Muffins Yum

**Updated Feb 2021.  Originally published May 2020**

Popeye muffins are one of the girls’ favorites.  I started making these when the girls were too young to eat leafy greens but old enough to eat more than pureed meals.  They were an instant hit then, and luckily they still are now.  Vibrant green, sweet and soft…. you can’t go wrong with these!

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Sapna2 Comments

Top 15 Recipes of 2020

The year 2020 has not been without its challenges though I feel stronger coming out of it and ready to start a new year.  One thing I am very proud of myself for doing is relaunching my blog and getting more creative with my work.  I’ve managed to publish quite a few recipes and many of them were pretty popular.  I want to thank all of you for taking the time to visit my blog and trying my recipes.

I wish all of you a Happy New Year as you read the top 15 from this year based on reader reviews and responses.  I hope to continue growing and sharing my love of cooking with you in 2021.  Here are the top 15 recipes of 2020.

Sweet Potato and Beet Hash with Fried Eggs

A delicious, nutrient dense brunch dish that will become of one your favorites right away.  Easy to make it vegan by omitting the egg, this recipe is also sustainable using the beet greens along with spinach for the base of the hash.

Butternut Squash and Lentil Salad 
A warm lentil salad with a sweet butternut squash, the crunchy seeds, apples and pomegranates with feta crumbles adding a little creaminess is the perfect blend for this salad.  Another nutrient dense dish that can fill you up for lunch or dinner.

Instant Pot Tortilla Soup 

A quick and easy soup that is packed with flavors and perfect for a winter weeknight.  Settle in with a bowl of this Instant Pot Tortilla Soup which takes only 4 minutes to cook!

Pineapple Fried Rice

A quick stir fry that takes only 20 minutes to make this Pineapple Fried Rice is filled with texture, flavor, and an exotic touch.  Try it out for your next Thai night.

Aloo Paratha


A staple in almost every Indian home, Aloo Parathas are perfect for brunch, a rainy day, or pretty much anytime!

Spiced Plum Crumble Bars
A delicious treat that can be eaten for snack, breakfast, or as a nibble with your afternoon tea.

Rangoli Ladoos 
These sweet Ladoos (truffles) are a delicious and easy recipe that can be made any time of the year, but especially for festivals such as Diwali, Holi, and Navratri.  Try them out and you will have your very own batch made in less than 15 minutes!

Tinseltown Tostadas 

A delicious, light, and healthy appetizer, these are perfect for any type of party or dinner.  Brighten up your table during the Holidays with these colorful Tinseltown Tostadas.

Tandoori Gobi (Cauliflower) Zucchini Boats

A quick and easy recipe that is packed with traditional Indian flavors, make these healthy Tandoori Gobi Zucchini Boats to bring some spice to your table.

Skinny Skillet Veggie Enchiladas


These are a great way to Enchiladas while cutting down the carbs significantly.  The flavor is still there and packs a good punch!  No wonder they are so popular.

Mango Pico


A delicious salsa with the addition of mango makes for a yummy sweet and spicy bite.  So versatile, you can eat this Mango Pico with practically anything!

Pear Halwa Cake


A delicious Indian Fusion recipe, this Pear Halwa Cake is a great dessert to have at any holiday or birthday table!  Make it for Easter, Mother’s Day, Birthdays and Anniversaries alike!

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
These light and fluffy pancakes have become a weekend staple in our home.  Try them once and you’ll be addicted too!

Chocolate Samosa
A sweet twist on the traditional Samosas, these irresistible Chocolate Samosas are filled with Nutella.  I promise it will be very hard to stop at Just one!

Adai Waffles / Lentil Waffles

Healthy Lentil Waffles that are packed with proteins, vitamins, and minerals.  These are your one stop shop for a complete meal.

Thank you so much for making 2020 so special for me.  I have enjoyed and embraced cooking for you.  Which recipes have you tried?  Feel free to leave comments below, or tag me with your pictures on Facebook or Instagram.  See you in 2021!

Sapna8 Comments

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!

Rangoli Ladoos

Rangoli Ladoos
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0 ratings
Sapna
November 12, 2020
by Sapna
Cuisine Indian
Category Dessert Indian
Persons
15
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
6 minutes
Wait Time
30 minutes
Total Time
11 minutes

Ingredients

For the Coconut Ladoos:

  • 1/2 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 c shredded or grated coconut
  • 1 1/2 c almond flour
  • ghee to roll

For the Lavender Ladoos:

  • 1/2 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 c shredded or grated coconut
  • 1 1/2 c almond flour
  • 1 Tbsp Lavender petals, ground to a powder
  • 1 tsp purple food color
  • ghee to roll

For the Mojito Ladoos:

