Tips for Puddings, Desserts and Ice Creams

Always sprinkle gelatin over the water. Never put in a dry pan, then add water and heat.
Never boil gelatin. Only warm to dissolve. Safest is to heat the container over a hot griddle (Tawa). Stir always.
To help gelatin hold its shape when unmolded, add a teaspoon of white vinegar to the recipe.
Turn a thoroughly heated bowl over hard butter and in no time you will get soft butter.
White chocolate is not really chocolate at all but a combination of cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, and other flavorings.
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Chopping dry fruits – Freeze them first for one hour & then dip the knife into hot water before cutting them.
To pour out Honey easily from the measuring cup just dust your measuring cup with flour or cooking spray.
Muffins – Always use an ice cream scoop to fill muffin cups with batter.
Add a spoonful of honey to your custard along with sugar for a better taste.
Use aluminum containers instead of steel to set the ice-cream faster.
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Ice-cream won’t form ice crystals in the freezer if you cover the container tightly with a plastic wrap, before putting on the lid.
For a quick and inexpensive ice cream sauce, melt one Fudgesicle for two servings.
Run your ice cream scoop under hot water and it will cut through the ice cream more easily and make neat smooth scoops.
Freeze the juices from canned fruits and save until you have enough to combine with flavored or unflavoured gelatin to make a dessert or salad.
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Rinse your gelatin mold in cold water, then coat with oil before putting salad ingredients into the mold. It will unmold easily.
Grease the threads on syrup bottles to keep the syrup from running down the bottle.
Metal jelly molds chill faster than glass molds.
Adding a cupful of grated carrot or beetroot to the coconut while making coconut burfi will give you natural coloring and nutritional benefits.
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The art of making good naan khatais lies in the beating of the mixture until it becomes light and fluffy. Also, the only vanaspati should be used to make them.
You can replace sweetened, condensed milk or mawa with skimmed milk thickened with wheat flour or arrowroot powder to make desserts less calorific.
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If using desiccated coconut in place of fresh coconut, soak it in a bowl with equal proportions of warm milk and water for about half an hour and then grind. It will taste as good as ground fresh coconut.
Do not throw away the syrup from canned fruits. Add some cornstarch to it and cook till it thickens, add some flavoring and use it as a sauce with cakes or puddings.
Use a cooking spray or grease the measuring cup every time you need to measure the honey. No more messy process of scraping the cup, as the honey slides out easily this way.
You can decorate desserts with one of the ingredients used in making it. Like a twist of lemon can go on a lemon pie, or chocolate curls can go on a chocolate cake.
Just sprinkling three-four threads of saffron on the kheer, after pouring into individual bowls, makes all the difference, in the kheer looking rich and inviting.
Any leftover thick kheer may be further boiled to thicken more, oversweeten a bit, cool and set kulfi in kulfi molds or icecube trays.
In preparation for kheer in advance is desired, then boil milk, add sugar, and complete the time-consuming steps a few hours ahead of time. Heat milk, finish off additions, and final steps just before serving.
When kheer is served in small earthen teacups available in many parts of India in many shapes, they give add a wonderful earthy preparation to the dish, as also make unique cups to serve in. They are small containers, marked by the absence of handles since they do not heat due to the hot liquid poured into them.

Whipped Cream
The best bowl to use for whipping cream is a copper bowl. It produces quick volume when whipping cream.
For best results when whipping fresh cream, chill the bowl, beaters, and cream before whipping.
The cream should be placed in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before it is whipped. Adding a small amount of gelatin to the mixture will help stabilize the bubble walls and the mixture will hold up better. Sugar should never be added in the beginning as it will decrease the total volume by interfering with the proteins that will also clump on the bubble. Always stop beating at the point when it becomes the stiffest. If you continue at this point, you will be making butter. Add your flavorings and confectioner’s sugar when done the whipping.
It takes 1 cup heavy or whipping cream to make 2 cups Whipped Cream.
Add? teaspoon lemon juice or a pinch of salt to whoop that heavy whipping cream into whipped cream. Seven drops of lemon juice added to two cups of cream before whipping will cause it to whip up in less than half the normal time.
Measure a piece of plastic wrap large enough to cover the bowl. Make a hole in the center and push the blade stems through and into the beater.
If cream refuses to whip, add one egg white.
Add honey to whipped cream instead of sugar. It adds a sweet flavor and whipped cream stays firm longer.
Icing sugar used, instead of granulated sugar, in making whipped cream will prevent separation if the cream has to sit for a while.
When whipping cream, to avoid splatters set the bowl in the sink and whip. All the splatters are in the sink and there’s no mess to clean.
Spoon dabs of leftover whipped cream onto wax paper and place in the freezer. When they’re frozen, place in a plastic bag and keep in the freezer to use for dessert toppings. They will thaw in 10-15 minutes. It will last for 6 months.
Whip evaporated milk instead of cream. Place the can of evaporated milk in the freezer until partially frozen. Pour contents into a cold bowl, add one tsp. lemon juice to 2/3 cup milk and whip.
While whipping cream never overdo it or butter will form. Always whip over a tray of iced water or ice cubes. Whip in sharp upward strokes till soft peaks form. Keep in refrigerator till use.
To keep a bowl steady while you mix or whip ingredients, place it on a dampened cloth.

Whipped Cream Icing

6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream

Beat cream cheese with brown sugar until smooth. Add vanilla. Whip cream until it holds peaks, and gently fold into cream cheese mixture.