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Delicious desserts from around the world
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Transfer the mochi with parchment paper onto a large baking sheet. Refrigerate for 15 minutes (no more than that) until the mochi is set.
Take out the mochi from the refrigerator and cut 7-8 mochi wrapper circles with a 3½-inch (9 cm) cookie cutter.
Dust off the excess potato starch from these wrappers with a pastry brush. If you find any sticky spots, cover the area with potato starch, then dust it off. Next, stack the wrappers: Place a piece of plastic wrap on a plate and put a mochi circle on top. Then, layer another piece of plastic wrap on top, and add another wrapper. Repeat for all the wrappers. Roll the leftover mochi dough into a ball, roll it out into a thin layer, and cut out more wrapper circles (I could make about 12 mochi wrappers total).
Now, we are ready to put fillings. On the work surface, place one sheet of plastic wrap with a mochi wrapper on top. Using a medium sized scoop, place a scoop of filling: ice-cream or cream or fruit chunks on top of the mochi wrapper. Pinch the four opposite points of the mochi circle together to enclose the filling. Then pinch the remaining edges together. Put some potato starch on the sealed area and set aside, seam side down. Continue making the rest of the mocha balls.
KHAJOOR BARFI (India)
Ingredients
1 cup soft khajoor or dates, deseeded
¼ cup almonds, dry roasted and chopped
¼ cup cashew nuts, dry roasted and chopped
¼ cup pistachio, dry roasted and chopped
1 tsp cardamom powder
2 tsp ghee or clarified butter
4 tbsp coconut powder
Method
In a mixer grinder, take a very soft variety of dates after deseeding them and blend into a thick smooth paste.
In a mixing bowl, add cardamom powder and all nuts to the dates paste and ghee. Mix everything really well.
On a flat plate or tray, spread parchment paper or aluminium foil and flatten the mixture using hands or rolling pin and make a rectangular shape of about 5 mm thickness.
Let it cool in a refrigerator for about 2-4 hours and then use a sharp knife cut into square-shaped barfis. Garnish with sliced nuts and coconut powder.
SOUTHERN COCONUT CAKE (United States)
Ingredients
For cake —
¼ cup softened butter
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 tsp coconut extract, 4 eggs
1 cup warm coconut milk
1½ cup flour
1½ cup tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
For frosting —
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powder sugar
¼ cup cold coconut milk
1 tbsp coconut extract
1 cup of fresh or dried coconut flake
Method
In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream the butter, oil and sugar together until smooth. Beat in coconut extract and eggs 5-8 minutes until fluffy.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add a little amount of flour mixer and a little amount of warm coconut milk at a time into the egg mixer and mix gently. Repeat the process with remaining flour and milk.
Transfer into a greased cake tin and bake in a preheated oven at 175° C for 25-30 minutes.
Make the frosting by using a hand beater to beat butter until fluffy. Add little by little powder sugar and mix together. Add cold coconut cream and extract and beat until everything is well-combined.
Frost the cake and garnish with coconut flakes.
Food and Photo: Chiangmi Lena Talukder