I had never been a big fan of baking cookies – eating cookies, yes, a HUGE fan. But baking – not really. It’s cumbersome, requires patience, and a lot of standing around and watching the oven with eagle eyes. But this lockdown has taught me all that – it’s taught me that making a big batch of cookie dough at once, gives me 4 perfect cookies to bake every day for a week, post lunch for the afternoon cup of brew, still warm and lovely. It’s taught me that homemade cookies are worth all that hanging around the oven for just 10 minutes – put a face mask on and do the deed – it’s called hitting the bird with two stones (or something like that). So, anyway, this oatmeal raisin cookie arises from the surplus of gluten free oats we found at the back of our store cupboard – in other words, be ready for lots of oat recipes! I’m using the same concept of our Genius Chocolate Chip Cookies and making this into that acceptable cookie to eat-by-the dozen-at-once! I added a medley of raisins and cranberries – because I do like cranberries more, and the glimpse of red jewels popping out is just very nice to me. This dough is slightly more wet than normal, that’s okay – it will be fine in the oven. These cookies are chewy and soft, but slightly crispy on the edges. You can scoop out large giant cookies, mini cookies, medium normal sized – whatever your heart desires. If you wish to, add in some nuts, chocolate chips or chunks, toffee… make it your cookie! The Recipe Serves Ingredients ¼ cup + 1 tbsp water ½ cup + 1 tbsp vegetable oil ½ cup brown sugar 1/3 cup white sugar 2 tsp vanilla essence 2 cups rolled oats ¾ cup flour 1½ tsp cinnamon powder ½ tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder ¾ tsp baking soda ½ cup chopped raisins and cranberries Instructions Whisk oat, flour, salt, baking powder, soda together and set aside Whisk the water and oil for 5 minutes Add sugars and vanilla and beat for another 3 minutes Then combine the dry ingredients into the dough Followed by the raisins and cranberries Place the dough in a cling wrap and refrigerate for 12-24 hours When ready to bake, take out mini scoops of dough, and place on a lined baking tray Refrigerate for 30 minutes Bake for 10 minutes in preheated oven of 180C Remove and cool on a wire rack completely before serving Shelf life: 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature

A deconstructed skinny version of a cheesecake is THIS. Hung curd provides all the creaminess, the spice of ginger contrasts beautifully against the luscious mango. My favourite part of this recipe is the very sophisticated part of crumbling the digestive biscuits – I call it anger management (against covid 19?). I can assure you, that this is every bit of kitchen therapy in a dessert! Again, this dessert is a versatile – you can add and subtract any ingredients. The digestive biscuit is from a ready pack, so doesn’t need any added sugar. If you increase the amount of coconut oil (or melted butter), you can easily press down the crumb to create a base into a pie mould. But for me, life is about being stress-free and easy, and this is what I prefer to do. If you’re gluten free, you can go for gluten free granola – this does a similar job for the crunch factor! The Recipe Serves 2 Ingredients 8 digestive biscuits ½ tbsp coconut oil 2 tsp grated ginger 1 cup hung curd 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp vanilla extract desiccated coconut 1-2 tbsp fresh mango fresh mint sprig Instructions Place the biscuits in a ziplock and fasten shut Take a ladle of heavy big spoon and bang on the ziplock, to crush the biscuits into a crumb Empty out the ziplock into a mixing bowl Add coconut oil and 1 tsp grated ginger and combine Place the mixture into the two serving glasses Next, take stir honey and vanilla extract and remaining 1 tsp ginger into the hung curd Divide the mixture between the two glasses Top with fresh mango pieces, desiccated coconut and garnish with fresh mint leaves

Rice pudding is basically a foreign version of our desi kheer – and a great way to use up leftover rice. This is a healthy version with jaggery, and to add a boost – some instant coffee! Serve warm or cold – either ways, its delicious and guilt-free! A collaboration with Huber & Holly | Recipe by Huber & Holly The Recipe Serves Yields: 2 Ingredients ½ cup cooked short grain rice 1 cup milk 1 tsp jaggery 1 tsp instant coffee ½ tsp cinnamon nuts Instructions Heat the milk and let simmer. Before it starts to boil, add the rice and stir Then add the jaggery and stir to melt, followed by the instant coffee - by now the mixture must thickened Remove from heat and stir in the cinnamon Pour into serveware and allow to cool slightly Then garnish with nuts

