CELEBRATION


Cashew and almond barfi


These rosewater and cardamom-scented Indian sweet treats are often given during festivals and holidays. Edible silver leaf is readily available in sugarcraft shops or from online suppliers and is usually sold in books of 10-12 small sheets. The silver gleam is very pretty and the finished gifts – sparkling stars – look fabulously festive


Line a 20cm/8in square baking tin with lightly oiled baking parchment. Put the cashews into a food processor


and whizz until finely ground. Add the ground almonds and whizz for a further 30 seconds. Add the caster sugar and condensed milk plus the full-fat milk, ground cardamom and rosewater. Heat the clarified butter or ghee in a


large non-stick frying pan and add the nut mixture. Stir constantly over a low heat for about 10-15 minutes until the mixture


thickens and comes away from the pan smoothly in a thick mass. At this stage it should be the consistency of a loose bread dough or choux pastry. Put the mixture into the prepared tin


then spread level and leave to cool for about 10 minutes. Very carefully peel 1 sheet of silver leaf at


a time from the book and lay on the surface of the barfi to completely cover it. Leave to set completely then cut into diamonds with a sharp knife or a pizza wheel.


MAKES 20–24 PIECES INGREDIENTS


200g/7oz unsalted cashews 200g/7oz ground almonds 125g/4½oz caster sugar 1 x 397g can of condensed milk


75ml/3fl oz full-fat milk ½ tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp rosewater


2 tbsp clarified butter or ghee 6 sheets of edible silver leaf


l Recipes taken from Gifts From the Kitchen by Annie Rigg, published by Kyle Cathie (£16.99 hardback) with photos by Catharine Gratwicke 100


COOK’S TIP


To give as a gift, pack these in a single layer in a shallow box lined with waxed or non-stick baking parchment. Stored in an airtight container, they will keep for up to 1 week.


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