Motichoor Cream Cheese Cups

a close up shot of indian fusion motichoor ladoo dessert - motichoor cream cheese cup, with another cup in the background

an Indian fusion dessert that combines motichoor ladoo and cream cheese frosting in these delicious motichoor ladoo dessert cups

Course Dessert, Indian Fusion Desserts, Indian Sweets

Cuisine Indian Fusion

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 5

Total Time 20

Servings big cups

Calories 3781kcal

Author Shantala Shenoy Nayak

Ingredients

6 motichoor ladoos

For making homemade cream cheese frosting

8 oz full fat cream cheese block softened to room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
3 ¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon salt

For garnish

elaichi / cardamom powder for garnish
crushed pistachios for garnish

Instructions

Prep

Break the motichoor ladoos into small crumbles. Set aside. (see note 1)
Make cream cheese frosting. You can buy this directly from the store. But homemade makes a world of difference! And it gets ready within minutes. I've shared the recipe I've used below.

Making Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting

Using a hand blender, blend together 8 oz of room temperature full fat cream cheese and ½ cup of room temperature unsalted butter on high for a couple of minutes, till it's all blended together and creamy.
Then add 3 & ¼ cup of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ⅛ teaspoon salt. Blend on low for a minute or so, till the powdered sugar is mixed in, and then blend on high for 2 minutes till it's all blended together, smooth and creamy.
This will make about 3 cups of cream cheese frosting.
This is optional, but it's best to fill the frosting in a piping bag and refrigerate the bag for 20-30 minutes. Because that will help the cream cheese frosting to better hold form. Any basic piping tip will work.

Assembling Motichoor Cream Cheese Cups

In a cup of your choice, layer motichoor ladoo crumbles, and cream cheese frosting one over the other.
You can add motichoor crumbles with a spoon, but it's best to use a piping bag for layering the frosting, as it will be easier to spread, especially if you are using a decorative glass like mine, with a small opening. Any basic piping tip will work, I have used a round tip.
It's best to start with motichoor crumbles at the very bottom, and not cream cheese frosting.
You can have as many layers as you want, and keep the layers as thick as you want. Just note that softer and fluffier the frosting, the sooner it will start to settle and seep into the layer below it. This is where refrigerating it before hand will help a little bit.
At the very top, add a few motichoor crumbles, and garnish with powdered elaichi / cardamom powder and chopped pistachios.
Motichoor Cream Cheese Cups can be served warm or chilled. I personally love it warm, but it tastes great chilled too. Also, if you refrigerate it immediately to chill, then the layers (especially the frosting) will hold form better.

Video

Notes

You can use homemade or store-bought motichoor ladoos. I have used store-bought ones for this recipe.
You can use store-bought cream cheese frosting too, but I strongly recommend making this at home. Because I have tasted many different brands, and none of them even come close to homemade one, and it only takes about 5 minutes to make cream cheese frosting at home.
For garnish, I have used elaichi powder & crushed pistachios, you can also use slivered almonds and cashews.
This recipe filled 3 dessert cups for me. How many dessert cups this will make for you will depend on the size of your cups, the kind and size of the layers. So use this as a jumping off point to customize your own cups.

Please note: The nutrition values are best estimates provided as a courtesy. The exact values can vary depending on the exact ingredients or brands used. If you rely on them for your specific diet and/or health issues, please consult a registered dietician or nutritionist.

Nutrition