Almond meringues with strawberry, pomegranate & coconut cream (gluten free, dairy free)

Spring has sprungggg!!! Too soon, if you ask me! 2 weeks ago it was cold enough to wear a jacket, and now I’m drinking cold coffee in the mornings, just a few degrees short of AC weather.  But the good news is I love spring, almost as much as I love winter(almost!). It’s the only time of the year Delhi skies are kind of blue, and it’s breezy and floral, ben still likes hanging out outside. Wild roses are almost about to blossom in my balcony and it is the last few weekends to brunch. Speaking of last few, it’s also the last of the strawberry season (oh no!). 

The guys from Cosmo India asked if I’d want to do a healthy recipe for their march print issue - the issue is about the digital generation and I’ve worked on part of a food feature with four other incredible bloggers. The almond meringues you’ll find beautifully photographed are topped with strawberries and pomegranate and can be served with coconut whipped cream. They’re inspired by a recipe I read in one of Ottolenghi’s books. They are cloudy and delicious - the heated sugar makes them taste a bit like candy floss (!!) and the pomegranate and coconut cream are the ottolenghi-inspired flavours - next time, rosewater? 

Cosmo has printed an overview of the recipe, but here’s the complete version!

Ingredients: 

100 g powdered sugar
3 egg whites, room temperature  
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 cup strawberries & pomegranate
1/2 cup blanched almond flakes

Process:

Preheat oven to 200 ˚ C
Line an oven tray with a silicon mat
Spread the powdered sugar evenly in the tray and place in the oven for 6 minutes
Beat the egg whites for 1 min on high speed until frothy
With the mixer still on, gradually add the heated sugar into the egg white - a spoonful at a time. 
Add the almond extract and continue to beat for about 8 minutes, until egg whites are glossy and form stiff peaks. 
Using a cookie scoop, scoop out the egg white onto a baking tray and use the back of a spoon to create an indent
Bake in the oven at 100 ˚ C for about 1 1/2 hours. 
Turn off the oven and let the meringues rest inside for another 1/2 hour. 
Remove from the over and let them cool. 
Meanwhile, scoop out the top layer of thick cream from the can of coconut milk
Using a whisk, whip for 3 - 4 minutes. 
To assemble, take 1 meringue nest and place on a plate & add berries - you can use raspberries, strawberries or pomegranate! 
Add a dollop of coconut whipped cream
Sprinkle with blanched almond flakes and crushed meringue bits!

Notes:

Make sure the egg whites & the dish you use to whip them is completely clean & dry. It should have no drop of yolk no water.  

Now is the perfect time to make these. Very hot and humid weather won’t allow the egg to whip properly. 

Chocolate chip banana bread

Greetings from the jungle!!!! This is super exciting - I’m currently sitting in a jungle resort as I write this post. It’s exactly how you’d imagine, except with a spa next door and a moody wi-fi. I am at my millennial worst, checking emails between Safaris and taking pictures of my meals during lunch (the food here is incredible!). 

Besides this, the trip featured bumpy jeep rides, trips to the jungle spa (which is like a regular spa), drinking bloody marys with my dad in the evenings, an airport that’s the size of my dining room (tiny!) and of course heaps of wildlife creatures that are simultaneously cute and scary. 

Before this i haven’t been on a wildlife holiday (or anything remotely adventurous) in 10 YEARS which is both sad but also super exciting at the same time. The forests make me feel 3 things. Curious, because of this incredibly mysterious ecosystem that we (I) know too little about. Fascinated. And Nostalgic. It reminds me of the many, many wildlife parks I went to as a child and also of all my favourite disney movies, Jungle Book, Tarzan and Lion King  (I was more of a disney jungle person than a disney princess person). As much as I love travelling to new places, I also love revisiting something I haven’t done in a long time. 

But I’m easily nostalgic so I don’t know. I’m as nostalgic about Jungles as I am about banana bread ever since I used to being it in my school tiffin. This Banana Bread is something I’ve been baking for a lonnnnnggg time but I’ve modified the recipe a little bit. It’s even more delicious, has a soft crumb and boasts of comforting, un-fussy flavours. Hope you’ll love it as much as I do. Here’s the recipe: 

Ingredients: 

100 g butter
180 g sugar
190 g flour
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salf
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp milk
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Process:

Preheat your oven to 180 ˚ C. 
Line a 8 inch loaf pan with greased parchment paper. 
Mash 3 of the bananas with a fork and set aside.  
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla & milk. Stir in the banana. 
In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt
With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined
Be careful not to over beat. Stir in the chocolate chips. 
Pour the batter into the pan. Slice the last banana lengthwise down the centre and place on top. Sprinkle the top with granulated sugar. 
Bake in the centre of the oven for about 45 - 60 minutes, until a toothpick pierced into the middle comes out clean. 
Let it cool and take out onto the rack. 
Slice & Eat once cool! Yummy! 

PEPPERMINT HOT CHOCOLATE WITH HOMEMADE MARSHMALLOWS

Have you ever heard of the word Hygge ? If you haven’t, google it and you will know why it is everything you want from winter - and also my favourite word. Hygge (pronounced hue-gah) is a danish word that roughly translates into coziness or warmth. Unlike the coziness of being in your blanket or sitting near a bonfire, this is more of a cozy feeling - for me, it would mean having drinks with a really old friend, or spending the weekend snuggling with my dogs, or drinking hot chocolate and watching old episodes of friends with my mum. 

If you really truly want to feel it, I recommend you do the following: 1) cancel all productive plans for tonight. 2) Get together close girlfriends / a fun family member / boyfriend / neighbor 3) Do something together – but something real, like play scattergories and taboo, watch a movie 4) Drink hot chocolate together because its basically how hygge tastes.

I’m writing here, my recipe for peppermint hot chocolate (!!). Last year I made a delicious version of this as a part of my #projectxhotchocolate series. This year, I did it a little differently. Instead of smothering it in whipped cream like last time, I’ve decided that 1 tsp of lightly sweetened whipped cream is enough. Less is more. And I also added these homemade bourbon vanilla marshmallows – they honestly deserve their own post because can I just say how satistying it is to make marshmallows at home! Epicurious has the recipe for this one, but lots of incredible marshmallow recipes are on my to-try list from Food 52, Bon Appetit, Saveur.

Before I digress, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

3/4 cup chocolate chips

½ tsp peppermint extract

2 peppermint sticks

1 tbsp sugar 

Whipped Cream

Marshmallows

In a saucepan, heat 1 cup milk and the chocolate on low heat.

Add a peppermint stick and stir until the chocolate is completely melted.

Add another cup of hot milk.

Add a tablespoon sugar & ½ tsp peppermint extract and stir vigorously until it’s frothy.

Using a pair of tongs, remove the peppermint stick and pour into 2 cups

Add a dollop of whipped cream and a marshmallow on top.

Sprinkle crushed peppermint