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COCONUT MACAROONS

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Coconut_Macroons-3A super rich and chewy macaroon, baked just until puffed and these macaroons give way to tender centres, making them incredibly tempting just out of the oven.

For all the coconut lovers you know!

Please not to be confused with Macarons which are the Classic French Pastry Cookie. Macaroon vs Macaron may only be different by 1 letter, but are SOO much different in terms of what they are and the difficulty level. This coconut macaroon is beyond easy – with literally few ingredients.

“We have two hands. One to help ourselves and other is to help others” – why did I say this now ??? 🤔 . Okay! All these wrapped goodies and lots more not in the pic were donated to people in need this week. Also took some to work to share with my colleagues. Sharing is caring and it always makes us happy. Isn’t it? !!! I would suggest all of you to do it once in a while. Life is more meaningful when you help someone in need. ☺️ usually I will try not saying this in a social media post .. this time felt may be it might inspire atleast one person and they might do the same or more 🙂 so why not sharing this???! . Made some Coconut macaroons, Quinoa butterscotch cookies
Wheat chocolate cookiesand Roasted nuts.

You can also melt chocolate and drizzle. However, I like the classic ones. There are so many  variations you could do to this. Add lemon, chocolate drizzle, nuts and what not?!Other favorite coconut Recipes: Coconut ladoo, coconut burfi, coconut rice, spicy coconut cardamom lamb chops, Coconut butter chicken roast

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COCONUT MACAROONS
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 25
 
Ingredients
  • • Egg Whites – 3 small
  • • Salt – ¼ tsp
  • • Vanilla extract – ½ tsp
  • • 10 ounce Sweetened condensed milk
  • • 14 Ounce Sweetened Coconut Flakes
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites and salt until they make medium-firm peaks.
  3. Carefully add the shredded coconut and condensed milk to the bowl.
  4. On a baking pan lined with baking sheet, use an icecream scoop to scoop or 2 tsps. With few cm of difference.
  5. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until the tops start to lightly turn brown
  6. Remove from oven and let it cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet.
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Basundi/ Condensed Milk Pudding

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basundi

Sweetened Thickened milk flavored with cardamom and saffron.

Basundi Video

I don’t do desserts or sweets without reason. I really need a reason to make them !:) And the reason today is “RELISHTHEBITE Blog 1st YEAR ANNIVERSARY”! Do I need more reason to celebrate? I will share about the recipe and then will share the happiness of the blog anniversary 🙂

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Basundi is also called Rabdi. Rabdi is flavored sweetened thickened milk by boiling milk for hours and finished up by adding sugar to it. It is one of a rice Indian delicacy. You can even add edible rose petals, but I just added rose water because I personally don’t like to have rose petals. You can even skip sweetened condensed milk and boil milk for some more time and add sugar to it. The name basundi looks complicated but it is so simple to make. I am adding sweetened condensed milk because the usual rabri procedure is to boil milk for hours, but by this method you can boil milk for few minutes and add sweetened condensed milk which makes thick and you can make this recipe in 40 minutes instead of hours. You can also make the recipe with unsweetened condensed milk and then add sugar as per your taste.

You can make this for any festivals dessert recipes. This recipes makes us to spend more time with people and still make some desserts for festivals! Other favorite dessert recipes: Coconut Ladoo, Coconut Burfi/fudge, Rice Kheer/Pudding, Rasmalai, Rasgulla, Aval kheer, carrot ladoo, semiya kesari/vermicelli sweet, Beetroot halwa

basundi

5.0 from 1 reviews
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Basundi/ Condensed Milk Pudding
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 7 servings
 
Ingredients
  • Milk – 1 litre, full fat
  • Sweetened condensed milk – 350 ml
  • Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
  • Saffron – 6 strands, soaked in 1 tbsp of warm milk
  • Nutmeg powder – a generous pinch
  • Rose water – ¼ tsp
  • Pistachios & almonds – 20, chopped
  • Saffron – a few strands for garnish
Instructions
  1. Take a thick bottomed saucepan in medium to high heat, Add milk and sweetened condensed milk in it. After it comes to boil, reduce the heat to low.

