Meringue Cake ~ A Sweet Punch

I haven't tried a meringue cake before. The Sweet punch team did give us options varying from cakes to cookies. I went in with the simple Meringue cake which is two layers of cake sandwiched together with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Since I had some blueberries, I added a handful. My little one was the first to taste it, he simply couldn't resist it being rested. And in between mouthfuls he spurted out mama its very nice.......

Ingredients:
[Serves 8 - 10]
Egg yolks - 4 large
Sifted cake flour - 1 cup (100 grams)
Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1/8 teaspoon
Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup (1 stick) (114 grams)
Granulated white sugar - 1/2 cup (100 grams)
Pure vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
Milk - 1/4 cup (60 ml)
Meringue Layer:
Egg whites - 4 large
Cream of tartar - 1/4 teaspoon
Granulated white sugar - 1/3 cup (65 grams)
Vanilla extract - 1/2 teaspoon pure
Topping:
Heavy whipping cream - 1 cup (240 ml)
Granulated white sugar - 1 - 2 tablespoons (14 - 28 grams)
Fresh strawberries - 1 pound (454 grams)  cut into bite sized pieces
Confectioners Sugar (powdered or icing) for dusting top of cake

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Grease and flour two - 8 x 1 1/2  inches (20 x 3.75 cm) round cake pans. Set aside. Separate the eggs while they are still cold, placing the yolks in one bowl and the whites in another bowl. Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).In a mixing bowl sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans, smoothing the tops with an offset spatula. Set aside while you make the meringue layer.

Meringue: In a clean bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla extract. Divide the meringue between the two cake pans, gently smoothing the tops with an offset spatula. Bake for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. The meringue layers will have turned a light brown and will be crisp to the touch but soft inside. Place the pans on a wire rack to cool. When completely cooled, remove from pans.

Shortly before serving whip the cream with the sugar until soft peaks form. Cut the strawberries into bite sized pieces and, if necessary, add a little sugar to sweeten them. Place one of the cake layers, meringue side up, on a serving platter. Spread the whipping cream onto the cake and top with the strawberries/ raspberries or blueberries or a combination of berries. Gently place the second cake layer, cake side down so the meringue layer is facing up, onto the first layer. Dust with confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar. If not eating immediately, cover and place in the refrigerator until serving time. The assembled cake will hold in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Spanish Flan

I was sort of not well enough to make anything for the Husband's birthday. My heart did'nt let me get away with the day not making anything. Since Satish loves desserts I resorted to making this flan which is a much more heavier version than the usual creme caramel. A simple and indulgent dessert!
A third entry to Suma's event.

Ingredients:
White granulated sugar - 1 cup
Eggs - 3
Sweetened condensed milk -  1 can (14 ounce)
Evaporated milk - 1 can (12 fluid ounce)
Vanilla extract - 1 tablespoon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt sugar until liquefied and golden in color. Carefully pour hot syrup into a 9 inch round glass baking dish, turning the dish to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour egg mixture through a sieve into the baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 60 minutes in a water bath. To test the flan for doneness, insert a toothpick, if it comes out clean the flan is cooked. Let it cool completely. To serve, run a knife around the dish carefully invert on serving plate with edges when completely cool.

Tip: For those wanting to make it without the evaporated milk the measurements would be 4 eggs and 2cups of regular milk 
There will some hard sugar at the bottom of the dish/mould, do not attempt to scrape this and add it to the caramel sauce to be served.
The flan can be enhanced with honey, lemon zests, and crushed almonds depending on one's preference.

Lemon Ricotta Cake for the New Year!!

It's a brand new year, and I'm already excited at knowing what's in store for the coming months. I say, the last week of December until January 2 is indeed a tight schedule for us - Church, celebrations, husband's birthday, new year's, and then our wedding anniversary. The lemon ricotta recipe is from my dear friend Lesa, I decided to use her recipe for distributing cakes to our all and near and dear. I trusted Lesa's verdict which in her words were "It's YUM". My verdict: "It's YUUUUUUMMMMMMYYYYYY" and it's the same verdict right from neighbors, to friends, to office friends, colleagues and family. I only made 7 of these to please everyone..got some more people on the list that are yet to be pleased........which means more baking......
This is also my second entry to Suma Rowajee's event. I'm sending this to Champa too for her bake off

