I am so delighted and honored to share that I am writing this post thanks to a brand-new association with McCormick spices. I have used their spices since I have been in the US (about twenty years)!
The recipe for this post is one that is very close to my heart: my kids love it! It is a treat that I make for them once or twice a year and they gobble it up. The light pink color makes it look a bit magical! I know a number of my readers will be so happy that I am finally posting a dessert recipe! (I heard your feedback that you wanted a few easy Indian-inspired desserts so here goes). The kids like a bit of color so they picked pink (yes, the boys did.. LOL)
Monica’s Pretty in Pink Balls
Yields 10–12 pieces
1 cup ricotta cheese, drained of any whey
1 cup crumbled paneer (this is Indian cheese, easily available at any Indian store
1 can (12 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
2-4 drops of McCormick Assorted Food Coloring (red is what I used)
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well by hand or using a hand blender.
- Heat a medium non-stick pan. Add the mixture, and cook on low heat, stirring constantly, for about 25-30 minutes or until the mixture dries up and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a platter. Allow it to cool, about 30 minutes.
- Divide into 12 pieces and roll each piece into a small ball ( the kids always help me to do this and I should have taken photos.. ah, next time). Serve.
This dessert is SO versatile. My children have always loved the fresh, sweetness of vanilla, so they prefer it with vanilla. My own Indian tastes tend towards cardamom and if you want to do that, you can omit the color and vanilla and instead add ground cardamom. If you want to play even more, add the cardamom along with McCormick’s Spanish Saffron.
Spices are really my life-line in the kitchen. I often joke that my spices guide my hands. The cardamom dictates if it wants to be ground or sizzled, the cumin encourages me to explore my savory side, ginger is my friend even on rough days in the kitchen and saffron makes me smile.
Do you love spices as much as I do? I hope you will take a moment to tell me about them and it could even win you a prize.. See below
GIVEAWAY
McCormick has been kind enough to provide a huge HUGE box of goodies for one, lucky, US-based Life of Spice reader:
I hope you will all enter for a chance to win this lovely box!
Here is what you need to do to enter:
- Leave a comment here about your favorite spring spice and how you like to use it.
- Do tell a friend on FB or Twitter about this giveaway. The honor system is in place here.
- Only one entry per person
- My kids will pick a winner on Friday evening at 5:00, p.m (may 25th, 2012) and I will notify the winner via email. If we do not hear back from you within 24 hours, we will pick another winner. All decisions are final.
The box of goodies includes:
A beautiful apron
Spring themed cookie cutters
Wilton Ultra Bake 12 cup Muffin Pan
CorningWare 3 quart Stoneware Pan
Meri Meri Cupcake liners (48 count)
McCormick Food Coloring
McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
McCormick Pure Lemon Extract
McCormick Ground Cinnamon
McCormick Ground Ginger
A whisk
Lovely photos of the dessert were shot by the very talented Reem Rizvi of Simply Reem for Life of Spice. I am grateful to her!
This giveaway is sponsored by McCormick spices.
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Cumin is a new spice I have recently discovered. It is a great source of antioxidant and also helps relieve digestive problems. I sprinkle on scrambled eggs and also use in Black Bean soup.
Is basil a spice? I am growing it in a pot on my patio and putting it in many dishes. Especially salad. It is really fresh when you pick it within minutes of eating it.
Spring means barbecue season is coming back & I love to keep is simple by just rubing herbes de Provence on my steak before grilling. Definitely my favourite spring spice!
FrenchTwistDC – You win the McCormick giveaway!! Please email me your address asap and I will get this on it’s way to you!!
THIS GIVEAWAY is now closed. Thanks to everyone who entered!!
My favorite is garlic–it goes well with so many things. We even tried a grilled cheese sandwich made with garlic toast, delicious!
For me, spices say “winter” — “spring” means herbs, like cilantro, dill and mint.
Spring? Did somebody say Spring? Then it would have to be Rosemary. What would Spring Lamb be without Rosemary. Yum! Oh, and garlic. How could I roast a leg of lamb without garlic, rosemary and olive oil. I can just smell it cooking. I am making myself very hungry.
McCormick Spanish saffron would go very well in my kulfi (Indian style ice cream) ~ sultry and refreshing at the same time
Mustard seeds – just pop them in hot oil and quickly stir fry any vegetable or use it as a “tadka”/dressing for a salad.
Absolutely cannot do without the mustard seeds and curry leaves (Kadi Patta). The combination of the mustard seeds and curry leaves is deadly in the aroma it infuses in the dishes. Great for a whole array of North and South Indian delicacies!!!
Absolutely cannot do without the mustard seeds and curry leaves (Kadi Patta). The combination is deadly in the aroma it infuses in the dishes. Great for a whole array of North and South Indian delicacies!!!
Since relocating from Southern CA to NYC, I’ve been stocking dried cilantro. I’d never cooked with this herb it before I moved to CA and now that I’m back east and it’s not as easily accessible, I’ve found the dried stuff is a terrific go to.
My favorite spice has to be fenugreek seeds. I just love the aroma they release while tempering them in hot oil. They are absolutely fantastic in chicken curries as well as in lentils.
Ginger is my vice! Just that slight warmth that ginger adds to a dish — whether it’s sweet or savory. I’m a bit of a ginger addict, what can I say?
Love the color of these – they look so happy! And the giveaway would make ME look happy
My favorite spice is cinnamon. I sprinkle it on my oatmeal, french toast, and bake cookies, muffins, breads, etc. with it. I love the way it makes my kitchen smell.
My favorite spring spice would be mint. It livens up a zucchini and feta frittata. It is wonderful in a lemon sorbet. And “nana” (as the Israelis would say) is wonderful in tea.
