Given their short shelf life, especially when unsealed and used, fresh cream desserts like Cream Cake are made to be consumed immediately. This is why the desserts that are exclusively made with cream, think Pavlova, are assembled on the same day and eaten right away. This is another reason why red velvet cakes taste horrendous when refrigerated, the cream disagrees with the refrigeration. Fresh cream is malai, and you will know it because it’s used in sweets, think Kalakand, and the freshest batch tastes the best. We have an easy recipe for this sweet and also some more that use fresh cream to make them. It will not form soft peaks like whipped cream, and if you whip fresh cream, it will only thicken.
1. Kalakand
- 200 gm grated fresh paneer (cottage cheese)
- 90 gm milk powder
- 180 ml fresh cream
- 100 gm sugar
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- 1/2 tbsp almond (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 tbsp pistachio (thinly sliced)
Instructions
- Take a deep non-stick pan. Add the paneer, milk powder, fresh cream and sugar. Keep the heat on medium and cook for 15 minutes, mixing well and stirring. The mixture will stick to the sides of the pan, scrape to bring it to the centre of the pan.
- After 15 minutes, scrape this mixture into a bowl and add the cardamom powder and mix.
- Now, find a 7” baking tray and grease it. Then put the kalakand mixture into it. Use a spatula to smoothen the surface then decorate with the almonds and pistachios.
- Cover with a muslin cloth or keep at a hygienic place for 3-4 hours for the kalakand to set.
- Cut into pieces and eat right away or seal away in an airtight container to avoid the mithai from spoiling.
2. Fresh fruit cream
Ingredients
- 700 gm chopped fruits (assorted)
- 240 ml fresh cream
- 50 gm powdered sugar
- 60 gm cream cheese (softened)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and chop fruits into small bite-sized morsels, and set aside.
- Take a bowl, and add the fresh cream, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk until it thickens, and do just what is necessary for the texture to work with.
- Take a dessert glass, start with a thin layer of cream, then add the fruits, then again the cream, keep going and top with the fresh cream layer. Garnish with tiny pieces of fruits and nuts.
3. Fresh cream trifle
Ingredients
- 200 gm sweet condensed milk
- 240 ml milk
- 1 pack of strawberry jelly crystals (approx. 85g)
- 500 gm sponge cake
- 240 ml fresh cream
- 700 ml chopped fruits of choice
Instructions
- See the instructions for the jelly crystals and prepare them as instructed on the pack. Once prepared, set aside for it to set.
- You will need a big glass trifle dessert bowl for this recipe. A huge glass bowl will also do. Cut up the sponge cake into small cubes for the trifle’s bottom layer.
- Take a bowl and mix the condensed milk and milk. Pour this mixture over the sponge cake pieces, letting them soak in the milk.
- Add the chopped fruits over them.
- Whip the fresh cream till it thickens. Once done, dice the jelly and layer on top of the fruits. Then top with whipped cream and put in the fridge to chill. Serve cold.
4. Elaneer Pudding
Ingredients
- 400 gm condensed milk
- 250 ml fresh cream
- 240 ml fresh coconut milk
- 240 ml full-fat milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5-10 gm agar-agar sheets
- 240 ml water (for agar-agar)
- 120 gm chopped tender coconut meat
Instructions
- Take a bowl. To it add the condensed milk, fresh cream, full-fat milk, and vanilla extract. Mix well and set this aside for a while.
- Next, prepare the fresh coconut milk. Take a grinder, add the fresh coconut meat with double the quantity of water and blend. Strain the mixture to get the coconut milk. Add it to the bowl you had set aside earlier and whisk.
- Pour into a saucepan and set to medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once it starts boiling, remove from heat and set aside.
- Take a nonstick saucepan and soak the agar-agar sheets in 240 ml of water for 5 minutes to soften. (Note: more agar agar equals a thicker pudding)
- Bring this agar-agar in water liquid to a boil. Let it simmer until the agar-agar dissolves. Strain the mixture and add it to the pudding mixture.
- Now, add the chopped tender coconut meat to the pudding mixture, and mix.
- Pour the pudding mixture into ramekins or moulds and refrigerate for 4 hours to set. Serve the puddings cold.