Vanilla Panna Cotta with Mango and Spiced Figs

There is always something sweet to eat in my house. Usually a pack of store bought vanilla ice cream or some leftover cupcakes I may have made for an order or at least some ‘mithai’ of sorts.  But if there isn’t, I turn to old favorites- recipes I have made plenty times before and am comfortable with. But I noticed that whenever I am in the ‘phase’ of updating this blog often, I find myself venturing out- trying  new things, new desserts so I can share something new here. Like this panna cotta- even though it’s been on my to-do list for ages and everyone claims it takes almost no time.

Ready to be dressed up!

Even though I knew this one was a quickie, I was surprised by how quick! It literally was done in about 5 mins. Not counting the time in the fridge of course. I added some mango pulp n cardamom seeds on some of them. These days I cannot think of anything without mangoes.  The mango season goes away too soon and I like to make the most of it. And some I topped with some spiced figs. Last week I poached some figs in a spiced syrup and the panna cotta seemed like the perfect vehicle for them. 

Chocolate Loaf

If you’re anything like me you would need a snack every coupla hours. Post breakfast, pre lunch, evening snack, midnight munching. Besides the usual meals of course. If you’re anything like me, it would be a good idea to have this chocolate loaf around- steal a slice every time you need it. Its super yumm on its own but if you want you could dress it up differently each time- with some whipped cream, fruits, with a cup of tea or even some rich chocolate sauce to have as dessert.

Strawberry, Pistachio and Brown Butter Tart

I have been eyeing this tart for a while now. It has all the things that make me swoon. Strawberries, pistachios and of course butter.  This was actually the first time I used browned butter and I think I may have taken it a tad too far. But no harm done, it still tasted good. And im having a slice while I type this so I can safely say it tastes as good the next day as well.

Roasted strawberries with balsamic vinegar

 

Each year I feel a little bit sad to see the strawberries go.  Seeing them in the markets makes my mind buzz with a hundred ideas. I have an ever growing list of things to bake with them. But most times, the ideas remain just that. I end up just eating them by themselves- popping one into my mouth each time I pass by, until I have none to bake with.  Towards the end of the season I like to freeze a few for later. But this time I thought I’d do something different. So  I roasted them with a bit of sugar and balsamic vinegar before freezing. 

If strawberries are still around where you are, you might want to try this. The roasting really brings out the sweetness and the balsamic gives it a bit of a tang. Its wonderful! I might use it as a topping for a cake or just make roasted strawberry ice cream with it. 

I used this recipe. But you could adjust the sugar, like I did, according to the sweetness of the berries.

Fresh Start

I know I have been missing from this space for a long long time. Many things have happened since- I moved cities, changed careers and went from living alone to living with family again. Different things at different times kept me away from my blog. Every time I baked something new, I would think of sharing it here. But lack of time and life in general got in the way.  But there is a limit on everything, even procrastination. So today without much ado, before I found yet another reason not to, I decided to post something- anything- whatever I could!

I have recently ( and finally..!) jumped onto the iPhone bandwagon. Though I loved my Blackberry, I must admit it will now always remain a thing of the past. So with my new phone has come an almost-obsession with Instagram. I love how simple it has become to make nice pictures. So I thought I’d share a few of my photos from there today. Some of the pictures I used are from earlier posts and some of the food we’ve been enjoying recently.