This pie took some time to show up here – I had intense cravings for a chocolate pie thorough lockdown, but had a ridiculous stupid slip that had my entire body in bruises. And more importantly, I had no cream. So during my bedrest, I started searching for an alternate, and I did what I usually do when I am looking to read about food – go to David Lebovitz. He writes beautifully, he explains each ingredient and gives both American and French versions of things. While most of his recipes entail ingredients that I can only dream of, I read him thoroughly to learn technique and random things about food that only an experienced cook and eater can do. This Chocolate Tart is not a ganache tart, and not a brownie tart, but something in between – it has a bit of a gooey texture, a bit dense but smooth. There is a prominent caramel taste to it, which contrasts lovingly against the buttery tart. So here, I’ve adapted his chocolate tart recipe to work for me. Of course, by all means head over to his website and get the original if you have all the stuff at home. I’ve used Morde dark chocolate only, whilst his called for two different kinds. I’ve also used granulated sugar instead of castor – because I had low supplies of castor, and wanted to save it for other recipes, and here it was turning into caramel so it didn’t matter. I’ve also used more vanilla extract, because my house isn’t too fond of egg-y tastes. I used very strong espresso so this really was a rich and decadent pie – you can go ahead and reduce the quantity, and David Lebovitz mentions you can replace with orange juice or any other flavour that you like. The key to this pie – is while it sounds complicated to make, but it’ really not – is to really allow for the pie to cool completely before you slice it – we couldn’t contain our excitement and cut into it pretty soon – this resulted in a still semi-gooey texture. But by evening – it was just fabulous, and the next morning for breakfast – the best. I’m not just saying it, so is David Lebovitz. Go ahead, make this decadence – it may even become your stand-out moment of the lockdown! Pie Tart Recipe: here David Lebovitz’ Chocolate Tart: https://www.davidlebovitz.com/chocolate-tart-recipe/ The Recipe Serves Yields: 10” pie Ingredients Pie dough – 1 portion (with 1 tbsp icing sugar added) 250g granulated sugar 90ml warm espresso 115g butter, soft ½ tsp salt 180g dark chocolate, chopped 2 eggs – whisked ¼ cup flour 2 tsp vanilla extract Instructions Pre-bake the pie and set aside Preheat the oven to 180C Take a medium deep pot and put the sugar in, spread evenly Place on low heat and let the sugar caramelize on it’s own – keep an eye on it, stirring only if necessary with a wooden spoon Once the sugars have completely melted, switch off the heat Add the espresso – this will cause bubbling and spitting – make sure you’re face is far away, and you are wearing mittens! Stirring, add in the butter and salt, followed by the dark chocolate and keep stirring until melted Then mix in the whisked eggs, flour and vanilla extract Ensure no dry lumps and large pieces Pour the batter into the pie and bake for 22-24 minutes Remove from oven and let cool completely before you slice Serve with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, dusting of sugar – whatever you like!

I read somewhere that it seems like corona virus was sponsored by the banana bread! And thanks to the overripe bananas in the kitchen, I’ve joined the bandwagon. But I must admit I was very much overjoyed to see them – you see, I was aiming to use this lockdown period to conduct trials for a whole book of recipes for a client and with the situation and scarcity and difficulty of ingredients I had to chuck the idea. But this… this banana bread found it’s way in quarantine! I’ve made this completely vegan and nut-free, and for you ease, everything is in cup measurements. This fits a nice 9” loaf tin, or you can bake in a square shallow tin and make them into squares. It requires no dusting of sugar on top or extra frosting in my opinion, but I leave you to decide. If I had to choose, I’d pick a browned butter and cinnamon frost from my Chai Latte Cake – the medley of spices would only enhance the flavour of the banana bread. For breakfast, you can grill slices of the bread on high heat on a non-stick pan (no oil), and serve like toast, with a smatter of butter or jam. The cake stays well for up to 36 hours in an airtight container outside – although it lasting even that long would be a mystery!   The RecipeServes Serves: 9” loaf (12 slices) | Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 45 mins Ingredients 2 cups flour 2 cups ripe bananas, mashed ½ cup castor sugar 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 2/3 cup vegetable oil 2 tsp vanilla essence or 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tsp cinnamon powder 2 tsp orange zest (optional) 1 cup chopped nuts (optional) Instructions Prepare 9” loaf tin with oil and flour Heat oven to 180C Whisk flour, baking powder ,baking soda, salt, cinnamon and set aside In large mixing bowl, whisk banana, sugar, oil, vanilla, orange zest until well combined and fluffy batter Fold in the dry ingredients with wooden spoon – do not overmix Pour into the loaf tin Bake for 35 minutes at 180C Then another 10 minutes at 200C – loosely cover with foil if top is too browned Allow to cool completely before slicing Slices – 12 equal portions

