Mini Strawberry Bundt Cake

Ingredients:
Butter- 1/2 cup

Sugar- 1 1/4 cup plus 2 tsp

Egg-1
Flour-2 cups

Baking powder-2 tsp
Salt-1/2 tsp
Orange Sugar-1 tbsp (rub orange zest into vanilla sugar, and let it dry in a very low oven adapted from here).

Milk-1/2 cup

Strawberries-2 cups

Method:

• Mix 1/4 cup of the flour and 2 teaspoons of the sugar into strawberries.
• Cream together sugar and butter.
• Add egg and beat well.
• Add orange sugar and beat.
• Mix thoroughly the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Add dry ingredients alternately with milk.
• Gently mix strawberries with 1/4 cup flour. Fold into batter.
• Pour into greased Mini-Bundt tins.
• Sprinkle sugar on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-25 minutes.
• Let it cool completely on a wire rack.
• Enjoy!!!

Read More »

Parmesan & Macaroni Chicken Salad with Roasted Bell Pepper

A very tasty and rich salad adapted from Ria's Collection

Ingredients:
Macaroni-150gm, boiled
Chicken-100gm,boiled and shredded
Parmesan cheese- 75 gm, grated
Mayonnaise-5 tbsp
Frankfurters -2, stir fried and sliced to small pieces
Sweet corn kernals-4 tbsp
Roasted bell pepper-1, cut into bite sized pieces
Fresh cream-1/2 cup
Vinegar/lime juice- 1 tbsp
Salt and pepper-to taste
Cilantro-2 sprigs
Italian seasoning- 1tbsp

Method:

• Mix everthing togther and chill for 5-6 hours. (Adjust seasonings as per your taste).
• Serve cold.

Read More »

Apple Pancake

Recipe adapted from Pancakes Made Easy Book

Serves-2

Ingredients:
60gm (2 oz) plain flour
Pinch of salt
2 eggs, beaten
155ml (5 fl oz/ 2/3 cup) cold milk
2 tsp clarified butter, melted and cooled

Topping:
2 cooking apples
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp caster sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
5 tsp clarified butter, melted and cooled

Method:

• To make batter, stiff flour and salt into mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk and butter and beat to smooth batter. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile prepare topping. Peel, quarter, core and slice apples. Simmer gently in covered pan with cinnamon, sugar, lemon juice and 2 tsp butter for about 20 minutes.
• Stir batter and if it appears too thick after standing, beat in 1 tbsp warm water.
• Melt half remaining butter in 20cm (8in) heavy-based, non-stick frying pan until hot.
• Add half the stewed apple. Top with half the batter mixture and spread smoothly over apples. Fry for 3 minutes. Flip pancake with a plate and fry second side of pancake for about 2 minutes or until golden brown underneath.
• Turn pancake out on to warm plate and keep hot. Heat remaining butter in pan and fry second pancake in same way. Serve pancakes as they are or sprinkle with extra sugar and cinnamon. Alternatively, serve with whipped cream sweetened with honey, or scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Sending this to Priya's Pancake Event.

Read More »

Banoffee Pie Recipe (Step by Step Recipe)

Banoffee Pie, an English dessert is one of the best and easiest desserts to make. The delicious blend of rich caramel, banana and cream is simply irresistible. Please try this as I am sure you will all like it.

First make Dulce the Leche

To make Dulce the Leche put the can of condensed milk, unopened, in a large pan, cover with water, bring to boiling point and boil for 3 hours, topping up with boiling water from a kettle as needed. Ensure that the can remains covered in water, as otherwise there is a risk of the can bursting open. Remove and leave to cool completely.

To make biscuit base mix melted butter and powdered biscuit. Line a pie dish with this mixture and keep it in the fridge for some time. (For a crunchy biscuit base you can bake this for 10 minutes at 160C. I always do this :)

Open the cooled can of condensed milk, which will have turned to toffee. Spread this over the layer of biscuit.

Peel and thinly slice the bananas, and arrange in a layer over the toffee

Whip the cream until Stiff.

Spread cream over the banana layer.

Finally decorate with grated chocolate and drizzle with chocolate sauce

OR

Dust with cocoa powder using a sieve.

