A tribute to girlfriends and a sweet treat

A girl NEEDS her girlfriends - no doubt in my mind. No matter how tightly attached you are to your man, there is no substitute for having girlfriends. They are there throughout life. Without them, there is a very little chance of survival. Female bonding, I believe, begins at a very early age. I see how I am with my girlfriends and I see it in my daughter who is six years old. Our friendships evolve from playdates to girls' nights out. The common theme remains - we thrive from the time spent with our friends. The women in my life were not randomly placed but were specifically chosen to help assist me in my life to get through the good, the bad and the down right ugly. They were custom made with me in mind. They are an extension of me.

Some of these friends I see almost on a daily basis. Some, I'm not that lucky with, but when we do get the time together, we make the most of it. We let go of our inhibitions (ok a few glasses of wine helps this along), laugh talk and have a grand time. It gives us a chance to put the crazy schedules in the back of our minds, even if it is just for a few hours. It really rejuvenates the soul.

I made carrot, cashew and cardamom cupcakes with cashew cream cheese frosting for one of the recent gatherings. It was a perfect ending to an Indian meal. The cupcakes have an Indian dessert incorporated into them - Carrot Halva. Carrot Halva is one of the most popular of Indian desserts. Here is the recipe:

Cupcakes - Makes about two dozen

For the halva:
2 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
1 pound carrots (preferably organic) - peeled and grated
1/2 cup water
1 cup milk
1 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 cup sugar

For the cake:
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp ground cardamom
1 cup roasted cashews, chopped

1. Heat clarified butter in a non-stick pot. Add grated carrots.
2. Saute till most of the water from the carrots has evaporated and the carrots turn a bit reddish. Make sure to keep stirring the carrots. It took me about 5 minutes.
3. Add water, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the lid and stir to cook off any remaining water.
5. Add the milk and cardamom. Simmer for 15 minutes stirring frequently.
6. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Simmer for a few more minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

The halva is ready. You can eat it on its own with some vanilla ice cream. Or, if you can control yourself, proceed to make the cake.

7. Cool the halva completely to room temperature.
8. In a large bowl, mix together the cooled, cooked carrot mixture, eggs, vanilla, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, vegetable oil and milk.
9. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom.
10. Stir the flour mixture into carrot mixture until everything is combined.
11. Add the chopped cashews and stir to combine.
12. Scoop out the batter into cupcake liners about 2/3s full.
13 Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out clean.

Cashew cream cheese frosting
1 cup roasted
2 to 3 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese or mascarpone cheese
3-4 cups powdered sugar

1. Grind the cashews in a food processor to break them up.
2. Add two tbsp of oil and continue to process until it gets creamy. Add more oil, 1 tsp at a time until you get a creamy consistency like chunky peanut butter
3. Beat the butter and cream cheese until creamy. Add the cashew butter and beat to combine. Scrape the bowl.
4. Sift 3 cups of powdered sugar into the bowl. Beat to combine.
5. Add more sugar until you get the consistency and sweetness you like.
6. Frost the cooled cucpakes.

Verdict: The cupcakes were a huge hit. I would call these grown-up cupcakes. The kids I served these to, were not too thrilled. Not sure if it was the nuts in the frosting. Oh well, more for us ;) I was unfortunate to have some leftover frosting. Unfortunate for my waistline - not my tastebuds - because I was eating spoonfuls of its delicious goodness for days after. Hope you can bake a batch of these for your next girls' gathering to share the sweetness and of course the pounds! ;)