  • 1/2 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 c shredded or grated coconut
  • 1 1/2 c almond flour
  • 3 Tbsp Dried Mint, ground to a powder
  • 1 Tbsp Lime sugar
  • 1 tsp green food color, optional
  • ghee to roll

For the Mango Ladoos:

  • 1/2 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 1/2 c shredded or grated coconut
  • 2 c almond flour
  • 1/2 c Mango Pulp, or available at your local Indian store
  • ghee to roll

For the Rose Ladoos:

  • 1/2 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 c shredded or grated coconut
  • 1 3/4 c almond flour
  • 3 Tbsp Rooh Afza
  • 1 Tbsp Rose Water
  • ghee to roll

Instructions

For the Coconut Almond Ladoos:

  1. Heat a non stick skillet on medium flame and add the condensed milk. Cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes until it thins out. Be careful it doesn't burn.
  2. Add in the coconut and mix to combine well. Cook for an addition 1-2 minutes and you will see the water separating.
  3. At this point, add in the almond flour and mix. Keep stirring until it starts to form into a dough.
  4. Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.
  5. When it is still warm but not too hot to handle, grease your palms with ghee and roll into truffle balls.
  6. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let them set.

For the Lavender Ladoos:

  1. Heat a non stick skillet on medium flame and add the condensed milk. Cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes until it thins out. Be careful it doesn't burn.
  2. Add in the lavender powder and purple food color.
  3. Add in the coconut and mix to combine well. Cook for an addition 1-2 minutes and you will see the water separating.
  4. At this point, add in the almond flour and mix. Keep stirring until it starts to form into a dough.
  5. Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.
  6. When it is still warm but not too hot to handle, grease your palms with ghee and roll into truffle balls.
  7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let them set.

For the Mojito Ladoos:

  1. Heat a non stick skillet on medium flame and add the condensed milk. Cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes until it thins out. Be careful it doesn't burn.
  2. Add in the mint powder and lime sugar and mix well. Also add in the green food color if using
  3. Add in the coconut and mix to combine well. Cook for an addition 1-2 minutes and you will see the water separating.
  4. At this point, add in the almond flour and mix. Keep stirring until it starts to form into a dough.
  5. Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.
  6. When it is still warm but not too hot to handle, grease your palms with ghee and roll into truffle balls.
  7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let them set.

For the Mango Ladoos:

  1. Heat a non stick skillet on medium flame and add the condensed milk. Cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes until it thins out. Be careful it doesn't burn.
  2. Add in the mango pulp and mix.
  3. Add in the coconut and mix to combine well. Cook for an addition 1-2 minutes and you will see the water separating.
  4. At this point, add in the almond flour and mix. Keep stirring until it starts to form into a dough.
  5. Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.
  6. When it is still warm but not too hot to handle, grease your palms with ghee and roll into truffle balls.
  7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let them set.

For the Rose Ladoos:

  1. Heat a non stick skillet on medium flame and add the condensed milk. Cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes until it thins out. Be careful it doesn't burn.
  2. Add in the Rooh Afza and Rose water and mix well.
  3. Add in the coconut and mix to combine well. Cook for an addition 1-2 minutes and you will see the water separating.
  4. At this point, add in the almond flour and mix. Keep stirring until it starts to form into a dough.
  5. Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of minutes.
  6. When it is still warm but not too hot to handle, grease your palms with ghee and roll into truffle balls.
  7. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let them set.

Notes

*If using frozen shredded coconut, make sure to thaw it out to room temp to avoid extra moisture in the final product.
*If you don't have almond flour, substitute with almonds 1:1 ratio and grind into flour 
*To make this VEGAN, use vegan condensed milk and switch the ghee and use coconut oil


Tags

30 minute recipes,
Almond,
coconut,
desserts,
Diwali,
homemade,
Mithai,
Rangoli,
Sweet,
Vegan,
vegetarian
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© 2023 Copyright A Li\'l Bit of Spice

Sapna4 Comments

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!
IMG_7866
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!
IMG_7871
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!

Spiced Pear Loaf

Spiced Pear Loaf
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0 ratings
Sapna
August 19, 2020
by Sapna
Category Breads Dessert
Persons
16
Serving Size
16 slices
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
55 minutes
Total Time
1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 c old fashioned oats
  • 1 c milk
  • 1 c whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 1/4 c oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla exract
  • 2 med pears, ripe, cored, peeled, diced

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Combine milk and oats and let sit for 15 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients together including the spices.
  4. In a separate bowl, cream together oil and brown sugar. Add in the egg and beat well. Add in the vanilla extract and mix.
  5. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well.
  6. Gently fold in chopped pears.
  7. Transfer batter to loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown crust and toothpick comes out clean from the center.
  8. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Tags

baking,
bread,
comfort,
desserts,
Fall,
Loaf,
Oats,
Pear,
Snack,
spices,
Sweet,
vegetarian
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© 2023 Copyright A Li\'l Bit of Spice