Thandai Mini Cheesecakes (No-Bake)(No-Egg)

   Holi--the festival of colors is around the corner now. It is a major festival celebrated in all parts of India with lots of enthusiasm. During Holi people play with colors and color sprinklers and is usually followed with music, dance and the most important-lavish and colorful food.. After all, the holi fun and running around is bound to make you hugry! Here is some special Holi recipe with my fusion touch for you to try, and watch as your creations disappear on Holi day!--Presenting "Thandai Mini Cheesecake"..!

     Thandai is one non-alchoholic traditional drink for this festival, which is a cold drink made of almonds, cashews, fennel seeds, dry rose petals, melon seeds, pepper, cardamom, saffron, poppy seeds, milk and sugar. Thandai can also be mixed with ghee and sugar to make a tasty halwa and into peppery, chewy little balls called golis. As is with every cusine innovations are needed to keep everyone interested. Hence I thought of this recipe, 'Thandai Mini Cheesecake'!! Infused no-bake & no-egg cheesecake! I love making no bake cheesecake with locally available ingredients. These festival provided me just the right opportunity.It also helped me discover new ways to make the flavor of Thandai more appealing!

    Our #foodiemonday #bloghop is growing so fast theses days and we are welcoming our new members from this awesome Monday. Cheers for our #fusionthandairecipes.. Don't stick with traditional Thandai this Holi, try #fusionthandairecipes this year and enjoy the Holi with family and friends..

Ingredients:
For Crust:
1 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers or any digestive cookies 
6-8 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon brown sugar or sugar
For Cheesecake filling:
8 ounce cream-cheese
3-4 tablespoon condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoon sugar(optional)
1 teaspoon rose-water
2 tablespoon Thandai masala(I use home-made)
         For home-made Thandai Masala
      *6 almonds
      *6 cashews

      *6 pistachios        

      *1 tablespoon poppy seeds/khus-khus
      *1 tablespoon fennel seeds/saunf
      *1/2 teaspoon cardamom/elaichi powder
      *1/2 teaspoon black pepper/kali mirch
      *1 tablespoon melon seeds/magaztari
     -Dry roast all these ingredients for couple of minutes.
     -Grind all these ingredients with few strands of saffron, couple of pinch of dry ginger powder and 5-6 dry edible rose petals.
Food color for garnishing.(optional)
Method:
 For Crust;
* Crush the graham crackers or any digestive cookies until very fine crumbs form. (use food-processor or crush them with a rolling pin)
* Pour crumbs into a medium bowl, stir in sugar.

* Add butter and stir until well combined.

* Press the crumb mixture into small cookie cutters, spread and press flat.
* Make all mini crust like this.

* Chill crust in freezer at least for 10 minutes.
 For Cheesecake filling;
* Using an electric whipping mixer set at medium-high speed. 
* Beat the cream-cheese in a large bowl until smooth.
* Add condensed milk, vanilla extract and rose water in it and beat again.
* Add 2tablespoons of Thandai masala and sugar and mix well.
* Pour the cream-cheese filling on crust.
* Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
* Pour on all mini crust like this.
* Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm. (atleast for an hour)
* Sprinkle some food color drops on it for "Holi" touch.:)

     Enjoy this flavorful Thandai Mini Cheesecakes on this colorful and auspicious festival of Holi.!! I hope you will love this as much as I loved making it!! Stay tune for more Holi Special colorful recipes...
           Happy Holi !!!

Mango Cheesecake

           Mango Cheesecake(no bake & no egg):).Here the another recipe for Mango Mania part-3...:)  It's about cheesecake. I love to play with lots of variation in cheesecakes, because most of all  ingredients goes with cheesecakes. This is real easy breezy no bake and eggless recipe of cheesecake. This Mango cheese cake has the texture of a pudding rather than a firm cheese cake.  This Mango Cheesecake is very fluffy and light. Don't watch calories in it, just eat it.....;)

        But if u want to taste this spectacular  Mango Cheesecake, you have to make it first. And if you wants to make it, just need to follow the recipe. When I make this cake first time, I made small portion for try out and my kids gobbled them in a minute. So here the recipe for Mango Cheesecake.

INGREDIENTS:::
1 pkg /8 oz cream cheese at room temperature(I used Philadelphia cream cheese)
3/4 cup  mango (no pulp)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup  milk
1 tblsp  unflavored gelatin or use agar agar (7 - 8 gms)
1/4 cup  water
1 1/2 cup  crushed graham crackers or any digestive cookies
1/3 cup  melted butter
1/4 cup  mango puree
some pieces of any berries or kiwi or mango for garnishing.
METHOD:::
*Take a 6'' round spring form pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper or wax paper.
*Mix 1/3 cup melted butter with 1 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers till everything is mix and wet.
*Press the graham cracker butter mix on to the bottom of the spring form pan with your fingers or wide spoon to form a firm base for the cheese cake.
*Microwave 1/4 cup water in a microwave safe bowl for 1-2 minute or till it boils.
*Add the gelatin to the hot water and mix till it dissolves completely. 
*Add the gelatin mix to 3/4 cup of mango puree and keep it aside.
*Blend cream cheese, sugar and milk in a blender till everything is mixed well. Now add the mango gelatin mix to the blended mix.  Blend all together.
*Pour the mix over the graham cracker base.  Cover with a cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 2-4 hrs or over night.
*When the cheese cake is set and ready to be served, gently release the cake out of the spring form pan.  Peel off the wax paper or parchment paper from the sides.  Using a wide spatula, lift up the cake from the base of the spring form pan and transfer to the serving plate.
*Spread 1/4 cup of mango puree over the cake and top with fruit pieces for the final touch.
*Brush some mango puree on serving plate for garnishing.

      So in  this Mango season, rather eating mangos in only certain ways, start making Mango Mania recipes and enjoy the great Mango season.
      Till next time cuidar y adiós:))