  2. Taste after few minutes and if you find it too sweet for you, you can add more milk to it and adjust the taste.
  3. Keep on stirring at intervals or else the mixture would get browned or burnt from bottom. Use a rubber whisk to whisk it so that it does not make any scratches in the vessel. Stir at regular intervals so that the milk does not stick to the bottom.

  4. The milk or cream gets collected at the sides and top scrape it every 5 minutes and add it to the mixture. It took around 45 minutes on a low flame for me for the milk to get thickened. The consistency of basundi is a one-step thicker to condensed milk.

  5. Add saffron milk, nutmeg powder, chopped nuts and cardamom powder. Stir well.

  6. Switch off and serve warm or chill with some saffron strands. I like it chill so keeping it in fridge now!
Notes
1. The mixture will thicken a little more when it is cooling. So don’t make the consistency too thick.
2. If you are using condensed milk, and sugar, then use 300 ml condensed milk and 4 tbsp of sugar.
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I like my basundi chill and most people like it chill. So serve it chill!

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Now, I am back to celebration mode. Relishthebite 1st Year Anniversary! I can’t believe I am here. What a quick ride! I still remember the first day August 14th, 2014 for my first post for Kuzhi Paniyaram/spiced dumplings. I took this picture on my Iphone, and did not know what to type on the first post and I was clueless about everything. And I am still ignorant about most of it. And for my eyes that was the best spiced dumplings picture last year. I feel like laughing out loud for that picture now but I want to keep it as a remembrance. And I am sure after two years I would be laughing at this “Basundi” picture. When I sent this picture to Foodgawker, I got rejected and I was down and furious for that! Hahaha! I was so insensitive! The third day after I posted my recipe, I got 100 views and I was super excited.:D I kept blathering about my blog to everyone I met for first week. I was very enthusiastic!

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I know I have a long way to go to develop my writing skills, photography skills, coding skills and everything. But this minute, I am proud of myself! I am so happy that I started a food blog  ! I am not very active in posting recipes for the past one month and I feel really bad for that. 🙁 But I am in that spot of my life that I had to go through this gap :(! Thank you all, my family, my friends, my fellow bloggers and my readers for supporting me always!

I wanted to share some of the insights of my blog :). I thought may be that would help some new bloggers and other fellow bloggers. And also I have no idea how these numbers should look for the first year 🙂 If I am going on the right path! I started all this as a hobby but when I see that so many users do check my recipe and try it, it makes me really happy! It gives me an answer to the hard work and time I spend for it :)! My other fellow bloggers and friends are the ones who should advise me on this 🙂

This is this year Google analytics from August 14,2014 to August 12,2015 for Relishthebite:


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Last year august my page views was 3,710 and last month it was 76,533. I thought it is not that bad at all! 😉

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My Blog is monetized for ads, so your views and the clicks help me earn some money, which eventually helps in running the blog :)! I am working as publishers for Gourmet Ads, Sovrn, Infolinks, Yellow Hammer Media, Foodie Blogroll, Swoop! And some affiliate programs like bluehost, Thesis theme, Genesis framework, Elegant Themes.

Do you love reading food blog? Want to start a blog? Don’t wait. It is simple! Today is your day to start the blog! I have a post on how to start your own blog!

Thank you all for taking the time to read this 🙂 and for supporting me always!!!

Gulab Jamun

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JamunA popular Indian dessert of fried dumplings in rose scented sugar syrup.

 Gulab Jamun! Just the name tempts many of us 😉 I know many would be drooling looking at it! This has been the most favorite sweet for many. Popular sweet recipe liked by almost everyone. I have never seen anyone saying No to gulab jamuns. You can make this classic Indian dessert on any occasion and can make it even if there is no occasion. You can make jamuns using readymade mix, khoya or just milk powder. You can make khoya from scratch or just get it from some Indian store. I have tried using readymade mix and also using khoya or milk powder. All are equally good. The one I made today is using milk powder, yogurt, salt and water. I have tried even using MTR gulab jamun mix and its good :)! Usually I always take step-by-step pictures, I have some old step by step pictures too for these jamuns, may be I will add them later to it if requested. Its simple to do ! looks complex, but easy to make and comes perfect if we make them with some time and patience. Gulab means rose and jamuns are deep coloured berries. gulab means rose and jamuns are deep purple colored berries available in india. all you need is milk powder, yogurt, sugar and water to make a basic gulab jamun at home.

