As chefs, we all want to try new dishes all the time. While as exciting as it is, often the case is that we have to follow the trends. In India, the trend follows the same way. While you may be a French pastry chef, chances are you still have to know Indian desserts because that’s what your buyers want. So here are a few traditional winter desserts that are trending and you should hop on the trend if you are a home chef!

1- Gulab Jamun Cheesecake

Ingredients

For the crust

• 12 graham crackers about 2 cups crumb
• 6 tablespoon melted butter (please use melted)

For gulab jamun cheesecake filling

• 16 oz regular cream cheese (room tepreture)
• 1 cup sour cream (room temperature)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (room temperature)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup corn starch
• ¼ teaspoon saffron
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 teaspoon rose essence
• 22 gulab jamuns If gulab jamuns are big then cut into half and use. 
• For garnishng – silver varq, pistachios and rose petals.

Method-

Pre-prep

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 12-count 2 muffin pans with cupcake liners and set aside.
2. Take out all the ingredients from the fridge 1 hour in advance. All the ingredients should be at room temperature.
3. Place the gulab jamun on a mesh strainer to drain excess syrup.

For Crust

1. Using a food processor, pulse crackers until their sand-like texture
2. Add butter and pulse a few times until all of the crumbs are moistened.
3. Evenly distribute (around 1 and ¼ tablespoon) the mixture between all 22 to 24 liners and firmly press it down into one even layer with the help of a spoon.
4. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool down.
5. Keep oven temperature at 350°F (180°C).

For Cheesecake filling

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.
2. Note – Please note – do not use a wired balloon whisk for making the batter.
3. Add the heavy cream, sour cream, corn starch, cardamom powder, rose essence, saffron, and mix until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. Note – please dont over-mix the batter
5. Evenly distribute the batter (about 2 to 3 tablespoons) with the help of an ice-cream scooper between all liners in the cupcake pan, filling each one ¾. (Make sure to fill only ¾, don’t fill full. We need some room for gulab jamun).

Baking in oven

1. Place one gulab jamun in the middle of each cup. (If your gulab jamuns are too big, cut it into half and place it in the middle).
2. Place the cupcake pan into the oven.
3. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 18-20 minutes or until the cheesecakes are set. It took 20 minutes for me to bake them.
4. Note – Cheesecake is done when it looks slightly underdone. You’ll see the edges set, while the centers appear a bit jiggly. As it cools, the cheesecake will continue to set.
5. Remove from the oven and allow cooling in the pan for 1 hour.
6. Important Note – You will need a couple of muffin trays to make 24 Gulab Jamun cheesecake. If you have only one, you need to wait at least an hour to bake the next batch. Don’t remove baked cheesecake for at least an hour.
7. Carefully remove from the pan and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. Don’t remove the liners at this point.
8. Once they are set and you are ready to serve, remove the liners and garnish them with your choice of nuts, rose petals, and silver varq. 

2- Kulfi

Ingredients 

1 Litre Milk, full cream

1/2 cup Sugar

1/4 tsp Saffron

4-5 Green cardamoms

12-15 Almonds (shredded), blanched

2 tbsp Pistachios (shredded)

8 Kulfi moulds

Vark leaves (optional)

Method-

1.Boil the milk in a wide, heavy-based pan and then simmer over medium heat, stirring from time to time to avoid scorching.

2.Simmer till about half the volume of milk is left. The milk will take about 30-40 minutes to thicken.

3.When done, the color of the milk changes to a beige-cream, and the bubbles appear mostly in the center of the pan.

4.Add the sugar and saffron, bring to a boil again and simmer for another minute or two.

5.Add the cardamom and turn off the heat.

6.When cool, add the nuts, saving a few for garnishing.

7.Mix well and pour into moulds.

8.Freeze at the lowest possible temperature.

3- Ghevar

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup ghee also known as clarified butter
• 1/2 cup whole milk cold
• 1 cup ice cold water may need more
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
• few saffron strands
• chopped nuts to garnish
• yellow food color optional
• ghee or oil for deep frying

For sugar syrup

• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1 cup water

Method- 

 

Sugar syrup

1. First make the sugar syrup. To make the sugar syrup add sugar to a pan on medium heat. Now add water and mix till sugar dissolves.
2. After 4-5 minutes the syrup will develop a one string consistency which means that if you put a drop of the syrup between your thumb and index finger and move the fingers apart, you will notice the syrup forming one string/thread. 
3. Set aside while you make the ghevar.

Ghevar

1. To a bowl add ghee. Now add 1 tablespoon of cold milk and 1 tablespoon of ice cold water to it. We are going to add the milk, flour and water in parts and not in one go.
2. Start beating it all together using your stand or hand mixer. Once it's all nice and combined, add 1/4 cup of flour and mix to combine.
3. Add 1-2 tablespoons more of milk and water and combined. Add cardamom powder and mix.
4. Add 1/4 cup flour again and mix. Also add in saffron strands. Now add the remaining 1/2 cup flour
5. Keep adding water and milk little by little and mix till you get a completely smooth and pouring consistency batter. You may need to add more water to the batter than what is mentioned in the recipe if your batter isn't pouring consistency. You may also add yellow food color if desired.
6. Now heat ghee/oil in a deep pan on high heat. I used a combination of oil and ghee.
7. Once the ghee is super hot, pour batter from a height of at least 6-7 inches. Pour batter little by little in a constant flow into center of the pan The batter will sizzle up and spread immediately.
8. Wait for a minute and then pour another ladle full from top in the center of the pan. Wait few seconds and then using a chopstick or any other elongated utensil, remove some batter from the center so what you get a hole in the center to lift the ghevar once it's done.
9. Pour 2 more ladles of batter, repeating the same steps again. You may add more batter if you want a thicker ghevar. Once you are done with all the layers, take a stick and press ghevar slightly inside the oil so that the top gets evenly cooked.
10. Once it's all nice and brow, very carefully insert the stick in the center of the ghevar and take it out of the pan.
11. Place on serving plate and drizzle evenly with warm sugar syrup. You may dip the ghevar in the sugar syrup too, either way is fine. Make sure sugar syrup is warm when you dip the ghevar in it.
12. Garnish ghevar with nuts, rabdi (thickened milk) and enjoy!