Ingredients:
Caster sugar - 175gms
Butter - 175gms , plus extra for greasing
Zest of 4 unwaxed lemons
Eggs - 3, separated
Ricotta cheese - 250gms
Self-raising flour - 125gms , plus extra for dusting
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Icing sugar, to dust
To serve
Blackberries
Clotted cream

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Grease a 18cm cake tin with butter and dust with flour. Beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy - you can do this in an electric mixer or in a bowl using a wooden spoon. Beat in the lemon zest, add the egg yolks and ricotta and beat in until well combined.In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed from the bowl. Fold these into the main mixture and stir in the flour and baking powder.Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth the top. Bake for 35 minutes, or until risen and golden-brown in colour. Test the cake by inserting a skewer into the centre – if the skewer comes out clean, the cake is cooked.Cool the cake on a wire rack and dust with icing sugar. Serve with fresh blackberries and clotted cream

Middle East Wrap

A simple dish using leftover rotis or tortillas.

Ingredients:
Aubergine - 1 large cut into 1inch cubes
Salt - 1tsp
Rotis/ Tortillas - 4
Green Chillies - 2 finely chopped
Slice Cheese - 8

Sprinkle salt onto the aubergine and set aside for 30minutes. Squeeze out the water and pat dry. Deep fry the aubergine in hot oil until golden brown and drain on absorbent paper. Lay one roti/tortilla on a work surface. Put a few cubes of aubergine in the center sprinkle some chillies and cover with two cheese slices. Fold in the sides and roll the roti/ tortilla. Repeat with remaining rotis.

Tuscan Christmas Panforte~ Christmas Cake

I was about to make the Christmas cake, my mum's recipe which we have been using over thirty years. But this year I passed on my version of the Christmas cake recipe to her and asked her to try it out...only because mine turned out absolutely yummy!!

Suma Rowajee of 'Cakes and More' is hosting her first event, the best part is the giveaway -  The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Here's my entry~

Ingredients:
Hazelnuts - generous 1/3cup
Almonds - generous 1/3cup
Candied Peel - 1/2cup
Candied pineapple - 1/3cup chopped finely
Dried Apricots - 1/3cup chopped finely
Grated rind of 1orange
All purpose flour - 1/2cup
Unsweetened cocoa - 2tbs
Ground cinnamon  - 1tsp
Ground coriander - 1/4tsp
Ground cloves - 1/4tsp
Freshly grated nutmeg - 1/4tsp
Caster sugar - 1/2cup
Honey - 1/2cup
To decorate:
Icing sugar

Line an 8inch cake pan with parchment paper. Spread put the hazelnut on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated oven for 10minutes until golden brown. Put them onto a dish towel and rub off the skin. Meanwhile spread out the almonds and toast in the oven for 7minutes watching them as they can easily burn. Reduce the oven temperature to 150C. Chop all the nuts and place them in a large bowl.
Add the candied peel, chopped candied pineapple, apricots, rind of the orange to the nuts and mix well. Sift together the flour, cocoa, coriander, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg into the bowl and mix well. Put the sugar and honey into a pan and set over low heat stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook for 10minutes until thickened and starting to darken.Stir in the nuts mixture into the pan and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake pan and level the surface using the back of a damp spoon.Bake in the oven for 1hour and then transfer to wire rack to cool in the pan. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and peel off the parchment paper and. Just before serving dredge the top with icing sugar. Cut into thin wedges to serve.

Christmas Cookies ~ A Sweet Makeover

Peace on earth will come to stay, When we live Christmas every day. ~ Helen Steiner Rice

Asan Khana is hosting the month's event on 'Its time to jingle'. These cookies are being sent over......

Ingredients:
Wholewheat flour - 360gms
Raisins or Sultanas - 50gms
Ground Ginger - 1 1/2tsp
Ground Cinnamon - 1/2tsp
Dark Brown Sugar - 125gms
Bicarbonate of Soda - 1tsp

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the baking tray with parchment paper. Mix in oil with the sugar, tip in the raisins or sultanas and mix. Sieve the flour, bicarbonate soda, ground ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add the oil, sugar and raisin mixture and mix together. Knead the mixture for a few seconds till it comes together, adding a teaspoon or so of water if necessary. Take care to keep the dough soft but not sticky. Flatten the dough into a a round surface about 2cm thick, cling wrap and leave to chill for 30minutes. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the dough to .5cm thickness. Stamp out shapes using the Christmas cutter or regular rounds of 6-7cm diameter. With a spatula put each shape onto the baking tray. Bake in the oven for 10-12minutes until golden brown . Remove from oven, leave to cool. Store in airtight container.