Thyme! I love Thyme, fresh or dried & year-round. Spring/summer means grilling. I rub it in chicken, fish or pork usually with S&P, maybe garlic & oregano or maybe marjoram. So many different ways to go depending on what else you use. I also use it in Fall/winter in Beef Stew, pork roasts, pan-sautéed pork chops w/balsamic vinegar & chicken broth pan sauce. It’s my favorite all the ways to combine it or when I can’t think what to do with another piece of chicken – thyme always tastes good. It can be used on pretty much any meat or vegetable & works with many in so many different directions.
My favorite spring spice is vanilla. It brightens the flavors of the early berry harvest that we enjoy!
Being of Italian heritage I can cook almost anything with salt, pepper, and garlic, a little olive oil, add some lemon and it IS spring. The spice I learned to love and use since is Cumin – mmmmm!
My favorite was garlic as it goes well with everything, but my daughter can’t eat it anymore. So this has let me explore so many new spices and herbs out there. Pick one? That’s hard! I would say we use cumin, paprika, and any kind of pepper!
Wonderful giveaway, thanks!
For me it’s fennel. Goes great on the bbq with meats and fish.
Mix it with herbes de provence and shrimp is great.
My favorite spice at any time of the year is cumin. I just love the flavor it gives everything.
Vanilla Essence – Love the smell and can’t make French Toast without it! My kids and spouse love French Toast which I make for them on the weekends…so Vanilla says lazy weekend mornings with cozy family breakfasts!
I have been silent reader of your blog and your writing really inspires me.
My favorite spice is Coriander and cumin. slighlty dry roast the seeds and powder it and use it curries and soups. Fantastic. My grandma even makes a drink with these spices called as sukku malli coffee in Tamil(sukku – dry ginger & malli – coriander seeds). thats the only medicine we take when we have cold.
Lavender! Lavender on lamb, lavender on chicken, lavender in cookies, lavender in cocktails …
And your Giveaway is reposted here! http://www.facebook.com/mary.baker.1420
My favorite spice has to be really good sea salt. I use it for everything! Of course I also love fresh cracked pepper and garlic as close runner ups!
My favorite spice has to be rosemary. When I lived in California I had fresh Rosemary outside in my yard year
round for cooking.
Chili powder………..it makes everything good!
Ok, we use Mc Cormick’s Grill Mates® Mesquite Seasoning on just about everything we BBQ! Love the smokey flavor!
My favorite spice is Fennel Seed; it has such a fresh taste and brings that to whatever recipe I am making. Thank you for this opportunity and great blog!
My fav spring spice is lemon leaves.Just add to ur boiling rice and get a rich fragrant odour instantly..Cool for summers.
we use garlic quite a bit-use it on pork loin roast,potatoes, etc
thanks for the giveaway and have a great day
shared on fb Julie A Scott Laws
Herbs! Spices! Spices! Herbs! Lately I find myself putting fresh thyme in everything, both for its flavor and for the déjà vu it gives me to clip it from my voice teacher’s plants out on the terrace of his apartment – my mother also grows thyme in her garden and whenever I visit her she and go out at dusk and clip some for dinner. I salt-roasted some beets with it the other night and was amazed at how much flavor the thyme imparted. Later, I cut the beets into a salad of spinach, strawberries, cherry tomatoes (color scheme! Priorities!), almonds and blue cheese. The thyme added something that really bound it all together. Yum.
paprika! All time fav
I love so many spices, especially McCormick’s but I go through Sweet Spanish Paprika the most. Spring in the south means family get togethers & potato salad. I have four children & we all love to grill & potato salad & devilled eggs are a requirement! McCormick’s paprika goes on our salads, eggs, & barbeque sauces. I go through several cans every spring.
Fennel this Spring for me!
Dill seems like the best spring spice!
Spring brings the first fresh sweet corn of the season! I like it Mexican street style, grilled on the cob then slathered in mayonnaise mixed with Cotija cheese, cayenne, and chili powder and served with a wedge of lime.
Wow, anything with Cheese is great, and you even mix in Indian cuisine. Fancy! Fancy!
Standing alone: CARDAMOM has been a favorite for so long! I enjoy baking with it in sweet breakfast bread rolls, and certainly spice cakes. My favorite fresh mix of spices is ras el hanout (cardamom, cumin, fennel, black pepper, tumeric, cinnamon and smoky paprika), therein CARDAMOM is an integral ingredient that helps to bring all of the spices involved to become one magical flavor. This weekend (without a grill by my side) I will be slow cooking a chuck roast to perfection with this dreamy spicy, softly hot combination of CARDAMOM and its comrades. Add lots of garlic and onions, preserved lemons, tomatoes, parsley, cilantro and serve with couscous. So easy to get excited about this! Did I say I love CARDAMOM?
Love putting Herbs de Provence in scrambled eggs. My mother taught me and it adds such a nice flavor
It is an absolute honor for me Monica!!
Thanks.
Pink Balls seems to be as funny as good
I will try it, thanks for the recipe.
I love coriander and I grow it all year but it does best in the spring!
In addition to garlic and lots of it, I love the taste and scent of fresh basil. Simmered gently with any meat or vegetable gives the dish a delicate flavor and the aroma is wonderful. Food without spices is like a day without sunshine.
thats a great looking and a pretty easy recipe, am dying to try it out..my daughter is surely gonna love it because pink is her favourite colour and sweet too!
Monica, these pink treats are so intriguing to me! The color and presentation is sensational, and I’m trying to imagine the taste. Must try soon. And I just featured them over at All Gluten-Free Desserts … All The Time.
Shirley
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