Kaju Gulkand Ladoo (Cashew and Rose Jam Fudge)- Archives post

Cashew balls stuffed with a flavourful and delicious nut filling                                                                     
As diwali is round the corner and we all are busy preparing sweet and savoury items to welcome our guests,For the diwali celebrations, today I am sharing a delicious sweet - Kaju Gulkand Ladoo!!These balls are made with cashew powder and sugar and then a delicious and flavourful mixture of nuts,gulkand(rose preserve)and fennel etc. is stuffed inside the ball .these aballs are garnished with silvar leaf to give a festive look.
for  more sweet recipes check my blog here

INGREDIENTS-

• Cashew pieces-2 cup
• Milk powder-2 tbsp 
• Cardamom powder-1/4 tsp
• Sugar-1 cup
• Silver leaf/foil - 4 sheets
• Saffron paste-1/4 tsp 

 Stuffing-

• Gulkand (Rose Preserve) -2 tbsp *
• Crushed Nuts -1 tbsp
• Saunf Powder (Fennel Powder) -1/4 tsp
• Cardamom powder-1/4 tsp

PROCEDURE-

1. Grind the cashew pieces and make a powder (do this by gently pulsing it in the mixer, avoid over doing it, else the cashews start releasing their oil, and the mixture becomes sticky).
2. If using oats then dry roast them in a pan or in microwave for a minute and grind to make a fine powder .
3. Prepare the sugar syrup - In a  heavy bottom pan add sugar and 3/4 cup water and cook to make a sugar syrup of 1.5 thread consistency. Keep stirring the syrup while cooking. 
4. Bubbles will start appearing all over the sugar syrup when its done. Check and switch off the flame and then add cardamom powder to it.
5. Now add cashew powder and milk powder to the sugar syrup and mix well.
6. When this mixture cools down to room temperature - knead and mash the dough to make it smooth, and then make small balls from the cashew dough.
7. Stuffing - In a bowl take gulkand (rose jam), crushed mixed nuts, fennel powder, cardamom powder and mix well. Then make small balls of the stuffing (smaller then the cashew dough balls).
8. Take a cashew ball and flatten it on your palm and stuff the gulkand ball in it and close it from all the sides and make a smooth and neat ball.
9. Stick silver foil (silver vark) on the balls and make a ring of saffron paste by dipping a small bottle's cap in the saffron paste and gently pressing it on the top of cashew ball.
10. Garnish with a pistachio slice on top and serve.
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* Gulkand is a sweet preserve/jam of rose petals especially made in India and Pakistan. This is incredibly refreshing and cooling delicacy, and is used as a mouth freshener too. It is available easily in Indian stores across the world.