Now the whole recipe in one place :)



Banoffee Pie
Ingredients:
Condensed Milk-1 can (400gm)
Bananas-3nos, large
Whipped Cream-2 cups
Digestive biscuits/ Marie biscuit-200gms
Butter-100gms
Grated chocolate or Cocoa powder to decorate
Chocolate sauce to drizzle on top (optional)
Method:

• To make Dulce the Leche (pronounced dulchay the laychay), put the can of condensed milk, unopened, in a large pan, cover with water, bring to boiling point and boil for 3 hours, topping up with boiling water from a kettle as needed. Ensure that the can remains covered in water, as otherwise there is a risk of the can bursting open. Remove and leave to cool completely. You can make this ahead of time or even boil several tins at one go and store the unopened cans in the fridge for several months. This is the traditional way of making Dulce the Leche which I have tired. However, you can see other tried and tested methods of making dulce the leche in Aquadaze's place
• Mix melted butter and powdered biscuit. Line a pie dish with this mixture and keep it in the fridge for some time. (For a crunchy biscuit base you can bake this for 10 minutes at 160oC. I always do this :).
• Open the cooled can of condensed milk, which will have turned to toffee. Spread this over the layer of biscuit.
• Peel and thinly slice the bananas, and arrange in a layer over the toffee.
• Whip the cream until thick and stiff and spread over the bananas.
• Finally, decorate with grated chocolate or dust the cocoa powder on top using a sieve. Drizzle with chocolate sauce (optional).
• Enjoy!!!

Read More »

Indari (Indri) Appam / Pesaha (Passover) Appam with Step by Step Pictures and Video

Indari Appam or Pesaha Appam is unleavened bread made on Holy Thursday (Maundy Thursday) among the Jacobites and Catholics in Kerala. During my childhood days, my mom used to make Indari Appam and Kurukku every year and I also follow that tradition. Since this is the first Pesaha after my father in law’s demise, we are not supposed to make Indari Appam this year. These are the pictures of the Indari Appam I made last year and the traditional method for making Indari Appam in Knanaya Jacobite Community is explained below.

Indari Appam / Pesaha (Passover) Appam

ഇണ്ടറി അപ്പവും കുറുക്കും I പെസഹാ അപ്പവും പാലും
(Makes around 20-22 Indari Appams)

Ingredients:
Roasted Rice flour-4 cups
Urad dal- 1 cup
Coconut-2 nos or (almost 4 cups of grated coconut)
Jeerakom/Cumin seeds-11/2 tsp
Garlic-4 cloves

Small Onion - 4 (optional)
Salt to taste

Method:

• Soak urad dal for two hours. Drain and grind to a smooth paste together with coconut, garlic, cumin seeds and salt, adding very little water. Mix this ground paste with rice flour and make soft and smooth dough. Do not allow this mix to ferment. Take small balls from the dough and flatten each ball on a piece of banana leaf with finger tips. Dip finger in water in between. Fold and steam the appams in Appanchembu (steamer) or in pressure cooker without keeping the weight, filled with enough water for 20-25 minutes.

Kurukku
Ingredients:
Rice flour-1 tbsp
Jaggery-250gm (melt jaggery with little water and strain the syrup)
Coconut milk -2 ½ cups
Roasted Cumin powder
Cardamom powder
Method:

• Mix rice flour with melted jaggery syrup and coconut milk. Cook this mix stirring continuously to a medium thick porridge. Flavor with roasted cumin and cardamom powder and remove from heat. Serve with hot Indari Appam.

I wish a blessed Passover to all my readers and friends!

Read More »

Sticky Nut Buns

Ingredients:

2/3 cup lukewarm milk
1 tbsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp caster sugar
4 cups strong white bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/2cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

For the filling:

1 1/2 cups soft dark brown sugar
5 tbsp butter
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup chopped pecan nuts or walnuts
3 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup raisins

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180C. Mix the milk, yeast and sugar and leave aside until frothy. Combine the flour and salt, and rub in the butter. Add the yeast mixture, eggs and lemon rind.
• Stir to a rough dough. Knead until smooth, then return to the bowl, cover and leave until doubled in size.
• To make the filling cook the brown sugar, butter and water in a heavy pan until syrupy, about 10 minutes. Place 15ml/1 tbsp syrup in the base of 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle a thin layer of nuts in each, reserving the remainder.
• Knock back the dough and roll out to a 45x30cm/18x12in rectangle. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, raisins and reserved nuts. Sprinkle over the dough. Roll up tightly from long edge and cut into 1 inch rounds. Place in the muffin cups, cut sides up. Leave to rise for 30 minutes.
• Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Invert the tins onto a baking sheet, leave for 5 minutes, then remove the tins. Cool on a wire rack, sticky sides up.
  
  Note: I halved the recipe and baked in a small muffin tin and I got 12 small buns.
  

Sending these delicious Sticky Nut Buns to Rachel's Bread Baking Day (BBD) #28.BBD is an event created by Zorra.

Read More »

Sooji Pancake / Semolina Pancakes

Quick healthy & tasty pancakes!