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 If you get the right consistency in the gulab jamun dough, you will never buy in the stores. I have mentioned some tips and suggestions, which might help.

  1. If you are making this with readymade mix, just mix it with milk till you get the right consistency, (not dry crumble but stickly soft)
  2. For sugar solution, on cooling if the sugar syrup crystallizes, then just add two or three tablespoons of water and warm the syrup again. It will be back to the syrup consistency.
  3. Apply some oil on your palms and make smalls balls from the dough. It may double the size after soaking in water, so be careful to make them small sized.
  4. There should be no cracks on the dough balls. They should be smooth, If there are cracks, then just add some 1 oe 2 tbsp of yogurt/milk and continue making the balls.
  5. Do cover them and keep aside for ten minutes before frying them. it makes a great difference.
  6. Do not make the jamun dough hard, it should be soft or else the syrup will not go inside after soaking.
  7. When you fry them, when the oil becomes medium hot, lower the flam, add a small in the oil, it should slowly rise to the top from bottom. If it rises instantly, then the oil is too hot to fry which is not good. One jamun should get fried for about 6 -8 mins, its that slow for a perfect jamun.
  8. If jamun cracks while frying, then add 1 or 2 tspof flour to the dough and form the balls again.
  9. Don’t crowd the pan when deep frying, it might make the oil totally zero hot. Jamun might look dark when you take out from oil, but its perfect when you soak them as you see.
  10. Use a wooden spatula to rotate the oil after adding the jamuns without touching them, so that they are evenly gold.

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Gulab jamuns can be served warm or cold. You can always warm them in microwave when serving. It can be stored for 5 -7 days in refrigerator.

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Gulab Jamun
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 15
 
Ingredients
  • For the sugar syrup:
  • Water – 3 cups
  • Sugar – 2.5 Cups
  • Cardamom powder – 2 tsp
  • Saffron – a pinch
  • Rose water – 1 tsp

    For the Gulab Jamuns:
  • Milk Powder – 1½ cup
  • All purpose flour – ½ cup
  • Oil/ Ghee – 1 tsp
  • Baking soda – a pinch
  • Salt – a pinch
  • Yogurt – 2 tbsp
Instructions
  1. To prepare the sugar syrup:
  2. Mix water, sugar, cardamom and saffron in a pan, heat it till you get a syrup consistency. There should not be any thread formation, as it might form crystals later. usually it takes around 8 – 10 mins for that consistency in medium flame.
  3. Add the rose water and keep it aside.

    To prepare the jamuns:
  4. Mix the milk powder, baking soda, salt, all purpose flour, oil/ghee, yogurt in a bowl. Mix and keep on adding little of the yogurt to get a soft sticky mixture. If the mixture is dry or crumble, add some yogurt. Keep it covered for ten minutes and keep aside.
  5. Make small smooth balls from the dough after ten minutes.
  6. Heat the oil and reduce the flame to low. Add the balls and keep fry them. Use a wooden ladle and without touching the jamuns, just rotate the oil.
  7. When they become nice and dark golden in color, remove it from oil (with no oil totally) and add them to the sugar syrup.
  8. Let them soak for atleast 2 hours.
Notes
1. please read my summary above for more tips
2. If you want , you can fry the jamuns in 50:50 Oil and ghee.
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Coconut Chocolate Cookies

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CoconutCookies-10These cookies are intense with buttery centres, crispy edges and loaded with coconut and chocolates – so Good!!!

The combination and varieties of cookies are endless. So, whenever you want to make one, you can just bake with anything and any coalition in your pantry. We can take a classic cookie and throw whatever our little heart desires in there, and I am sure it is still going to be good. I usually drop coconut, chocolate chips, chocolates, oats, cranberries, walnuts, pecans, berries and so on.thumbsup The list is endless!

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I really don’t make a lot of cookies at home, that’s the reason for only very few cookie recipes. I tend to have snacks only in the evening after work. During that moment, I don’t feel like baking one. I will be tired after the long day and will be so hungry.wondering So I just grab the store bought one when I come back from work. I am sure many have this problem 😉 That is why I don’t just have lot of cookie recipes. You can replace the butter with some coconut oil as well. I can promise you that even with less butter the cookies are just going to be as good. And you won’t taste the coconut oil in them. I have tried that once.

