Desserts

Cardamom Cookies

Posted by Colleen on May 11, 2013 in Afternoon Tea, All Posts, Beginner Recipes, Dessert, Desserts, Indian Desserts | 10 comments

What is it about a plate piled high with cookies that is so hard to resist? I certainly can’t resist.  Apparently neither can my family, who ate four bags worth of cookies in two days when I brought them the results of last weeks recipe testing.   I had just spent the previous week working to find just the right cookie for dipping into chai. I’ve actually been searching for the perfect chai cookie recipe for the past two years and I think I finally found it.

My fixation for the perfect chai cookie started on my first visit to India.  We had been married in the US and flew to India for a wedding reception.  Our month-long trip turned into my new family

Chocolate Mirror Cake

Posted by Colleen on Feb 15, 2013 in All Posts, American Desserts, Desserts, Make Ahead Recipes, Videos | 2 comments

One of the things I love about my family is how often we gather for celebrations.  For most folks, January is a welcome break from the jam-packed holiday season that is Thanksgiving through New Years.  In my family however, we hit the new year running.  Almost every month of the year provides us with a great excuse to get together and eat some cake. January is a birthday party, February brings Valentine’s Day and Hubby’s birthday.  Although throwing a party for Hubby is a bit of a tug of war.  He doesn’t like to have a party held for him…and my mother is adamant on throwing him a party every year.  Last year she said, “we are throwing you a party, you can show up if you want”.   You gotta love her for the fact that she will

Easy Mango Ice Cream

Posted by Colleen on Jun 11, 2012 in All Posts, Colleen's Kitchen, Desserts | 6 comments

The peak of summer heat is fast approaching and for me, it conjures up old habits of fleeing over the hill to the cool coasts of Santa Cruz.  In years past, we lived in our claustrophobic one bedroom apartment which stubbornly collected heat no matter how many windows I opened.  In the early years of our marriage, as a student and then later as a teacher, I always had two and a half months off for summer.  Grand plans would be made for these months.  I’d dream of starting that home inventory project I’d always been meaning to do or scrub the walls and clean out the closets.  I’d finally start writing that curriculum book I’d been planning.  The only thing I hadn’t kept in mind was the fact that I was now without the air conditioning I

Chocolate Cake on a rainy day

Posted by Colleen on Nov 22, 2011 in All Posts, American Desserts, Colleen's Kitchen, Dessert, Desserts, Recipe Index | 6 comments

It was a blustery weekend here in San Jose.  As Hubby and I were preparing for our morning walk, we glanced out the living room window and saw all the beautiful red and gold leaves being blown violently by gusts of wind and our newly washed windows were now splattered with fresh rain.  This sight put an immediate end to our outdoor plans for the day and as we pulled off our winter jackets I wondered “what are some rainy day activities we can do?”.

This got us thinking about our childhood rainy days, where the whole family got to stay home from work and school and spend the day enjoying great food and doing some fun family activities. 

Cake Rusk

Posted by Colleen on Aug 19, 2011 in A Homemade Pantry, All Posts, Beginner Recipes, Colleen's Kitchen, Dessert, Indian Desserts, Indian Recipes, Recipe Index | 6 comments

I’m starting to learn to make things at home that I would have never considered in the past.  Desserts and little snacks and treats for example have always been things we have gone out for.  If Hubby and I wanted to treat ourselves to our favorite cookies, we went down to the corner store and picked up a package.  If I wanted a fresh lemon tart, I walked over to the local bakery and brought it home to enjoy after dinner.  I am now finding that if I want a special treat of cookies or a favorite childhood snack food, I’m looking up a recipe rather than driving directions.

Take for example, this recipe for cake rusk which is a tea cookie, a favorite accompaniment to Indian chai.  Hubby and I used to buy boxes of these until I couldn’t resist having four or five of them each time I had a cup of chai. At that point we decided not to continue buying them. Realizing my weakness for no self-control, we banned the crumbly golden cookies from our kitchen and I haven’t thought about them in years.  I’m actually quite proud that I kicked the tea cookie habit.

Indian Rice Pudding (Kheer)

Posted by Colleen on May 8, 2011 in All Posts, Colleen's Kitchen, Dessert, Indian Desserts, Recipe Index | 7 comments

I never thought I would be eating rice pudding.  I’ve never been a fan of any type of pudding (unless it had the word chocolate in it).

What could be yummy about a rice dessert?  Rice and dessert just don’t go together.

Well, I stand corrected.  Indeed those Indians know what they are doing.  Whenever I doubt their odd flavor combinations, I’m always put in my place.

This dessert is SOOOO GOOD!!!  Plus, it just feels healthier.  No butter, hardly any sugar.  Yet it still tastes heavenly.

I’m on a goal to find the best recipe for Kheer.  I’m starting with