Ingredients:
Semolina/ Sooji/ Rava-8 tbsp
Curd-7 tbsp
Salt- to taste
Mixed vegetables- 1 tbsp each of grated carrots, chopped capsicum, onions, peas, cabbage, tomato, & 1 green chilly .Mix everything and keep aside. You can also use boiled peas, dhal or sprouted greens etc
Oil for frying

Method:

• Mix semolina, curd & salt and keep aside for 10 minutes. (If the batter is too thick, add 1 or 2 tbsp water).
• Heat 1 tsp oil in a non stick frying pan and 1 tbsp of semolina- curd mix and top with the mixed vegetables, lightly flatten pancake with back of spoon.
• Cook for few minutes in low flame until the bottom of pancake is golden brown.
• Flip over and fry until vegetables are crisp and golden brown.
• Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Sending this to Priya's Pancake Event.

Read More »

Chocolate Mocha Cake

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
Mocha Cream Filling
Chocolate Cream Frosting
Chocolate sprinkles to decorate(optional)

Method:

• Grease and lightly flour two 9x 11/2-inch baking pans. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add water, oil, eggs and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixture on low to medium speed till combined. Beat for 2 minutes on medium to high speed. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in a 350degree oven for 30-35 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.
• Remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.
• Brush layers with liqueur or orange juice.
• Fill cake layers with Mocha Cream Filling and frost with Chocolate Cream Frosting.
  
  Mocha Cream Filling
  Melt 50gm semi-sweet chocolate and add 1 tbsp instant coffee crystals dissolved in 2 tbsp water and 30 gm sugar, mix well and keep aside to cool. Add 1 cup whipping cream and beat the mixture till thick.
  
  Chocolate Cream Frosting
  Bring 1 cup heavy cream to a boil, remove from heat and add 200gm chopped semi-sweet chocolate. Stir till chocolate is melted. Beat the mixture till thick.

Divya of Easycooking celebrating her second blog anniversary with “The best chocolate cake event" and I am sending this cake for her event. Wishing you many many wonderful years of blogging Divya!!!

Read More »

Milk chocolate and Passion Fruit Truffles!

I love chocolates and I also love passion fruit! My dad collects fresh passion fruit from his back yard which I convert to puree and carry with me to Kuwait to make juice, wine, pudding etc or even eat fresh mixed with sugar….yummmmy!!! :) Recently when I saw these two in the form of a Truffle in Aran’s blog Cannelle Et Vanille I wanted to make it immediately. All the ingredients except Apricot were with me, so with full confidence I tried this recipe that afternoon. I used Dates instead of Apricot, mixed everything and kept the ganache in the fridge to set. But my ganache never get hard even after keeping it in the fridge overnight. The whole thing looked like mousse. So I rechecked the recipe and found out that I had messed up with the amount of cream and so the truffles ended up as chocolate mousse. Nevertheless it tasted heavenly and we finished it off in two days! Two days back I had some guests for dinner and I again tried the same truffles with the correct amount of cream and this time I added Raisins instead of Apricot. Yes this time my ganache set well, and I got really soft very tasty Truffles.

Milk Chocolate and Passion Fruit Truffles

{Adapted from Cannelle Et Vanille by Aran}

Ingredients:

210 grams milk chocolate

25 grams dried apricots, small dice (first time I used Dates and second time Raisins)

1 tbsp water

80 grams (1/2 cup) passion fruit puree

45 grams (1/4 cup) heavy cream

1/2 tbsp honey

30 grams unsalted butter, room temperature

Method:

• Mix the chopped apricots/dates/raisins with the water and let them plump up.
• When you are ready to add them to the ganache, drain them and pat them dry with a paper towel.
• Place chopped milk chocolate in a bowl big enough to hold all ingredients.
• In a saucepan, bring cream, passion fruit puree and honey to a boil.
• Pour over the chopped chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts. Let this mixture cool a little bit.
• Add the softened butter and mix until all incorporated.
• Add the chopped and plumped apricots/dates/raisins.
• Let the ganache set in the refrigerator and when hard, make small balls and roll them in cocoa powder/powdered sugar or dip in melted chocolate.

Read More »

Strawberry and Banana Muffins

Adapted from Pam's For The Love of Cooking.



Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup of flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced

Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 stick of butter, melted
2 large ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Coat a muffin pan with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients.
• After mixing, gently fold in the strawberries, making sure to coat them with flour - this helps prevent the berries from sinking while baking.
• In another large bowl, combine the wet ingredients (use a potato masher to break up the banana) until mixed thoroughly.
• Slowly combine the wet mixture into the dry mixture, stir until just combined - do not over mix the batter or you will have tough muffins.
• Fill the muffin tray with the batter, place in the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• This recipe makes 12 muffins.

Read More »