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This is a quick and easy snack perfect for the holidays or any time.baloon Everybody loves chocolates and when it is combined with coconut, it is love at first bite. They are so easy to make and easy to disappear.  This is my all-time favourite cookie recipe. I have used more white chocolates 😉 as I love white chocolate more than milk or dark chocolate. The order I like chocolates is white, dark and then milk. The coconut adds the most amazing sweet nuttiness to this traditional cookie. I am very sure that you can’t stop with just one.

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Coconut Chocolate Cookies
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2 dozens
 
Ingredients
  • Unsalted butter – ¾ cup
  • Vegetable shortening – 1 tbsp
  • Granulated sugar – ½ cup
  • Brown sugar – ½ cup
  • Salt – ¼ tsp
  • Baking soda – ½ tsp
  • Baking powder – 1 tsp
  • All-purpose flour – 1 ½ cup
  • Vanila extract – 1 tsp
  • Semisweet chocolate chips – ¾ cup
  • Sweetened shredded coconut – 1 cup
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a few baking shheets with parchment paper if you don’t want to scrub your baking sheet hard. And set aside.
  2. In a bowl, cream together the butter,shortening, sugar, egg, vanilla and mix until combined.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add this to the butter mixture and mix everything just until combined.
  4. Try to use a small ice cream scoop which Is almost 1 tbsp measure and scoop out the cookie dough onto your baking sheets. Do make sure to place them a few inches apart from each other.
  5. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. Edges with a golden color are the sign I would say. Allow cooling completely.
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Coconut Barfi/Coconut Fudge

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CoconutbarfinameYou will love this dish if you love coconut. It’s made with just coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Isn’t that simple ;). It is usually made during diwali time.  Or you can make it for any festival. You can make them even if there is no festival, no harm :). Kids love coconut a lot. 

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I made them with desiccated coconut. Generally freshly grated coconut makes better barfi. But I used desiccated coconut and found this simple and delicious. There are different ways to make this. But this is my personal way to do a quick coconut barfi. I just wanted to add color to it and try, so added saffron. You can even color powder, but I would say NO. Adding color is not good for health. So I would always prefer saffron.

For cardamon powder, I always grind cardamon and sugar together.

Now the recipe:

5.0 from 1 reviews
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COCONUT BARFI/COCONUT SAFFRON SWEET
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • Sweetened Condensed milk – 1 cup
  • Desiccated coconut – 1½ cup
  • Ghee/Butter – 1 tsp
  • Milk – 2 tbsp
  • Cardamon – 2, crushed
  • Sugar – 1 tsp
  • Almonds/pistachios – 5, chopped
  • Desiccated coconut – ¼ cup for rolling
Instructions
  1. Dissolve saffron powder in hot water and set aside.
  2. Heat the ghee and toast the almonds/pistachios till it turns golden. Drain and keep it aside.
  3. To the same pan, add the 1-cup of desiccated coconut. Toast for a minute.
  4. To the same pan, pour the condensed milk on it. Mix well and cook on low flame.
  5. Crush the cardomon and sugar. Add it to the pan and add the two tbsp of milk.
  6. Cook it until the mixture gets quite thick. It will take around 6 mins. If you have doubt to when you can switch off the heat, it is when the spatula will refuse to get stir any more and mixture will almost stick to your spatula.br]
  7. Divide the mixture into two equal parts, and keep one part aside. And add saffron water to the other and stir it till the water gets evaporated. Switch off the mixture when it is in right consistency.
  8. On a butter-greased plate, add the saffron mixture, tap it with a ghee-coated spatula to flatten it. Top with the plan coconut mixture and flatten top.
  9. Place it in fridge to cool for an hour. Then cut the mixture into square shaped or desire shape.
  10. Season with some desiccated coconut and toasted almonds/pistachios.
  11. You can store them in airtight container up to four days. I refrigerate them as it is coconut based dish.
Notes
1. If you have doubt to when you can switch off the heat, it is when the spatula will refuse to get stir any more and mixture will almost stick to your spatula.
2. You can also use fresh coconut but you can’t store it for long time. So I prefer to use desiccated coconut. And also you have to cook the fresh coconut for a longer time since fresh coconut can be moister.
3. Use ghee/ butter greased spatula to flatten it. Even use a ghee coated knife to cut it easily.
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