Laddu: The Event Dessert Of India

In every special Indian event colorful presentations and attending honored guests are noticeably acknowledged. What others often overlook to notice is the sweet presence of a unique Indian dessert called Laddu.

Dubbed as the favorite dessert of the Gods, Laddu, which sometimes spelled as Ladoo, are usually made to mark a festival celebration or special household event such as weddings, engagement parties, and birthdays. It is worth taking to note why this simple stuffed-looking ball-shaped flour dipped in sugar syrup became the official dessert of Indian celebrations.

Hindu mythology accounts that a certain variety of laddu called Besan laddu is a favorite sumptuous dish of Lord Ganesha, an elephant-looking Hindu God who is the most worshipped in India. The dessert is always prepared as an offering to the Gods. Aside from the Besan laddu, which is prepared during India’s light festival called Diwali, another variant called Malai laddu is a popular offering in the temples. It is often made from cream that results from evaporating sweetened milk mixed with chickpea flour and butter then formed into cream balls.

Another variant is the Rava laddu, which is made from rava (cream of rice), ghee (melted butter) and sugar. This laddu dessert, however, is more seen during wedding rites. Hindu brides prepare the dessert to present to the family of the groom as an edible dowry before the final wedding ceremony. The number and quality of rava laddu offered serve as basis for the wealth and status of the bride’s family.

Non-Indian homes can also prepare this special dessert. Start off by heating ghee in a deep pan. Fry the cashew nuts and raisins and set aside when the two are golden brown and plump respectively. Put semolina in the same pan and set the stove in medium heat to make the semolina golden brown, which would take some time, while stirring it. Pour on milk, cardamom, clove powder, sugar including the fried cashew nuts and raisins. Continue stirring until the sugar and the milk is completely mixed. Switch off the stove and let the mixture to cool down. When no longer hot, shape the slightly sticky mixture into medium-sized balls, which should be placed in an airtight container while being refrigerated. You can, however, opt to eat it warm hot.

One must experience taking a bite of the dessert to truly understand why this dessert is so special in India. So if you happen to revel in one of India’s festivals or special household events go grab a laddu.

Tips And A Recipe For Low Fat Dessert

If you are trying to lose weight, skipping desserts can be a real challenge. The great thing is you do not have to give up eating your favorite dessert in order to lose those stubborn inches. There are plenty of low fat dessert recipes that you can try for a delicious and healthy treat.

Making your own low fat dessert is actually simple. The key is to substitute the fattening ingredients in the recipe for low fat items. For example, if the recipe calls for cream cheese skip the regular one and look for fat free or low fat cream cheese. Likewise, use margarine or applesauce instead of butter. Chill evaporated milk and you have a low fat substitute for whipped cream. When using eggs, just use the egg whites or instead of using whole eggs, try an egg substitute product. Also, replace the sugar with a sugar free sweetener such as the product Splenda.

Another good idea is to use cooking spray to coat your cake pan instead of grease. A cooking spray will have less fat and cholesterol than oil and will cover the pan completely and evenly so your low fat dessert will slide perfectly onto a plate much easier.

If you are thinking that your options in making low fat dessert are limited, you would be happy to know that you can in fact make almost any type of dessert into a low fat dessert. Again, the key is using low fat ingredients, which are easily available from grocery stores. So, you can make your own low fat pudding, cake, cobbler, pie and even low fat ice cream.

To get you started right away in making a delicious low fat dessert, here is an easy recipe for a popular dessert, strawberry cream cheese shortcake. It uses substitutes to make a low sugar, low calorie and low fat dessert.

Beat 8 oz of softened fat free cream cheese and half a cup of powdered sugar. Fold in 8 oz carton of a Cool Whip Free, a fat-free whipped cream substitute. Pour into a 9×13 pan and spread evenly. Cover the pan and chill for 2 hours. While you are waiting, sweeten 5 cups of sliced strawberries with ¼ cup of Splenda or any sugar substitute. Before you serve your delicious low fat dessert, spread the strawberries on top. Add some Cool Whip on top of each serving.

The recipe above is just one of many low fat dessert recipes out there that you can try so you can still satisfy your sweet tooth and not have to worry about gaining weight.

