Almond desserts for the festive season

Chef Manish Mehrotra shares how to make these

ALMOND & HOLY BASIL THANDAI

Serves:3 to 4 people (approx. 200ml each)
Ingredients
Soaked almonds, skin removed - 2 tbsp
Soaked melon seeds - 2 tbsp
Soaked poppy seeds - 1 tbsp
Almond slivers- ½ cup
Sugar - ¼ cup
Saffron strands - a pinch
Fresh holy basil leaves – 4
Milk - 2 cups
Green cardamom powder - ½ tbsp
Black peppercorns – ½ tsp
Soaked fennel seeds - ¼ cup
Method Make a smooth paste of fennel seeds, poppy seeds, and almonds. In a heavy bottom pan, bring the milk and saffron strands to boil. Dissolve the sugar in the milk. Grind the fresh holy basil leaves and black peppercorns to a paste and add it to the milk. Add the almond, poppy seed and fennel seed paste along with cardamom powder and almond slivers to the milk and simmer it for 2-3 minutes. Refrigerate the thandai.


ALMOND HALWA TART

Serves: 4-5
Ingredients Unsalted butter - 100 g
Castor sugar - 60 g
Khoya - 120 g
Almonds - 300 g
Desi ghee - 90 g
Mascarpone cheese - 50 g

Method Cream unsalted butter and sugar together, until thick and creamy. Alternatively, you can use a wooden spoon and a bowl to cream butter and sugar.
Add the flour and mix well. This pastry is for the tart base, refrigerate in the fridge for about 4-5 hours or overnight.
Grind the almonds to a slightly coarse powder. Heat desi ghee in a heavy bottom pan, add the almond powder and cook on low heat till slightly brown. Add the sugar and cook further 5-10 mins. Add the khoya and cook for 10-15 minutes. The almonds and khoya should bind together. Roll out the pastry in to a 9-inch round and line an 8-inch tart shell with the rolled pastry. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 15-20 mins till the pastry is fully cooked and golden in colour. Mix the almond halwa with mascarpone cheese and fill the tart with this mixture evenly. Garnish with slice toasted almonds and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (optional).