Valentine's Day Special - Dulce Carrot Love Bites

Desserts are the best way to make my valentine happy. So I couldn't think of anything else when sharing a Valentine's Day special recipe. Well any meal is incomplete without some dessert to wrap it up and it's more so on the Day of love. Although we love that person everyday, some occasional sugarcoating is also welcome. So get ready to celebrate with these Love Bites and make some sweet memories with your sweetheart.

Dulce Carrot Love Bites

INGREDIENTS

Carrots: 1 1/2 lb
Milk: 1 1/2 cup
Sweetened condensed milk: 1 can (14 oz)
Sugar: 1/4 cup
Ghee / Clarified butter: 5 tbsp
Cashews (roughly chopped): 1/2 cup
Raisins: 1/2 cup
Green Cardamoms: 6
Bay leaf: 1

EQUIPMENT

Grater
High-neck pan with lid
Heart-shaped cookie cutter
Spatula
Tray
Parchment paper
Rolling pin

PROCEDURE

Grate the carrots.

Heat ghee/ clarified butter in the pan and add the bay leaf and green cardamoms.

Then add the grated carrots. Saute and allow the carrots to sweat for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the milk and mix everything together. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, then uncover and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the sweetened condensed milk and sugar and mix well.

Then add in the cashews and raisins.

Now let it cook until all the liquid is absorbed. Keep stirring in between.

Line a tray with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper with some ghee.

Transfer the carrots on the tray and spread it evenly with the help of a spatula. Let in come to room temperature.

Now cover it with another sheet of parchment paper.

Lightly press and roll a rolling pin over it to make the surface more even. This also helps to bind everything together. Gently remove the paper from top and freeze it for 1 hour.

Then cut out the shapes with a heart-shaped cookie cutter.
(You can re-flatten the left over from the first batch when it comes to room temperature and cut out some more.)

Now freeze the  heart-shaped blocks for 3 to 4 hours.

Serve chilled.

Photographs by Swakshar Ghosh.