Baked Beans Deluxe

Another one of my Mum's recipes that she would make, on the days she and Appa would head out for their weekly game of badminton back in the day when her children were still going to school.....

Ingredients:
Cabbage - 450gms shredded
Potatoes - 3 medium sized
Baked beans - 450gms (1can)
Tomato Ketchup - 2tbs
Sweet paprika powder - 1tsp
Onions - 1 large finely chopped
Bechamal Sauce - 1 1/2cups (White Sauce)
Butter - 2tbs

Macerate the shredded cabbage with salt. Place the cabbage into a steamer and let it steam through for about 3minutes. Boil the potatoes, peel and cut into roundels, apply salt and pepper to taste and keep aside. Into a frying pan, melt the butter and sweat the onions, then add the paprika powder, baked beans and ketchup and saute for a while. Grease a baking dish. Arrange the cabbage at the bottom. Cover the leaves with the seasoned baked beans. Sprinkle some cheese over the beans and then top the beans with the potato rounds. Pour the white sauce over the potatoes. Top the potatoes with more cheese and bake in a hot oven at 180C for 25mins. Serve hot.

Bechamal Sauce (White Sauce):

Butter - 2tbs

Plain flour - 3tbs

Milk - 11/2cups

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Blend in the flour. Add the milk all at once and cook quickly constantly stirring, till the sauce thickens.

White Chocolate Chip & Chocolate Chip Muffins

My son has been pestering me to make him muffins for over a month, and due to various reasons kept postponing his request. Until  I get a December letter from his play school announcing one of the days as 'Picnic day' with specifics to snacks, a mat, paper plates and cups to be brought along as the paraphernalia. My son couldn't have have had better reasons to take along with him 15 muffins for his friends, with my constant reminder "Elijah you got to share with your friends" to which he promptly responds "No, Mama I can't - Please..."!!
At the end of the day he indeed shared his muffins with all his little friends. Ria is hosting the mingle for the month - Chocolate Extravaganza, and I'm sending this across as my entry.

Ingredients:
Plain Flour – 215gm

Baking Powder – 1 tsp

Butter/Margarine – 115gm

Caster Sugar – 70gm
Dark Brown sugar – 30gm
Eggs – 2
Milk – 125ml
White Chocolate Chips – 85gms
Chocolate Chips – 85gms (I used a semi sweet chocolate bar and cut them into pieces)

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease 10 – 12 silicone muffin cases/ paper cups or the muffins tray. Cream the butter until soft. Add both sugars and beat until light & fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Sift together the flour & baking powder, twice. Fold into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk. Spoon the mixture three fourths full into the muffin cases. Sprinkle several chocolate chips on top. Bake until lightly colored , about 25 minutes.

A Sweet Punch~Pear, Chocolate & Almond Crumble

We are down with a nasty cough, so couldn't enjoy this crumble with ice-cream like we wanted to nor did I make custard or cream to go with it. And without ice-cream, heavy cream, custard or any of the like the crumble is just warm enough to delight us all.

Ingredients:
Ripe pears - 1kg (4-5), peeled, cored and chopped into 1cm pieces
Light brown soft sugar - 50gms [ Can substitute with regular sugar]
Grated zest and juice of 1 un-waxed lemon
Swiss milk chocolate - 100gms, roughly chopped

For the crumble:
Plain flour - 100gms [ You could substitute this with Whole wheat flour too]
Butter - 50gms, chilled and diced
Light brown soft sugar - 50gms
Almonds - 50g blanched, lightly toasted in a dry pan and roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease 6 ovenproof teacups or ramekins or a pie-dish. In a medium bowl, mix together the pears, brown sugar, lemon zest and juice, and half the chocolate. Divide the mixture between the teacups or ramekins, spooning over any juice. To make the crumble, place the flour and butter in a medium bowl and, with your fingertips, rub together until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar, almonds and remaining chocolate. Spoon the crumble over the pears and press down lightly. Place the crumbles on a baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and bubbling. Serve with a scoop of good vanilla ice-cream.