Alright, this is barely a recipe, but there’s a story. Your kid wants a birthday party, and you’re on a string-tight budget. What do you serve up all the kids? The Australians have it figured out – generic slices of white bread, generic butter, and lots of cheaper ‘hundreds and thousands’, Aussie for sprinkles. While at first it may sound funny, take a bite, and you’ll be transported back to your childhood, filled with nostalgic memories of simple bread, butter and jam sandwiches and packets of crisps, and there were no such things as carbs, calories, diet, refined flour, gluten free, vegan and you know… all that jazz… the simpler times. And this is exactly what I was craving the other day, in the midst of a horrid scary lockdown, our businesses on total pause overnight, payrolls on, stress levels high and a mild fretting for ’essentials’, there’s talk about going back to simpler times, letting nature run it’s course… While perhaps the tight budget may not apply to you, the lockdown could be making cake-baking and the other fancy stuff a bit difficult. But bread, butter and a cupboard full of sprinkles can help make a special day or simply a mini celebration that we’re doing fine in these uncertain times a lot better! I’ve not mentioned any measurements – this is one where you really eye-ball! Let the kids do this themselves, it’s sort of a sensory play for them. This recipe was in collaboration with Toy Blocks India The Recipe Serves Ingredients White bread slices Lots of butter, soft Sprinkles Instructions Spread a thick layer of butter on the bread slices, ensuring you get the edges Generously sprinkle sprinkles over Note: can use cookie cutters for interesting shapes and characters! Store: at room temperature, in airtight container. Consume within 24 hours

Like I said, veganism has taken over our dinner table conversations. And when you live in a house of people who live to eat (myself included), we’re constantly figuring out how we can have ‘our cake, and eat it too’… (see what I did there ;))Any diet form should ideally become a lifestyle – one that can be easily adapted into without feeling remorse of FOMO of stuff that you usually like to indulge in. Refraining, resisting, controlling – a few words I don’t like – should not be a major part of any lifestyle. And cake is an integral part of my household life. I never enjoyed baking cakes without eggs but I used my go-to solution – Flaxseed Egg – to help with the binding. With the gorgeous seasonal red carrots and earthy fresh ginger, this cake feels and sounds healthy – but tastes decadent.The picture you see, is a half batch of the recipe I’ve shared and hence much thinner – please don’t go by this – the full batch of cake, should increase the height considerably. I also baked it for 17 minutes, and would have like it a bit more firm so have noted 25 minutes. With the higher amounts of fresh produce and lack of eggs, the shelf life of the cake greatly reduces – so I recommend storing in an airtight tupperware after 24 hours, and in the fridge. Simply bring to room temperate before eating again.Powdered sugar dust is just enough garnish – because a cup of sweet tea along with a slice is the perfect way to eat this! Buy Flaxseed Meal from here: amazon shop: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07BJFN5V5/?ref=idea_lv_dp_ov_d The Recipe Serves Ingredients 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed 1/3 cup water, room temperature 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup rolled oats + 2 tablespoons for topping 2 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ teaspoon ground ginger 1 tsp fresh grated ginger ½ cup vegetable oil 2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots) 1 cup unsweetened almond milk ¾ cup packed brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Instructions Preheat oven to 200C. Grease and line a medium loaf tin In a small bowl, add the flaxseed meal and water. Stir to combine. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 cup oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Stir vegetable oil with the carrots, almond, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Add the flaxseed mix; stir to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined. Pour the batter into the loaf tin. Top with the remaining 2 tablespoons oats. Bake 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing

