With Christmas around the corner, it is daunting to whip up traditional treats this holiday season. Not to mention, one’s health is up for a toss if the sweet intake is not kept in check. To collectively satisfy - health and taste, chefs from renowned eateries have helped us curate a list of recipes worth a shot.
1. Sticky Date Pudding By Chef Ameya Mahajani - Yakii - Asian Tapas Club
Ingredients:
Cold water - 750 ml
Dates 1000 - gms
Baking Soda - 24 gms
Salted Butter - 200 gms
Brown Sugar - 1000 Gms
Eggs - 10 nos
Flour - 550 Gms
Walnuts - 100 gms
Method:
Soak the dates in water for half an hour. Sieve the flour and mix in the walnuts. Beat the whole eggs, Salted butter, and brown sugar till creamy.
Cool the Soaked Dates in the same water till mushy and add in the baking soda.
Mix all of the about and line in the tray for baking. Bake the mixture at 180C for 20 minutes. Remove and cool down.
Serve with a salted caramel sauce with rum-soaked maraschino cherries, young mint leaves, and icing sugar.
2. Almond Gingerbread Cookies By Chef Amrut Mehta - Tutto Bene
Ingredients:
2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp baking soda
Method:
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine almond flour, spices, and baking soda.
Mix in the melted coconut oil, molasses, and maple syrup until a dough forms.
Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/4 inch thickness.
Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch.
Let them cool on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack.
3. Almond Stollen Bread
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup granulated sweetener of choice
1 tsp baking powder (gluten-free)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1/4 cup almond milk
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup chopped dried fruits (raisins, apricots, cranberries)
1/2 cup chopped almonds
Powdered sweetener for dusting
Method:
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix almond flour, coconut flour, granulated sweetener, baking powder, and salt.
Stir in the melted butter, eggs, almond milk, and almond extract until well combined.
Fold in the dried fruits and chopped almonds.
Shape the dough into an oval loaf on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, dust with powdered sweetener before serving.
4. Mahabaleshwar Strawberry and Soya Cream Trifle By Chef Rajdeep Rana - The Westin Pune Koregaon Park
Ingredients:
50 grams gluten-free bread
150 gm fresh Mahabaleshwar strawberries
Zest and juice of 1 large orange
100ml Soya Cream
50 gm sugar-free
Method:
Cut the gluten-free bread into small cubes and place it in the base of the trifle bowl.
Put the cut strawberries in a small saucepan with the orange zest and half the juice. Bubble gently, without stirring too much, until the fruit is soft. Cool a little
Remove the zest and pour the cooked fruit on the bread cubes. Press down lightly to push the juice into the bread.
Put the remaining orange juice into a pan and simmer it to 1/4th
Whip the soya cream on an ice bath with sugar till soft peak consistency.
Add the reduced orange juice and fold carefully with a silicon spatula.
Pour the whipped soya cream on top of the bread and soaked fruit and chill it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Serve chilled, decorated with a few extra frozen fruits.
5. Apple Pie By Chef Radheshyam Mishra - Café Corra
Ingredients:
1 kg Apple
200 gm Brown Sugar
100 gm Jaggery
5 gm Cinnamon Powder
100 gm Butter
100 gm Cream
Method:
Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples.
In a bowl, mix the sliced apples with brown sugar, jaggery, and cinnamon powder.
In a pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the apple mixture and cook until the apples are tender and coated with the sugar mixture.
Roll out the pie crust and line a pie dish. Fill it with the cooked apple mixture.
Cover the pie with another layer of pie crust or create a lattice pattern.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for about 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
While the pie is baking, prepare the cream by whipping it until soft peaks form.
Once the pie is done, let it cool for a while before serving. Top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream.
