'Tis the season to stock up on the finest mithai to share with your loved ones. But this year, give greasy laddoos and sugary gulab jamuns a miss and explore some luxury mithai trends. Desi dessert brands are getting creative with contemporary ingredients and bringing in modern twists to traditional Indian sweets, be it caramel laddoos, bubblegum barfis, or something quirkier.
Most fusion sweets are made to have a longer shelf life so they can be sent as gifts and stored for a few weeks. While fusion recipes like gulab jamun cheesecakes, baklava cups, baked rasgullas or jalebi pana cotta are popular, they don't work well in gift hampers and don't always travel well, owing to certain ingredients.
So, if you're on the lookout for gourmet fusion sweets that are also snackable and easy to pack, here are some great options.
Ghevar tarts
Love ghevar? You'll love the delicious ghevar tarts even more! Ghevar is a Rajasthani sweet cake made with flour, ghee, sugar syrup and milk and has a chewy, honeycomb-like texture. The traditional ghevar is found in malai or mawa variants and is often topped with dried fruits and saffron. Ghevar tarts are a great way to retain the creamy character of the sweet since it has a kheer base and is filled with contemporary filling, be it sweet jam, cherry, raspberry compote or mascarpone cheese.
Dulce de leche peda
The Latin dessert has inspired several modern confections, be it cheesecake or ice creams. But the dulce de leche peda is perhaps the most irresistible fusion. Dulce de leche is made by slowly heating sugar and milk to achieve a creamy sauce-like dessert. The Indian peda is traditionally made with khoa or whole milk, so it can effortlessly be replaced with a dulce de leche base and caramelised to achieve a crisp brown texture. Alternatively, a classic peda can also be filled with dulce de leche along with some nuts.
Praline modaks
What if the festive modak had a fudgy do-over with a wholesome nutty profile? Praline modaks typically have a decadent chocolate base made of fudge and are accented with pistachios, almonds and nuts. Modaks have a coconutty base which goes really well with the chocolate and nuts. Moreover, they're shelf-stable and keep for at least a month if packed dry, so they make for ideal gifts.
Khajur Oreo cakes
Date cakes are already a popular festive staple in certain parts of Asia. They are low in sugar and also have diabetic-friendly variants. But imagine the dense, chewy date cake with a delicious kick of Oreo cookies! The yummy layered cake is fudgy in texture and has a crispy bite, courtesy the cookie filling.
Marzipan kaju katli
Marzipan has had several ethnic tweaks over the years. The popular European confection made from ground almonds, sugar and egg whites is quite similar to the desi Kaju katli, which is made with ground cashew nut and is flavoured with rose water and saffron, and topped with silver leaf. Several Indian luxury sweet brands have used marzipan for their range of festive sweets. The marzipan-kaju katli confection can be presented in various formats, be it as a layered dessert or as chocolate-coated bonbons.