A bit of sweet is a necessity – I have bars of chocolate hidden away in drawers all around my home and office. I live in a home that takes ‘survival of the fittest’ to a whole new level – if you didn’t eat your tiffin as soon as it came, it was sure to be gone. I learnt this the hard way, and have had to use Swiggy for late lunches many a times. It is perhaps the main reason why I eat incredibly fast and after 30 years, I still wolf down french fries, ice cream and packet crisps like someone is going after them! If you’re taking me out on a date, understand why I said no to an ice cream drive! So, going back to the point, I need dark chocolate – on a daily basis, regardless of the ‘diet’ I’m on. And a detox or healthy January (whatever tickles you!) doesn’t mean you have to let go of the sweet tooth. Here’s a chia seed pudding that’s not just a sweet tooth buster, but also incredibly good for you! Chia seeds (chia = Mayan word for strength) are loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants, iron, and calcium. They have roughly 2 grams of plant-based protein per tablespoon, and will keep you full for hours due to the satiating fat and fiber content. Chia seeds are higher in quality protein than most plant foods. And we all know protein is the most weight loss friendly macronutrient and can drastically reduce appetite and cravings. I swirl this in with almond unsweetened milk (you can use soy milk, cashew milk, coconut milk or any other dairy-free option!) along with honey to sweeten – which means this is not vegan. If you want a vegan option, opt for palm sugar or jaggery powder – that’s if you even want more sweetness! It’s an indulgent ingredient list – vanilla bean, cacao powder, cinnamon and sea salt. You don’t even need a whisk – just a spoon and an arm work out! Have this for breakfast, mid morning meal, afternoon pick me up or post dinner! The Recipe Serves Ingredients 2 tbsp chia seeds or sabja seeds ¼ cup almond milk 1 tsp honey pinch of vanilla bean paste or seeds 1 tbsp cacao powder pinch of cinnamon pinch of sea salt Slices of banana, apple or strawberry Instructions Stir the milk with vanilla, cacao powder, cinnamon, salt and honey with a whisk Add the chia seeds and set in bowl/shot glasses Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight Serve with a sprinkling of cinnamon and fresh slices of fruit

Valentine’s Day has a lot of mush around it, and I do quite enjoy it. So many innovative recipes come about and love that is usually lost the remaining 364 days, suddenly surfaces on this one day, bringing out the best in every situation… romantic and beautiful. But, I also believe the singles have every occasion to celebrate this day with a bit of chocolate and what’s more heavenly that chocolate mousse? This recipe is exactly for one person, is uncomplicated, and made in less than 10 minutes with just three ingredients – perfect for us singles! This mousse is absolutely divine and a classic, unfussy and simple in nature, that surprisingly doesn’t call for even an ounce of cream! It is the kind of dessert that you spend minimal time that shows off laborious skill! This is from Elizabeth David’s French Provincial Cooking book, that also mentions that you can bake it for 10-15 minutes to turn this into a soufflé! I recommend a sprinkle of castor sugar on top just before! The Recipe Serves 1 Ingredients 30g dark chocolate 1 egg, separated 1 tbsp strong espresso Instructions Place the chocolate in a double boiler and melt the chocolate while stirring occasionally. Add the coffee and the egg yolk and stir continuously to combine. Remove from heat. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the yolk and chocolate mixture. Pour into the serving glass or ramekin and set in the fridge for a 3-4 hours. Sprinkle a little sea salt on top before serving!

  It was my father’s birthday last month, and I have yet to meet someone who has as overzealous about the choice of his cake, celebrations and meals. And this makes us at home far more nervous and on-our-toes for his big day. The struggle is usually between what he wants and really what he ought to have, and it always comes down to an argument over ice cream cake which the majority always dissuades. Last year I tried recreating the Kwality Walls Viennetta Ice Cream Cake (anyone heard of that one?), which has layers of vanilla and coffee ice cream, between thin layer of melted dark chocolate and garnish of whipped cream. But this time, I wanted to go a bit gourmet and also befitting a 62 year old man, and not just fiddle with ready-made ice cream. This is a decadent and indulgent cake made with premium ingredients – ground green pistachio, hints of cardamom and nutmeg and delicate saffron infused into butter. You can purchase ready pistachio flour, or you can make your own at home by pulsing down whole pistachios. I use a cream cheese frosting with saffron and real vanilla bean speckled through – as I wanted this to be a real royal cake. I knew the flavor palate will work well with the elders and received great reviews from everyone. However, while the rest of the family and friends ate slices and slices of this cake, my father, the birthday boy, preferred an ice cream cake – a cassata that had layers of fluorescent synthetic pink bubblegum ice-cream, a synthetic pistachio green flavor and another flavor that is yet to be figured out. Honestly, you can’t take the kid out of a man ever. The Recipe Serves Ingredients 1 ½ cups ground pistachio ½ cup flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp ground nutmeg ¼ tsp ground cardamom ½ cup castor sugar ½ cup butter, room temperature 5 strands of saffron 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract Frosting: ¼ cup cream cheese 2 tbsp butter, room temperature vanilla bean pod 2-3 saffron strands 2 tsp milk 1 cup icing sugar chopped pistachios for garnish Instructions Preheat the oven to 200C Grease and flour a 9 inch cake tin Melt the butter with the saffron and set aside to cool slightly Sift all the dry ingredients together and set aside in a bowl In a larger mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk well for a few minutes Then add the dry ingredients and gently mix, careful not to overcombine Pour the batter into the cake tin, smoothing the top Gently pat the tin onto the surface, to remove any air bubbles Bake for 25 minutes Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely before removing Frosting: Heat the milk and add the saffron strands and set aside for 5-10 minutes Whisk all the ingredients together until you achieve a smooth consistency Spread the frosting over the cake and garnish with chopped pistachios