Beef Stroganoff with Buttered Rice

This dish remains to be a personal favorite. Well if you have friends coming over for a meal...then its one occasion to get a stroganoff on the table.

Ingredients:
Fillet steak - 750gms
Butter - 3tbs
Onion - 1/4cup finely chopped
Mushrooms - 500gms sliced
Warm water - 1/2cup
Beef stick cubes - 2 crumbled
Tomato puree - tbs
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream - 3/4cup
Cornflour - 1tsp

Cut fillet into 1cm thin slices. Heat butter into a non stick frying pan and saute the meat very quickly until cooked and golden brown. With a slotted spoon remove meat to a warm plate. In the rest of the butter saute the onion for a while. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2minutes. Return meat to the pan with water, stock cubes, salt, pepper and tomato puree. Finally add in the sour cream and cornflour mixture. Allow to boil and then simmer for 3minutes.

Buttered Rice
Ingredients
Long grain rice - 11/2cups
Butter - 2tbs at room temperature
Salt to taste
Parsley - 2tbs chopped

Soak the rice for 10minutes and drain. Cook in plenty of boiling water and drain and refrigerate for 3hours. Just before serving, melt the butter into a non stick pan and stir fry the rice for 3minutes. Remove from heat and add salt and mix in parsley.

Farmhouse Current Cake for turning 25!

Arun's birthday (my younger brother) and he has turned 25. We all just wanted some good time together. My brother in law came home to stay with us and join in the pyjama party. We all spent time talking, catching up, laughing at corny jokes, sitting up in the night and enjoying ourselves. A special thank-you to Zee for having come at 12am and adding to the late night entertainment and be able to eat a good slice of goodness..

Ingredients:
Self Rising flour - 1 3/4cup
Milk - 1/3cup
Eggs - 3
Butter - 200gms
Caster Sugar - 3/4cup
Vanilla extract - 1tsp
Lemon peel - 1tsp
Black currants - 500gms

Frosting Ingredients
Cream cheese - 100gms softened
Butter - 3tbs softened
Grated lemon zest - 1tsp
Grated orange zest - 1tsp
Icing sugar - 150gms

Preheat oven to 150C. Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and then the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, gradually add the flour. Stir in the milk, currents and lemon peel and mix well. Spoon into a lightly greased and lined 18cm round tin and bake for approximately for an hour and a half. Cool in the pan.
For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter, orange and lemon zests until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in soft icing sugar. Spread over the cake with a spatula once the cake is cooled.

Hot Chocolate Fudge Pudding

A chocolate dessert which mum used to make for the one of the many dinner parties we have hosted at home. This a warm fudgy dessert to be had with a good dollop of vanilla ice cream. I'm sending this, as an entry to CCN's first blog birthday. Madhuri is celebrating her blog's first year with a bang - 'The Chocolate Fest' along with an awesome giveaway. Who wouldn't want to be a part of it?

Ingredients:
Plain Flour - 1cup
Baking powder - 1 1/2tsp
Salt - a pinch
Sugar - 1/2cup
Cocoa Powder - 1dsp
Milk - 1/2cup
Ghee - 2dsp
Vanilla Essence - 1tsp
For the Sauce
Sugar - 3/4cup
Cocoa - 2dsp
Hot water - 1 3/4cup

Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and cocoa. Add milk, ghee and essence and mix well. Put this evenly into a greased deep dish. Dissolve the sugar and cocoa in hot water and pour over the pudding. Bake at 160C for 35minutes. The pudding will look like a cake and the sauce will form a thick sauce underneath. Serve the pudding with vanilla ice cream.

Praline Bavarian Cream Pudding

Mum regularly made this dessert from her treasured collection of recipes. It would delight anybody wanting a hint of sweet aftertaste... especially after a heavy meal.