How To Make Meringues

Meringue is one type of dessert that appeared originally in France although it is believed that Gasparini, an Italian chef, invented meringue sometime between the 17th and early 18th centuries in the town of Meiringen in Switzerland.

Meringue is a very sweet and light dessert, which is also considered a candy. It is generally made from sugar and whipped egg whites. The typical measurement is half a cup of caster sugar and 2 beaten egg whites. Meringue recipes sometimes call for small amounts of flavor extracts, for example, half a teaspoon of almond and/or vanilla extracts. Basically, the sugar is dissolved into the beaten egg whites to make meringue. This mixture will harden when baked but easily melts in the mouth.

In the Italian version of making meringue, you will whip warm sugar syrup into gently beaten egg whites until this mixture is stiff. This version makes meringue that can be used without the need for cooking as the air will not let out for quite a while so you can use it on pies and other desserts.

Meringue is in fact often used as a substitute to the top crust of creamy pies. The most popular example of this is the lemon meringue pie. Some other examples are orange meringue pie, melon meringue pie, caramel and chilled grapefruit meringue pie, chocolate meringue pie, and apple meringue pie.

Meringue that is used as a pie topping has a softer texture than the baked ones intended to be eaten individually. The secret to a meringue pie topping is using a lesser amount of sugar in the meringue mix because sugar is what makes meringue crispy. To achieve a soft texture with lightly browned tops, cook the meringue at a higher temperature at less the time.

The key to making perfect meringue is in the correct whipping of the egg whites. You will know that you have done it right if the egg white foam form peaks or stays upright when it drips off a fork. Once you have achieved this, you can start stirring in the sugar.

Add the sugar gradually so that it dissolves into the egg white mixture. Although you can use table sugar, the best sugar to use is confectioner’s sugar because it is very fine and will dissolve much easier.

When storing baked meringues, it is important to keep moisture away because they will turn your dessert treats into gummy sugar pastes. A good idea is to place baked meringues in zip-locked bags but, keep in mind, not to refrigerate them.

Famous Mexican Desserts And Some Variations

“Postres” – the sweets at the end of a meal. Although Mexicans consider these as important meal-enders, Mexican desserts remain highly unfamiliar. Perhaps, this is because they are hidden behind the shadow of the ever-present caramelized custard, known locally as “flan caramelisado”.

Among the many distinct Mexican desserts, the flan caramelisado remains to be the most classic, and is suggestively the best description of Mexican desserts in general. In fact, the most traditional dessert recipes of the Mexicans were discovered when the Spanish colonies ruled the country.

The popularity of the “flan” has spanned several countries all over the globe. Although the terms “flan” and “crème caramel” were derived from the French, the word “flan” however, is used by the French to mean custard tart. Since it is known across Europe, as well as in other parts of the world, “flan” is mostly how Spanish-speaking people call it.

The flan is known to have greatly invaded dessert menus in Europe towards the end of the 20th century because it offers restaurateurs utmost convenience. Since the crème caramel, as Europeans call it, is fairly easy to prepare, and may be made in advance before it is needed, it became one of the most prevalent desserts in restaurant menus.

The flan is not only the most well-known among Mexican desserts, but has also gained as much attention in other countries. There are now a lot of variations, including the use of almond, coconut, lemon, pistachio, and other fruits.

Another proof of its popularity is the fact that has been “imitated”. “Instant flans”, which are available in powder form, use agar as thickening, instead of eggs. “Royal” is among the popular brand name of these flan imitations.

Flan is more widely-known in Spain, as well as in the Philippines and Latin America, both of which were under Spanish rule. Flan has become a lot more common in the United States because it is always a part of Mexican menus.

The pastry ingredients of the Europeans, such as wheat flour, eggs, and milk, and the crepes of the French, were all made part of some Mexican desserts. Up to now, these contributions from other cultures can be savored in the various Mexican desserts like bread pudding, rice pudding, coconut flans, and caramel filled crepes.

Mexican desserts are interesting because they are influenced by the flavors of other cultures, and further enhanced by the Mexicans ‘fascinating tastes.