Tiffin recipes are super fun, but can be daunting, trying to conjure up new ideas every day. This recipe is a wholesome, nutritious banana bread, using coconut oil and honey, speckled with cinnamon. The peanut butter is protein rich which provides the right kind of energy for your kids. This loaf will stay well for upto 3 days in an airtight container. Check out the video below: The Recipe Serves Ingredients 1 1⁄4 cups Whole Wheat Flour 1 tsp Baking Soda 1⁄4 tsp Salt 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder 1 cup mashed bananas (approx. 3 large bananas) 1⁄2 cup Buttermilk 2 tbsp Brown Sugar 1⁄2 cup Coconut Oil, softened (not liquid – place in refrigerator) 2 tbsp Honey 1 Eggs 2 tsp Vanilla Essence Frosting: 1⁄2 cup Peanut Butter, creamy and unsweetened 1⁄2 cup Cream Cheese 1⁄4 cup Honey 1⁄2 tsp Vanilla Essence 1⁄2 tsp Cinnamon Powder Instructions Preheat oven to 180C and grease a loaf tin or medium round tin. Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Whisk coconut oil with sugar and honey until light and fluffy. Then add the egg and vanilla and whisk. Add the dry ingredients and just combine Fold in the bananas Pour into the tin and bake for 20-25 minutes. For Frosting Beat the all the ingredients together to whip into a smooth frosting Spread over the loaf after it has completely cooled

Ice cream and bread? OH YAS!!! My home-baker friend Anuja, who bakes up a pretty good storm with chocolates and all kinds of desserts on order, now offers up a range of artisanal ice creams, that are eggless and preservative-free!! As we conversed over the phone, I started to ponder what I could do with her ice cream – and I remembered something vague from the back of my mind – an ice cream sandwich but minus the cookies! In case you’re starting to doubt my sanity, let’s go through a bit of cultural travel: Gelato stuffed into a brioche bread with a sprinkle of chopped nuts is a typical Sicilian breakfast foods. In Singapore, rainbow colored sliced bread flavoured in pandan is folded around a brick of ice cream. In Philippines, ice cream is placed in pandesal, round bread roll. Thailand and Vietnam offer up ice cream sandwiches in long hot dog types breads stuffed with coconut-milk based ice cream scoops along with decadent toppings like sweet sticky rice, salty crushed peanuts, evaporated milk drizzle and chewy palm seeds. So, without much further ado, let’s talk about our ice cream sandwich that we can make locally! Sourdough bread, toasted in glorious butter and sprinkle of sea salt, and decadent delicious Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream scooped between two slices. Perfect as a snack, a dinner on a hot day, and in my case, an indulgent breakfast in bed! So go ahead, make that call to Anuja, place your order of her delicious decadent ice creams and get cooking! Other Pairings: Sourdough Bread with Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream White Burger Bun with Pistachio Ice Cream Croissant with Coffee Ice Cream with chocolate sauce Quinoa Sourdough Bread with Roasted Almond Ice Cream   Buy Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream from: Sinful Bites by Anuja, Ahmedabad Contact: +91 9727001000 FB: https://www.facebook.com/sinfulbitesbyanuja Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sinfulbitesbyanuja Sourdough Bread from: Le artisan Boulangerie, Ahmedabad @leartisanboulangerie Contact: +91 9723231177 The Recipe Serves Ingredients 2 slices of sourdough bread Belgian Chocolate ice cream by Sinful Bites by Anuja Melted butter Sea salt Instructions Heat a non-stick pan. Cut two equal slices of Sourdough Bread and apply butter on both sides of the slices. Once the pan is heated place the buttered slices on the pan and toast it till light brown and flip it to toast for couple of seconds on the other side as well. Once done take it off the pan and sprinkle some sea-salt flakes on one of both the slices to add a savoury crunch along with the sweetness. Take two small scoops of the Pure Belgian Ice-cream from Sinful Bites by Anuja and place it on of the sides of the buttered slices. Take another slice and place it on the ice-cream to make a sandwich. Voila!! Your perfect evening indulgence is ready. Have it immediately.