Ingredients:
[Serves 6]
Eggs - 3
Milk - 1 1/2cup
Sugar - 1/2cup
Gelatin - 4tsp
Whipping Cream - 1cup
Sugar (for Caramel) - 3tsp
Cashew nut Pieces - 3dsp

Soak gelatine in half cup of milk. Beat the yolks and sugar well till it turns a light yellow colour. Into a pan, heat milk and the egg yolk mixture over low heat till it thickens, and coats the back of the spoon. When it starts to thicken, add in the milk mixed with the gelatine. Take it off the fire and let it cool in the refrigerator till  it is half set, which means it would be slightly wobbly. In the meantime caramelize the 3tsp sugar into a pan. Once the sugar has caramelized, add in the cashew nuts. Coat the cashew, pour the caramel onto a greased tray. Once it is cooled, grind coarsely and keep aside.
Whip the egg whites until stiff and forms soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the half set pudding  until well combined. Then add in the whipped cream and mix well. The pudding consistency should be creamy. Pour the pudding into bowls/ ramekins/ or into a shallow dish and let it set in the refrigerator. Top the pudding with the coarsely ground praline while serving.

Mutton Masala with Mint 'n' White Radish Chutney~ The Punjabi Way!

One of the shows I saw on TLC, by Madhur Jaffrey, this specific episode was on Punjabi Cuisine. She had demonstrated authentic Punjabi style lamb chops. I have substituted lamb chops for regular mutton pieces and tweaked the recipe a bit....but the end result is fantatisco!

Ingredients:

Mutton chops/ pieces - 1kg

Ginger - 3tbs finely chopped

Garlic - 6-8pods chopped

Tomato - 1 roughly chopped

Onion - 2medium finely chopped

Cayenne Powder - 1 heaped tbs

Yoghurt - 300ml

Punjabi Garam Masala - 3-4tsps

Roasted Cumin Powder - 1tsp

Lemon Juice - 3tbs

Freshly chopped coriander leaves

Into a large pan, pour some oil and put in the onions, saute for a minute, then add the tomatoes. Saute the tomatoes for about 3minutes, add in the yoghurt, cayenne powder, salt, ginger garlic paste and the mutton pieces. Mix and bring the curry to a gentle boil. Lower the heat, cover and cook the mutton for about 45 minutes and the mutton is almost tender. Then add the roasted cumin seeds and simmer for 15minutes till the mutton is tender and the curry thickens to a sauce. Then add the garam masala and lemon juice, stir well. Add in the chopped coriander. Serve hot.

To make the Punjabi Garam Masala

The spice combinations in garam masala vary in different parts of India: 5 tbsps coriander seeds, 3 tbsps cumin seeds, 2 1/2 tbsps black peppercorns, 2 black cardamom seeds, 2 inch cinnamon stick, 4-5 cloves, 1/6 nutmeg. Put the coriander and the cumin into a cast-iron frying-pan over a medium heat. Stir until lightly roasted. Allow to cool. Grind with the remaining ingredients in a clean coffee grinder and store in a tightly lidded jar.

Mint and White Radish Chutney

Ingredients:
Mint leaves - 2cups
White Radish - 1 chopped (which is about 270gms)
Green chilly - 1-2 chopped
Onion - 1 chopped
Lemon Juice - 2tbs
Salt to taste


Combine all the ingredients into a blender and add water as needed

Creamy Dill Cucumber Toasties

Super easy appetizer, looks good on the platter for a party and the crowd would love it!

Ingredients:

Cream cheese - 8oz 1 packet

Mayonnaise - 1/2cup

Lebanese Cucumber - 3 finely sliced

Dried dill weed - 2tsp

One packet of toasts/ rusks

 
Into a medium bowl, mix in cream cheese, mayonnaise and dill weed. Spread a thin layer onto the toast and arrange a slice of cucumber atop and serve.

Quick Fix'd Salad

It was one of those days, when your trying to diet...and your stomach grumbles...and I'm pacifying myself with this salad..I like this salad because the efforts involved to whip it up are minimal, and the number shown calorie counter definitely puts a smile in the face..

Ingredients:
Lebanese Cucumbers - 1/2cup chopped
Tomatoes - 1/2cup chopped
Frozen Sweet corn - 1/2cup thawed and boiled
Coriander leaves - 2tbs chopped
Lemon juice - 2tbs
Orange zest - just a wee bit
Sweet paprika powder - just a sprinkle
Salt to taste
Olive oil to drizzle

Mix all the ingredients in together into a medium bowl except the chopped coriander leaves, sweet paprika powder and olive oil. Before serving, sprinkle in the coriander leaves and sweet paprika powder.Drizzle in oilve oil and enjoy.

