Rum Balls / Walnut Fudge Balls

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A popular Christmas treat, these simple and yet, decadent rum balls are a quick, easy add to our Christmas treat or to our Kuswar. Kuswar, derived from the Portuguese term consoada, means dinner served on Christmas eve. It’s a set of Christmas sweets prepared by the Catholics in India during Christmas. On Christmas day, after mass, we’d take plates of Christmas sweet – rum balls, marzipan, rose kookies, kulkuls, biscuits, gauva cheese and more – all homemade and exchange treats with our neighbors. Now living in the US, we have tried to keep the tradition going. We often have carol-singing parties followed by a Kuswar exchange. This easy-to-make treat is a decadent add to the Kuswar plate.

1 minute prep time, 1 minute in the microwave, let it cool a couple of minutes, form the rum balls and before you know it, you have a delicious treat on hand!

Time: 10 minutes Servings: 50-60 rum balls

Ingredients:

  • 1 14oz condensed milk
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 2 tablespoons Spiced Rum (feel free to add more if you’d like to up the alcohol content) – avoid alcohol, if you’d like
  • 1 tablespoon butter (to coat palms to form the balls)
  • 1/4 cup tiny walnut pieces

Method:

  1. Prep a sheet of parchment paper by rubbing a spoon of hardened butter over the sheet – this will prevent the fudge from sticking to the sheet later.
  2. In a microwave-safe dish pour the condensed milk and then stir in the chocolate chips.
  3. Place the dish in the microwave and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir the contents until the chips and condensed milk is well blended and smooth. Stir in the rum.
  4. Microwave in 15 second increments incase the chips are not melted as the duration varies by the microwave.
  5. Pour the contents of the dish on the parchment paper. Place in the fridge to cool or cool on the countertop.
  6. When cool to touch, coat palms with butter and take teaspoon full of fudge and roll into a ball on the palm of your hand. Top with a tiny piece of walnut, similar to the picture
  7. Place the balls in an airtight bowl to store, it doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

Peach Cobbler Dump Cake

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This is one of the easiest desserts you can make and I guarantee, it will be a hit. This super-simple, 4-ingredient peach cobbler is always polished off at parties. So much so, I’ve not been able to take a good picture of it, it’s usually gone before I get to a picture. 

The work involves taking the ingredients and dumping it into a container and then baking or slow cooking it. Viola, dessert is ready!! I hope you find it wonderful too.

The difference between a cobbler and a dump cake is that the latter uses cake mix while the cobbler uses pie crust.

Prep time: 5 minutes, Cook times vary based on method below

Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 2 (15oz each) cans sliced peaches in pear juice (I avoid the ones in syrup)
  • 1 (15.25oz) yellow cake mix package
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon powder

Method

  • Slow cooker method
    • Empty cans of peaches including the juice into the bottom of the slow cooker container
    • Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the peaches
    • Sprinkle the cinnamon powder evenly over the dry cake mix
    • Pour butter evenly over the cake/cinnamon mix
    • Layer paper towels over the rim of the slow cooker so it absorbs the steam. You may need to change the paper towel
    • Then cover and cook on high for 2 hours or 4 hours on low
    • Serve warm with a big dollop of icecream
  • Oven method
    • Pre-heat over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
    • Empty cans of peaches including the juice into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish
    • Sprinkle the dry cake mix evenly over the peaches
    • Sprinkle the cinnamon powder evenly  over the dry cake mix
    • Pour butter evenly over the cake/cinnamon mix
    • Place dish in oven
    • Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the cobbler is golden on the top
    • Serve warm with a big dollop of icecream

Kulfi – A rich, Indian ice-cream

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Nothing entices kids more than the sound of the ice-cream truck on a hot summer day. In India, that sound was the ringing of a bell, as the kulfi cart came rolling down the street. At that time, for 10 paisa, he’d pull out a stick with kulfi out of a metal cone. Kulfi, a traditional Indian ice-cream, is richer, denser and creamier than regular ice-cream. Flavored with saffron, cardamom and pistachios, not only is it a delicious summer treat but can be stored in the freezer for when guests stop by.

Serves: approximately 20 (small Dixie cups)

Ingredients:

  • 14 oz sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 12 oz Evaporated Milk
  • 16 oz Cool Whip whipped topping
  • 16 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 3/4 tsp Saffron threads
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1/2 cup Pistachios / Almonds coarsely chopped

Method:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sweetened Condensed Milk, Evaporated Milk, Heavy Whipping Cream and Cool Whip
  2. At medium speed, using a hand mixer, mix all ingredients together for a minute
  3. Fold in the saffron threads, cardamom powder, half the nuts and beat for another minute
  4. Pour mixture into small Dixie-style plastic cups. Sprinkle remaining chopped pistachios/nuts on top
  5. Cover cups with foil and insert a wooden popsicle stick into the center. Alternatively, mold in ice cube trays or in a popsicle maker
  6. Freeze Kulfi for at least 4 – 6 hours, preferably overnight
  7. Serves approximately 20

Cinnamon Cake Bites

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A quick and easy dessert for a weekday or a nice breakfast option with coffee!

While nothing beats baking a cake from scratch, unfortunately, lack of time on a week day calls for improvisation. It’s always nice to have the aroma of cinnamon wafting from the kitchen when the kids get home. This quick dessert, or after-school snack, is easy to put together while on a lunch break from work!

Ingredients:

  • 1 yellow cake mix box – 15.25oz (I typically use Duncan Hines)
  • 4 eggs
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 1 cup Greek Yogurt (or sour cream)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar (also known as icing sugar)
  • 1.5 tbsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp milk
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees farenheit
  2. Coat a 9×13 pan with butter and then set aside.
  3. In a bowl combine cake mix, eggs, oil, vanilla and sour cream. Using an electric mixer, beat on low for 30 seconds then raise speed to medium and and mix for 2 minutes
  4. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan
  5. In a separate bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon
  6. Sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mix and the walnuts evenly onto the cake batter
  7. Taking a butter knife, gently swirl the sugar cinnamon mix and walnuts into the cake batter. DO NOT over swirl
  8. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Put a tooth-pick into the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is ready
  9. Cool for 20 minutes
  10. While cake is backing, gently whisk together the powdered sugar and milk. Pour this over the slightly cooled cake
  11. Allow icing to set – 5-10 mins
  12. Cut cake into mini squares and it’s ready to eat
  13. Cake can stay refrigerated for a couple of days – mine doesn’t last more than 2 days!