Make This Raksha Bandhan Special With Chef Manish Mehrotra's Almond Desserts

And just like that, we have stepped into the season of festivals yet again. There is something about this month that is making going to work impossible. The month is packed with some of our favourite festivals like Raksha Bandhan, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Teej, and it is just hard to take your mind off from the decadent sweets all these festivals are associated with. As of now, India is gearing up for the festival of Rakshabandhan. ‘Rakshabandhan’ comprises two words, where raksha means protection and bandhan means a bond.  

On this pious day, sisters tie a thread around their brothers’ wrist and they, in turn, resolve to protect their sisters forever. The festival is incomplete without rich, nutty sweets. If you notice closely, one of the usual suspects in these sweets is almonds or badam. It is one of the most easily available nuts, and lends that perfect crunch to the desserts. And even if you blend it and try to use the paste, it will only uplift the flavour of your dessert with its creaminess.  

Badam Milk Mousse And Almond Biscuit

Ingredients:

For badam milk mousse:

• 45 gms almond flakes
• 150 ml almond milk
• 425 gm white chocolate
• 400 ml bakery cream
• 5 egg yolk
• 50 gm fine sugar
• ½ gm saffron
• ½ tsp green cardamom powder

For the biscotti:

• 75 gms unsalted butter
• 100 gms castor sugar
• 1 egg
• 150 gm refined flour
• 1 gm baking soda
• 3 gm baking powder
• 50 gm almond with skin
• 25 gm almond powder  
• Lemon zest

Method:

For the badam milk mousse:

• Roast almonds flake in a preheated oven at 180 degree celsius for 4 minutes or till golden in colour.
• Heat almond milk. Add white chocolate and make ganache.
• Add saffron threads and green cardamom powder, mix it thoroughly.
• Whisk yolks and sugar till creamy consistency.
• Beat bakery cream to ribbon consistency.
• Fold the ganache in beaten yolk and then fold the beaten cream into it.
• Pour mousse in a cup and chill, until it sets.
• Garnish mousse with slivers of almonds and almond biscotti.

For the biscotti:

• Roughly chop almonds with skin.
• Lightly cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. 
• Add egg to bowl and again cream it.
• Add refined flour, baking soda, baking powder, lemon zest, and almond powder to the mixture and mix it thoroughly.
• Fold in roughly chopped almonds.
• Shape the mixture like a french loaf and bake it at 180 celsius for 20 minutes.
• Cool the loaf, cut it into thin slices and bake it at 150 celsius for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp.

Almond Cinnamon Tart

Ingredients:  

• 1 cup almond flake  
• 150 gm Monaco biscuit
• 2 gm cinnamon powder
• 200 gm fine sugar
• 200 ml fresh cream
• 60 gm unsalted butter

Method:

• Roast the almond flake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 4 minutes or till golden in colour. For toffee sauce, caramelise sugar, add 40 gms of butter followed by cream and thoroughly mix it.
• For monaco crumble, crush biscuits and mix 20 gm of butter with it. 
• Spread this mixture in a 6-inch mould and bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 10 min.
•  In a bowl, mix roasted almond slivers and toffee sauce and pour this mix over biscuit crumble in the mould.
• Bake the mix set in mould in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 min.
• Serve once done and demould the tart. serve with vanilla bean ice-cream.

Sweet Almond Bao

Ingredients:

For the bao dough:

• 550 gm maida
• 1½ tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp activated dried yeast
• 50 ml milk
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 225 ml water

For the kathal stuffing:  

• 1 cup fried or steamed kathal  
• 2 tbsp chopped almond
• ½ cup onion tomato masala
• 1 tsp tamarind chutney
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp chopped coriander
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Method:  

For the kathal stuffing:

• In a pan, heat onion tomato masala, add pulled Kathal and mix.
• Add some water, stir in tamarind chutney and cook for 30 seconds.
• Finish it with soy sauce, coriander and lemon juice. Sprinkle the almonds and stir well. Allow it to cool.
• Divide the mix in 10 parts.

For the sweet bao:  

• Add a pinch of sugar, salt and yeast to a bowl and mix. 
• Add 50 ml warm water and stir it in.
• In a bowl, add flour, milk, oil, and yeast mix and form smooth dough by adding the remaining water little at a time.
• Knead the dough for 10 minutes, then place in a bowl to rise.
• Leave for an hour or until doubled in size. Knead again and divide into 10 balls.
• Fill the dough balls with kathal stuffing by making a depression in the centre. Seal the base and reshape into a baos.
• Apply little oil over the stuffed baos.
• Place on a tray to rest for 35-40 minutes and allow to rise.
• Steam the baos for 8-10 minutes in a steamer until puffed.