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Orange Cheesecake and other great festive recipes

December 04, 2009 17:00 IST

We invited readers to share some of their favourite festive recipes with us. As part of a series, we publish a few we've received so far:

Bhanu Bachchan sent us four exotic dessert recipes. Here is the first for Orange Cheesecake with Candied Kumquats sourced from her college and with her own innovations added in:

Cuisine: International

Type: Vegetarian

Preparation time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

For the candied kumquats:

For the crust:

For the filling:

Preparation:

Health quotient: The cheesecake is classic, dense and creamy.

Next is this Pumpkin Dessert preparation that was sourced from the Ashoka Hotel:

Cuisine: American

Type: Vegetarian

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Health quotient: I have altered the recipe to lessen the fat content and calories and also made some changes which are good for health.

Next, Bhanu tells us how to make white chocolate at home:

Cuisine: International

Type: Vegetarian

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Preparation:

*Note: Wet grinders are very popular tools in the South Indian kitchen, used to make paste out of soaked grains and lentils. At one time, a wet grinder consisted of a large rock with a hole in it, where a cylindrical rock with a wooden handle fit in. The grain and lentil mixture was poured in with water and the cylinder rotated by the handle on the top to grind the food together. The ground paste is used for various food items like idlis, dosas, and vadas.

Health quotient: It is a little difficult to make white chocolate, but it is better to make at your home on your own and specially for your kids. This is a yummy recipe for chocolate for those who avoid bahar ka khana.

And finally, we have this recipe for Chocolate Ricotta Tart with Pine Nuts, which Bhanu says is by Chef Bhatnagar:

Cuisine: Italian

Type: Vegetarian

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the crust:

For the filling:

Preparation:

Health quotient: The crust is absolutely perfect, crisp and very tender at the same time, with a distinct pine nut flavor. The filling is creamy and chocolatey.