Lamington Towers

I saw it first on Ria's blog and it was on my list of 'must attempt'. Then Lesa my friend in Singapore, tried the same for her husband's bday and she sent me pictures of the one she baked with love....and I just knew my mum in law would be delighted at this fancy looking cake if I too baked it. The best part is I got my little one to help me make little flags out of tooth picks and a napkin corner to adorn our tower...and mum in law was impressed by all means..


Things you'd need:
Plain Cake
Chocolate Coating
Dessicated coconut

For the cake

Ingredients:
All purpose flour- 2cups
Eggs-2
Baking powder-2 heaped tsp
Baking Soda-1/2 tsp
Salt-1/4 tsp
Butter-125 g 
 Caster Sugar-7 tbsp 
Milk-1 1/4 c
Vanilla extract-1/2-1 tsp


Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Beat butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon till light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one by one and beat it well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately starting and ending with flour. Add in the vanilla extract. If the batter is thick, add more milk and make it to the right consistency. Pour into a prepared square pan and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 C for 35 mins. Cool and cut the cake into small 2x2 inch squares.

For the chocolate coating

Butter-1 1/2 tbsp
Sugar-3c, powdered
Cocoa powder-3 heaped tbsp 
Water-3/4 c

Mix sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl.  Boil water and butter together. Add this to the sugar-cocoa mix and stir well . Chocolate coating is ready. 

A Sweet Punch~ Molten Lava Cake

This month couldn't have gotten any better with the team announcing the Molten Lava cake as the challenge. The timing was just perfect, my brother in law had been pestering me to make him one...and to top it off he spent a good three days with me and my husband. So baked him one to keep him happy. The joyous moment calls for, when the spoon dug right through, to release the warm delicious chocolate center..

Ingredients:

Semi - Sweet Baking Chocolate – 4 oz (113g)
Butter – 4 oz (113g)
Eggs – 2
Sugar – 1/3 cup (75 g)
All-purpose Flour – 1/4 cup (40g)
Butter – for greasing ramekins

In a double boiler, melt chocolate. In a medium mixing bowl, beat Eggs and Sugar until light and fluffy. Once chocolate is melted, remove pan from heat and add in butter. Mix until the butter melts fully. Add chocolate/butter mixture into the eggs, add all-purpose flour and mix until well incorporated. Butter bottom and sides of ramekins (small glass/porcelain bowls) and pour in mixture about 3/4 way full. Place ramekins on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 C) for 10 – 15 minutes. Shorter for gooey (molten) inside, longer for stiff inside. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

Baked Fries with Hot Dog~My Toddlers Fav!

My son loves sausages, he could have it everyday for every meal. And everyday by default the morning question as I pack his mid morning snack "Mama what have you put in my tiffin? Sausage??!!". If the answer is 'No' then, the tantrums follow, which is a usual scene here - especially when your in a frantic hurry. I'm giving into his needs of  making Hot dogs and some baked fries to accompany for dinner. The day I give him sausages you can hear him sing the song from Mickey Mouse Club House,

Hot dog hot dog hot diggety dog

Its a brand new day 

Whatcha waiting for

Get up, stretch out, stomp on the floor

Hot dog hot dog hot diggety dog 

Baked Fries
Ingredients:
Potatoes - 500gms
Cayenne Powder - 1/4tsp
Olive Oil - 3-4tbs
Pepper - 1/2tsp
Salt  - 1tsp
Garlic minced - 6-7pods


Cut the potatoes into wedges and boil into a pan of water until almost done. Pat dry and keep aside.Into a bowl, combine pepper, salt and olive oil and the minced garlic. Toss the potatoes into the bowl coating it. Sprinkle in the cayenne powder and then again, toss the potatoes. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer into the prepared baking sheet. Bake into a preheated oven of 220C until the potatoes turn crispy golden brown.  That should take about 25-30minutes. The potatoes need to be turned once while baking.

