One of the best perks of being part of the blogosphere is the amazing people I get to meet from across the world – people I would have never had the good fortune of meeting otherwise. One such person is Ms. Chithra Vishwanathan who writes http://www.askChitVish.com (Facebook page: Ask Chitvish). I adore her recipes because it takes me back to my roots in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu – the dishes tantalize my olfactory senses and transport me instantly to my avva’s (grandmother) kitchen. I still miss avva so, so, so much – even in the ICU her worry was if others had remembered to pack my favorite dish for my lunch box. What can I say – I was an indulged granddaughter 
I have never met Ms. Chithra in person but even online she emanates the graceful strength, modesty and beauty synonymous with the quintessential beautiful Indian woman! I have adapted many of her recipes to make it Allergy Friendly and one such recipe that I re-invented over the holiday season was the Chocolate Burfi.
Burfi is an Indian dessert and has a consistency akin to a fudge and in its most essential form it is made with dairy and sugar. It has numerous variations and of course the one with cocoa powder is my fav…
Cocoa + Sugar + Dari-Free = Candy Nirvana!
Ingredients:
- Dari-free powder: 2 cups
Courtesy: Photo taken from DariFree website
- Sugar: 2 cups
- Water: 1 cup
- Earth Balance Butter substitute: 2 tbsp
Courtesy: Picture taken from Earth Balance website
- Cocoa: 2 tbsp
Method:
- Sieve together Dari-free milk powder substitute and cocoa.
- Boil the water and sugar on a low fire, stirring constantly.
- When it just reaches soft ball consistency, add butter and remove. Now this is the tricky stage so, first time candy makers like myself have to be extra vigilant. I found this link very useful in explaining the various stages of candy making: ‘The cold water candy test’ . The water temperature at the soft-ball stage is approximately 235 – 240 C so, if you have a candy thermometer – go for it! However, don’t be super-scared. Even if the sugar syrup moves on to the next stage – ‘hard-ball stage’ – the candy will taste like super-awesome caramel
- Add the dry mixture, stirring continuously.
- When it reaches dough consistency, empty into a greased plate and cut into pieces squares or diamonds!
A super-hit Allergy Friendly Fudge/ Caramel!
Bon appétit! Thank you Ms. Chithra for the awesome inspiration…
Looks yummy Any; can we use soy milk instead of Dari-Free?
You can most absolutely use Soy powder. In fact – will be tastier, healthier and richer due to higher protein/ fat content.
Mmm..those do look amazing. Added it to my list of stuff to bake someday. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much Latha
Dari-free powder…is it like a protein powder? Never heard of it.
On another note, I would like to award you with the ‘Very Inspiring Blogger’ Award! Your allergy friendly creative dishes always inspire me to try something new…whether it be a new spice or flavour combination. I just posted the rules…come on over and view the other 14 nominations and be prepared to be inspired! Susan H. @ The Food Allergy Chronicles
Thank you so much Susan – it just so made my day and I apologize for the inordinate delay in getting back to you. I would love to see the other nominations coz inspiration is all I need…
Dari-free is not a protein powder. It is a dairy-free substitute made from potato flour. Can be used remarkably well for various desserts and of course Arjun has it everyday in stead of milk.