Fruit ’n’ Spice Rounds

Vik Krishnamurthy-Marchetti was born in February 2027 — Arvind and Dina's second child. A boy. Loud from the first breath, like Rohan, like Arvind. The Krishnamurthy male gene: volume as birthright. Amma was told — I sat in her room and said 'Arvind has a son, Amma. His name is Vik.' She didn't respond. But her hand was warm when I held it, and I choose to believe the warmth was acknowledgment. Appa met Vik at the hospital and held him and said 'good' which is Appa's review of every grandchild and every achievement and every moment that moves him beyond words. I brought Amma dried ginger laddus — the same ones I made for Dina after Asha, the postpartum food that travels from tradition to tradition, from Tamil to Italian-American, from Amma's hands to mine. The family continues to grow even as its center fades. Asha is four, Vik is newborn, Anaya is nine, Rohan is six. Four grandchildren. One grandmother who can no longer say their names. But the food knows their names. The sambar knows. The laddus know. I made biryani for the celebration. Because celebration demands biryani. Always.

I made biryani for the celebration — that was never a question — but it was the Fruit ’n’ Spice Rounds I kept coming back to, because they carry the same logic as laddus: spice and sweetness pressed into something small enough to hold in one hand, easy enough to pass across a hospital room, humble enough to leave at Amma’s bedside without explanation. When Vik was born and I was looking for something to bring to people who were joyful and exhausted and grieving all at once, these rounds were exactly right — warm spice, a little fruit, something that travels well from tradition to tradition, the way our food always has.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 12 min | Total Time: 27 min | Servings: 24 rounds

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp fresh orange juice
1/2 cup mixed dried fruit (raisins, chopped dried apricots, and dried cranberries)
2 tbsp granulated sugar (for rolling)

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until evenly combined.
Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
Add wet ingredients. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and orange juice until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Fold in dry ingredients and fruit. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring just until a soft dough forms. Fold in the dried fruit, distributing evenly throughout the dough.
Shape the rounds. Scoop the dough into tablespoon-sized portions and roll each into a smooth ball between your palms. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar to coat, then place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake. Bake for 11–13 minutes, until the edges are set and the tops are just beginning to crack. Do not overbake — the centers will firm as they cool.
Cool and store. Allow rounds to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Nutrition (per serving)

Fruit &rsquo;n&rsquo; Spice Rounds — The Rounds That Remember Every Name