Hot Dog Relish
Ingredients:
Ready made Horseradish Dressing - 1/2cup
Tomato ketchup - 3tbs
Yellow Mustard -3tbs
Worcestershire Sauce - 2tsp
Onion - 1 small finely chopped
Green Bell Pepper - half, finely chopped

Combine all the ingredients into a medium bowl and serve onto the hot-dog

Andhra Style Chili Chicken

Mid week visit to my in-laws and yet another demand of Ratish is Andhra Style Chili Chicken, he simply loves Andhra cuisine. If you take him to Nagarjuna (one of the authentic Andhra style restaurants in Bangalore) to explore the meals, then he wouldn't leave without doing some justice, as well as tire the waiters till they beg you to leave - simply because they'd be worn out of serving Ratish ample amount of hot rice, ghee and gun powder (chutney powder).....

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1kg, skinless cut into medium pieces
Green Chilies - 10-12
Onion - 2 finely chopped
Curry leaves - two sprigs
Spice powder - 2 cloves, 1 stick of cinnamon, 1/4tsp of jeera all ground to a dry powder
Ginger garlic paste - 1tbs
Button Onions - 1/4cup
Lemon juice - 2tbs
Pepper powder - 1tsp
Salt to taste

Pat dry the chicken and keep aside. Wet grind the green chillies, ginger garlic paste, button onions to a coarse paste. Into a pan, sauté the onions till brown, also add half the curry leaves and sauté till crisp. Then add the chicken and sauté the chicken for about 2-3minutes. Tip in the chilly paste and sauté till the chicken becomes white. Cover and cook the chicken till almost done, and the liquid has turned into a semi gravy. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and mix well. Add the remaining curry leaves, continue to fry the chicken for a couple of more minutes and serve hot with rice.

Tip:If required add less than a quarter cup of warm water for more gravy (which is how we like it)

Apple Pie

Some like it plain, some like it with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, some with custard and some with a generous dollop of whipped cream. You cannot refuse somebody dessert, especially for someone just out of the hospital. Yeah! on our weekend over to my inlaws, my bro in law says "Chech don't come empty handed!" Asked him if an apple pie was alright, and he goes, "just bring it on chechi"....

Ingredients:
Short Crust Pastry
All Purpose Flour - 2 1/2cups
Salt - 1tsp
Granulated Sugar - 2tbs
Unsalted Butter - 1cup, cut into i inch pieces
Chilled water - 1/4cup
Apple Filling

Apples - 6 large, peeled, cored, sliced into 1/4inch pieces
Granulated Sugar  - 1/4cup
Brown Sugar - 1/4cup
Lemon Juice - 1tbs
Cinnamon Powder - 3/4tsp
Nutmeg Powder - 1/4tsp
Unsalted Butter - 2tbs
One egg with a couple of tablespoons of milk whisked - to brush the pastry

For the Short crust pastry (Pate Brisee) - Into a food processor, place the flour, salt and sugar and mix until well combined. Add in the cold butter and process the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Pour about 1/4cup water through the feed and the mixture holds together to form a dough. Do not process for more than 30-40seconds. Turn the mixture onto a floured surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough into two halves, cling wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Grease a 9inch pie dish. Take out one half of the dough, roll and flatten the dough to cover the base of the pie dish. Roll the dough outwardly from the center to get uniform thickness. Brush off any excess flour and gently place pastry to fit the base of the dish.Cover with cling wrap and place back into the refrigerator.

In the meantime, the apple filling can be made, by combining the apples, both the sugars, lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg powder and butter into a medium saucepan. Then cook the apples for a medium to high flame for about 3-4minutes till the apples turn soft and the liquid reduces and becomes thick. The liquid will turn syrupy and caramelized. Place the apple filling into the base of the pastry filled pie dish.

Then take out the other half of the dough. Roll and flatten the dough to cover the apple filling. Moisten the edges of the base pastry with water so as to tuck and seal the top pastry. Crimp the top pastry as desired. Once the top of covered, trim off excess pastry. In the middle of the top pastry, make a slit so as to let the steam escape while the pie is being cooked. Lightly brush the top pastry with egg and milk mixture and bake into a preheated oven of 180C for 40-50minutes till the top is golden brown and juices are bubbling. Its tempting to cut the pie right away, (I did that to take my photo, plus we were heading out to my inlaws).Resist as much as you can and let the pie sit for a couple of hours so that they turn out to be perfect wedges.