Summer Special> Desserts - 3

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Desserts
Usually, the last course of the meal, the word dessert, is derived from the French word desservir, which means, to ‘clear the table’, and the term was also used to differ between fruit and confectionary or patisserie. Desserts are normally identified as something sweet and are usually made from milk and milk products like cheese.

Interestingly, between 1500 and 1600, the term dessert was considered improper in the English language; so much so that it was it was customary for the upper class and the rich middle class to serve the dessert in another room.

Gradually, in the 18th century, having a meal together became more intimate. Instead of shifting to another room, the desserts were served as soon as the main meal was over.

Today, our guests head to the living room post lunch or dinner to end their dining experience with coffee, liqueur and after mints.

Mahua Khanna offers a couple of dreamy desserts apt for summer.

Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
Ready custard – any flavour, ½ litre
Cocoa powder – 2-3 tsp
Brown bread or white bread – 5-6 slices

Method
o Make any custard that you have at home. Ensure that its consistency is like a thick batter, and not dripping like water.
o As soon as the custard is ready, switch off the burner and crumble five to six slices or brown or white bread into the mixture.
o Add cocoa powder immediately and stir well.
o Pour the entire content into a small serving bowls or one large serving bowl and let it cool.
o Refrigerate and serve with one red cherry and two mint leaves.

To make mango mousse, follow the same procedure, but at the end, instead of adding cocoa powder, switch off the burner and allow the custard (with the crumbled bread) to cool. Refrigerate for 5-10 minutes. Remove the custard from the fridge, add chopped mango and mango pulp to the contents and refrigerate. Serve chilled, garnished with two mint leaves on each bowl.

Firni
Ingredients
Rice – 3 tsp soaked in water
Milk – ½ litre
Sugar – to taste
Saffron – few strands
Pistachios – 5-6 nos.

Method
o Make a paste with the soaked rice and add it to the milk and boil.
o Keep stirring the mixture with an egg beater.
o When the milk and rice mixture tends to thicken, it will cover the beater, then switch off the burner.
o Dip a few strands of saffron in milk and add only the soaked saffron into the milk and rice mixture. Don’t add the milk in which you had soaked the saffron.
o Add one chopped pistachio to this mixture and allow it to cool.
o Serve chilled, garnished with grated pistachios.

Published in Kingfisher Airlines Deccan 'Symplifly' in-flight magazine on May 2008.